icon bookmark-bicon bookmarkicon cameraicon checkicon chevron downicon chevron lefticon chevron righticon chevron upicon closeicon v-compressicon downloadicon editicon v-expandicon fbicon fileicon filtericon flag ruicon full chevron downicon full chevron lefticon full chevron righticon full chevron upicon gpicon insicon mailicon moveicon-musicicon mutedicon nomutedicon okicon v-pauseicon v-playicon searchicon shareicon sign inicon sign upicon stepbackicon stepforicon swipe downicon tagicon tagsicon tgicon trashicon twicon vkicon yticon wticon fm
5 Mar, 2019 15:27

Monroe Doctrine twist: US vowed to shield nations against colonizers, now it’s invading them (VIDEO)

Monroe Doctrine twist: US vowed to shield nations against colonizers, now it’s invading them (VIDEO)

President James Monroe would probably have been appalled to see how his policy of protecting the peoples of the Americas from European colonizers mutated into a self-issued license to intervene into other nations’ affairs.

In a recent comment, US National Security Advisor John Bolton bragged that the current White House administration is “not afraid to use the phrase ‘Monroe Doctrine.’” He was of course referring to the 1823 policy of President Monroe, who extended US protection to any part of the Americas facing colonization by European nations.

READ MORE: The art of no deal: Why can’t Washington reach agreements with...anyone?

Its meaning has apparently been twisted over the years, however, along with the way the US sees its role in the world. When Ronald Reagan supported murdering dictators in Latin America and sent the CIA after democratically elected leftist leaders, he was said to be following the Monroe Doctrine. Arguably, it has since gone global, with the US claiming it to be its unalienable right to meddle in any nation anywhere in the world for no better reason than protecting its national interests, be it Syria or Venezuela.

RT’s Murad Gazdiev explores how a once benevolent idea turned into a justification for imperialist policy.

Like this story? Share it with a friend!

Podcasts
0:00
23:13
0:00
25:0