Quote:
Originally posted by Spanky
Just a few - liberals failed to see:
1) That the Contras would force free elections in El Salvador and lead to a liberal free enterprize democracy.
2) Continued aid to the "Far Right Dictatorship" in El Salvador would lead to a democracy
3) An escalated Arms race against the Soviet Union would undermine the Soviet regime by bankrupting it.
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(1) Liberals were the ones in favor of free elections in El Salvador.
(2) Unclear that the aid to the right wing in El Salvador was a positive factor in that country's development. It did help to get people like Archbishop Romero assasinated, though.
(3) Conservatives failed to see that as well at the time. (And I don't particularly buy that the arms race is what led to the collapse of the Soviet Union, but I understand that it's tough to shake the mental grip of the Reagan hagiography on that one.)
On (1) and (2), assuming you were referring to Nicaragua in (1), it's interesting to me that someone from the party of freedom and democracy would still be wanting to support U.S. aid for a repressive regime in El Salvador and for terrorists (more or less) in Nicaragua.
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