Inevitable Revolutions: The United States in Central AmericaIn "Inevitable Revolutions: The United States in Central America," historian Walter LaFeber examines the complex and often contentious relationship between the U.S. and five Central American nations—Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. He explores how U.S. economic and military policies have contributed to the region's persistent issues of overpopulation, illiteracy, and violence. LaFeber argues that American notions of economic and military security have reinforced a system of dependency in Central America. The second edition of the book, published in 1993, includes updated material covering the Reagan and Bush administrations, as well as the Iran-Contra affair. |
Contents
AN OVERVIEW OF THE SYSTEM | 5 |
Nicaragua | 11 |
SETTING UP THE SYSTEM | 19 |
The Misshaping of Central America | 25 |
Paying the Price of Stability | 31 |
The United States Destroys a Court | 40 |
Nicaragua | 47 |
Costa Rica and the | 56 |
The Carter Approach | 208 |
Bases for Christ and Other | 218 |
The System Overthrown | 225 |
Oligarchs Fall Colonels Rise Revolution Spreads | 242 |
Turning a Country into a Cemetery | 255 |
Main Girder in the Bridge | 261 |
The Turning Point | 267 |
Reagan and the Militarization of Policy | 275 |
Creating the New Nicaragua | 66 |
Guatemala | 76 |
MAINTAINING THE SYSTEM | 87 |
The Clash at Bogotá | 95 |
Militarizing the Good Neighbors | 108 |
Nixon and the Wobbling of the System 195459 | 128 |
The Turn in the Cold War and the Eisenhower Response | 138 |
UPDATING THE SYSTEM | 147 |
Johnson | 157 |
5000 Little Dictatorsand Revolutionaries | 166 |
The Alliances Proud Model | 173 |
The Transformation of a Banana Republic | 178 |
Degradation of a Democracy | 186 |
Fall of the Alliance and the Rise of Romantic | 194 |
Using the Military to Avoid 1776 | 201 |
Domination by Force Eliminates a Lot of Ticklish | 278 |
Novak and Reaganomics for Latin Americans | 284 |
The Outside Threats | 292 |
Reagan the C I A and the Origins of | 300 |
Refitting the Aircraft Carrier | 310 |
Hobsons Choice | 319 |
REARRANGING THE REMAINS OF THE SYSTEM | 325 |
General Custer in Diplomatic Drag | 333 |
Costa Rica and the Arias Peace | 339 |
Coming to Terms with a Rearranged System | 346 |
Expanding the Killing Fields | 353 |
Theyre Poor Here Theyll Be Better Off | 359 |
NOTES | 369 |
BIBLIOGRAPHY | 413 |
Common terms and phrases
administration Affairs Alliance for Progress Ameri April Arbenz arms army banana became began British capital Caribbean Carter Castro Central America Central American nations coffee Communist Contras Costa Rica country's crisis Cuba Cuban democracy democratic dependent Doctrine Duarte early economic Eisenhower El Salvador election exports Figueres FMLN force Foreign Policy FSLN groups Guatemala Guatemala City guerrillas hemisphere Honduras human rights Ibid internal intervention investment José junta Kennedy killed labor land Latin America leaders liberal Managua March ment Mexico million Monroe Doctrine Nicaragua Nixon North American oligarchs Panama party peasants percent political president problem quote Reagan reform regime region Report revolution revolutionaries Rican Salvador Salvadoran Sandinistas Secretary Senate Somoza Soviet tion tried U.S. aid U.S. Ambassador U.S. Congress U.S. military U.S. officials U.S. policy U.S. power Union United Fruit Washington officials Washington Post White House York