Images and Intervention: U.S. Policies in Latin AmericaCottam explains the patterns of U.S. intervention in Latin America by focusing on the cognitive images that have dominated policy makers' world views, influenced the procession of information, and informed strategies and tactics. She employs a number of case studies of intervention and analyzes decision-making patterns from the early years of the cold war in Guatemala and Cuba to the post-cold-war policies in Panama and the war on drugs in Peru. Using two particular images-the enemy and the dependent-Cottam explores why U.S. policy makers have been predisposed to intervene in Latin America when they have perceived an enemy (the Soviet Union) interacting with a dependent (a Latin American country), and why these images led to perceptions that continued to dominate policy into the post-cold-war era. |
Contents
Images Strategies and Tactics | 14 |
Intervention | 36 |
What Difference Does an Enemy Make? Overthrow Versus | 54 |
Copyright | |
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administration's Allende Ambassador Arbenz argued behavior bureaucratic Bush administration Carter administration Castro Central America Chile Chilean coca coercive cold war cold warriors communist complex concern conflict context Cottam coup Cuba Cuban decision democracy democratic dependent image diplomatic drug economic aid efforts Eisenhower El Salvador elections enemy image Foreign Policy global Guatemala guerrilla Huallaga Valley human rights ibid image of Latin impact important influence Inter-American junta Latin America Latin American countries leaders leftist leverage ment military aid modified cold warriors National negotiations Nicaragua Nixon Noriega Ole Holsti opposition Panama Panamanian pattern perceived Peru Peru's Peruvian policy toward Latin political post-cold President psychological Reagan administration reform regime revolution Salvador Salvadoran sanctions Sandinistas self-image simplification Somoza Soviet Union strategy tactics threat tion traditional cold warriors U.S. Congress U.S. Government Printing U.S. intervention U.S. military U.S. officials U.S. policy makers United USSR worldview