Behold the End of the Monroe Doctrine

Do you remember when we were powerful enough to tell every other state in the Western Hemisphere what they could and could not do? Do you remember when we deposed and drop kicked those who dared to set out on a competing or non aligned foreign policy? Well those days are now gone. Most of this blame actually rests on the Bush administration because, other than Cuba, we pretty much controlled the foreign policy strategy of the respective nations of Central and South America. Because of the current failed regime of the failed Dictator in Washington we are now weak in our foreign policy. If someone wants to hammer out a peace deal they look to France, Great Britain, the European Union, or gasp even Russia.

Now we talk a lot of game, but we no longer have it. During the recent Georgia fiasco -whether you feel Saakashvilli is a slimeball stooge (he is by the way) is immaterial- Russia proved to the rest of the world that we are no longer credible as a world power and that outside Iraq, we are winning that war as much because the Sunni want to have a say in the aftermath when we finally leave town and so they are cracking down on the foreign terrorists as we are because of our troops. We have learned this decade that America is still able to project its power, but has done so more and more ineptly. In Afghanistan we only control the northern territory, Khandahar, and Kabul (actually the various tribes own the northern territory and those tribes still shift their alliegence when they feel they can get a better deal elsewhere. In Pakistan we risk going to war against a nation that is nuclear tipped and increasingly at odds with our government due to our incursions into their territory and their reluctance to hand over Bin Laden reveals that we cannot even bring those who have caused so much devastation to justice. In Iraq we learned that we cannot even defeat an enemy in a nation whose infrastructure we spent ten years obliterating. While it is quite shameful that we can no longer conduct wars of empire, dictate peace terms, or isolate those whom we consider hostile it is even more alarming that we can no longer even enforce the Monroe Doctrine. This failure is evidenced by the fact that Bolivia and Venezuela are currently taking a pro Havana, Beijing, and Moscow line and we are essentially powerless to stop them from pursuing their own course.

Venezuela signals above anything else that DC no longer is capable of projecting its influence even as far as the Caribbean. From Russia today we learn quite a bit about the details of Chavez’s recent alliance and partnership with Putin and Medvedev.

This article details how Russia is loaning Chavez one billion dollars to buy Russian weaponry:
http://www.russiatoday.com/news/news/30963

This article talks about the Russian Flotilla in the Carribean and how the Pentagon grossly underestimated the threat:

http://www.russiatoday.com/news/news/30959

They have also landed TU-160s in Venezuela and in the most ominous step taken by Caracas and Moscow yet Russia is preparing to help Chavez build nuclear reactors:

Putin: Nuclear energy deal possible with Venezuela
Russia is ready to consider making an nuclear energy deal with Venezuela, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has said at a meeting with President Hugo Chavez in Moscow. He says there is also space for co-operation in hi-tech, engineering and petro-chemistry fields.

Hugo Chavez has arrived in Moscow with a two-day visit.

The relations between the countries are at their best in years. Moscow has recently sent warships to South America to take part in joint military exercises with Venezuela.

The Venezuelan leader’s invitation to host both Russian bombers and the Russian Navy came a month before the U.S. ordered its warships to enter the Black Sea.

Moscow and Caracas say they had an earlier agreement to conduct military exercises and deny any connection between the presence of the U.S. Navy near Russian borders and the Russian fleet heading to America’s backyard.

The nuclear-powered Peter the Great cruiser, an anti-submarine ship and 2 support vessels are now preparing to cross the Atlantic, but Russian Navy officials say the trip has no political implications.

“We are not going to demonstrate any aggressive intentions. The fleet has always been and will remain a deterrent,” insists Russian Navy spokesperson Igor Dygalo.

The ships started off just days after two Russian TU-160 strategic long-range bombers, carrying no nuclear weapons, returned to their home base in Russia after a week of maneuvers in Venezuela. Hugo Chavez said he was satisfied with the flight.

“Russian planes flew across the Atlantic and Caribbean. I do not know when they will return, but any time they want to return – they can do that. Venezuela is their home. Russia plays a role of a true friend and ally,” said Venezuelan president.

To read more about Russia’s Navy in Venezuela, please follow the link

During his current visit, Hugo Chavez is going to discuss energy, scientific and technological cooperation.

Previous such meetings have already brought tangible results and today leading Russian companies are now building their presence in the Venezuelan market.

In turn, Venezuela has already purchased billions of dollars worth of arms from Russia, including military helicopters and Kalashnikov rifles.

http://www.russiatoday.com/news/news/30977

If something is not done soon it is we who will be isolated, surrounded, and ostracized from the international community.