Trending Now
Let me start off by saying that I was born in the United States and I still live here. And I love it.
Yes, this country has major problems and a seriously checkered past, but I really do think I’d rather live here than any other country in the world.
Hey, that’s just my opinion. But I also acknowledge that our government has done some awful things throughout the years…
What really bad things has the U.S. done that most people don’t know about?
AskReddit users shared their thoughts.
1. Not cool.
“Perhaps the greatest ‘D**k Move’ in American history was after the Spanish American war.
During the war the US had made contact with various independence groups in the Philippines and offered them help if they rose against the Spanish government.
After the war, instead of giving the Philippines their independence, the US took over, let the Spanish go, and started attacking the independence groups because they were a threat to American rule. It was easy because the US knew who they were and where they were
Imagine if after landing in Normandy and freeing Paris, the US had let the Na**s go, claimed Northern France, and started m**dering the French Resistance.”
2. Bloodthirsty.
“In 1964, A CIA-backed military coup in Brazil overthrows the democratically elected government of Joao Goulart.
The junta that replaces it will, in the next two decades, become one of the most bloodthirsty in history. General Castelo Branco creates Latin America’s first death squads, or bands of secret police who hunt down communists and political opponents for t**ture, interrogation and m**der.
Later it is revealed that the CIA trained the death squads. Thousands were t**tured, and hundreds were k**led.”
3. Shady business.
“Just look up the declassified documents from the ‘School of the Americas’ I think at Fort Bragg and the rules for t**ture the USA came up with to teach all the Central and South American governments to use.
Remember start your day with freshly recharged batteries kids.
F**king disgusting.”
4. The Red Scare.
“Bands of secret police who hunted down Communists.
During the Cold War, the US backed any government that opposed Communism because the leadership determined it was the greatest threat to democracy.”
5. All kinds of bad stuff.
“Throw a dart at a map aiming at any central or South American country, and we’ve arranged a coup there to install dictators or right wing politicians friendly to opening their countries’ resources to American multinational corporations.
Start with Guatemala as a good jumping off point to understand whether or not we are the “good guys.””
6. Coup.
“It’s shocking how many Americans don’t know about the Iranian coup of 1953 where the US orchestrated an overthrow of the democratically elected government in favor of a dictator.
Said dictator remained in power until being overthrown in 1979 during the Islamic revolution. Americans are taught that the 1979 revolution was when a bunch of radicals took over, but really they were ousting a US-backed dictator.”
7. Yup.
“Allowing corporations to be classified as people so that lobbyists control the country, every war that we’ve ever participated in, the mass execution of Native Americans to obtain the land.”
8. Terrible.
“The Sand Creek Mass**re.
Troops attacked a native American village without provocation and brutally m**dered and scalped them, totaling about 400. There’s accounts saying they cut open a pregnant woman and scalped the fetus and one where a mother and her two children k**led themselves because they didn’t want to be brutally k**led by the Americans.
It’s disgusting and more people should know about it.”
9. Witch hunt.
“Not as bad as a lot of things and not so much something the US did, but the Lavender Scare. Happened alongside the Red Scare, same concept but with gay/queer folks.
Basically a witch hunt, and if you were even suspected of being queer you could lost your job and be blacklisted from most other jobs. This impacted so many people and many were driven to s**cide or were m**dered.
Along with the handling of the HIV/AIDS crisis, which deserves more attention, the US does not have a great history with queer people.”
10. Forgotten history.
“The Tulsa race mass**re of 1921 really happened.
I never learned about it in school and thought it was fiction until a couple of years ago.”
11. Banana republics.
“The Banana Wars.
American Banana Companies hired mercenary armies and overthrew governments of Central American countries multiple times for more bananas and most of the governments the banana companies made were military dictatorships.
This continued for 30 years and a lot of people d**d.”
12. A whole lot…
“Most South American countries should be holding the US accountable for a whole lot.
1954 Guatemala – The CIA overthrows the democratically elected Jacob Arbenz in a military coup. Arbenz is replaced with a series of fascist dictators whose bloodthirsty policies will k**l over 100,000 Guatemalans in the next 40 years. None of them were democratically elected.
1959 Haiti- The U.S. military helps “Papa Doc” Duvalier become dictator of Haiti. Not democratically elected
1961 Ecuador – The CIA-backed military forces the democratically elected President Jose Velasco to resign. Vice President Carlos Arosemana replaces him; the CIA fills the now vacant vice presidency with its own man. (who was a rightwing nut and was not democratically elected)
1963 Dominican Republic – The CIA overthrows the democratically elected Juan Bosch in a military coup. The CIA installs a repressive, right-wing junta. (not democratically elected)
1963 Ecuador – A CIA-backed military coup overthrows President Arosemana, whose independent (not socialist) policies have become unacceptable to Washington. A military junta assumes command. (not democratically elected)
1964 Brazil – A CIA-backed military coup overthrows the democratically elected government of Joao Goulart. Puts a military junta in power (Not democratically elected) and later it is revealed that the CIA trains the death squads of General Castelo Branco (who was one of the fascist dictators US puts in power).
1965 Dominican Republic- A popular rebellion breaks out, promising to reinstall Juan Bosch as the country’s elected leader. The revolution is crushed when U.S. Marines land to uphold the military regime by force. The CIA directs everything behind the scenes. Openly protect fascist dictator that they had put in power AGAINST the wishes of the people.
1971 Bolivia – After half a decade of CIA-inspired political turmoil, a CIA-backed military coup overthrows the leftist President Juan Torres. In the next two years, dictator Hugo Banzer will have over 2,000 political opponents arrested without trial, then tortured, r**ed and executed. (The dictator is not democratically elected either)
1973 Chile – The CIA overthrows and assassinates Salvador Allende, Latin America’s first democratically elected socialist leader. The CIA replaces Allende with General Augusto Pinochet, who will torture and m**der thousands of his own countrymen in a crackdown on labor leaders and the political left. (not democratically elected).”
Do you have any thoughts about this?
If so, please talk to us in the comments.
Thanks in advance!
