America has had a drastic
effect on other countries, sometimes positive, other
times not. Either way you have to ask the question, who
are we to dictate the actions of other countries? I am
going to focus on two countries, and the effect that America
has had on them. Some you may be familiar with the
situations, others you might not be. But, these are
important issues and they deserve recognition.
Until 1973, Chile was considered
the most democratic country in South America. At that
time the Chilean military was responsible for the
assassination of Chile’s president Salvador Allende,
a socialist who was elected in 1970. During his term as
president, he froze prices and raised wages in an attempt
to improve the standard of living for the impoverished
people. He also nationalized private industries and US
owned copper companies, angering business owners. By 1972
Allende’s government faced the difficulty of
striking workers and had to deal with the US funneling
money to Allende’s opponents, as well as stopping
trade and aid to Chile. When Allende was assassinated on September
11, 1973, Americahad known about the plot for well over a
month. However, the American ambassador to Chile, David
Popper, had decided not to divulge this information that
could have stopped the establishment of a military
dictatorship in Chile that lasted until 1988.
Since the Korean War, North Koreahas
been blacklisted by America. Economic conditions have
gradually grown worse as they were left with no way to
bring more money into the countries economic system. Left
with few choices North Koreabegan selling and exporting
missiles to other countries. This may have been a
terribly wrong decision but, at the time, they could not
find a better answer. Since 1992, North Koreahas
expressed a willingness to stop exporting missiles, and
hasn’t even tested ballistic missiles capable of
reaching the United States. In 1998 the D.P.R.K. issued a
statement announcing that “(Their) missile export is
aimed at obtaining money (they) need at present.” On
September 17, 1999, it looked like an agreement had
finally been reached when N. Korea agreed to suspend
missile testing while talks proceeded in exchange for the
USeasing its decade-long economic embargo. The
relationship between our two countries may never be good
but hopefully we can look forward to it improving ass
time moves on.
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