The Darkside of the American Empire

wkmac

Well-Known Member
ATLANTA (AP) — A presidential panel on Monday disclosed shocking new details of U.S. medical experiments done in Guatemala in the 1940s, including a decision to re-infect a dying woman in a syphilis study.
The Guatemala experiments are already considered one of the darker episodes of medical research in U.S. history, but panel members say the new information indicates that the researchers were unusually unethical, even when placed into the historical context of a different era.
"The researchers put their own medical advancement first and human decency a far second," said Anita Allen, a member of the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues.
From 1946-48, the U.S. Public Health Service and the Pan American Sanitary Bureau worked with several Guatemalan government agencies to do medical research — paid for by the U.S. government — that involved deliberately exposing people to sexually transmitted diseases.

Spreading Freedom, Liberty and Democracy to others

And we have to ask why they would hate us?
 
Spreading Freedom, Liberty and Democracy to others

And we have to ask why they would hate us?

What does this article have to do with freedom, liberty and democracy? I'm sure the people of Guatemala that hate us have thier reasons, however I question if these obvious unethical studies have a thing to do with any of those reasons.

Other than that, I doubt any of the people that had direct or even indirect authority in the studies the article is about are even living today (63 years later).
 

wkmac

Well-Known Member
The history of Guatemala, especially mid to late 20th century is very telling. Knowing a little of that history would help explain the "Spreading Freedom, Liberty and Democracy to others" comment and it happens to be a direct takeoff to Richard Nixon's comments in 1954' after the democratically elected Jacobo Arbenz Guzman was overthrown in a CIA led Coup and a military junta was installed into power.

Below is a just under 5 minute micro view of the events and some film of Nixon's comments are also seen. Another important point to consider are the comments of infamous CIA man E. Howard Hunt who was the CIA pointman in the Guatemala operation. How Hunt speaks of terrorism, a word in our present day with special implications, I would hope would cause pause to think.

[video=youtube;TQ-E--rmi3k]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQ-E--rmi3k[/video]

A side historical interest is how the infamous Edward Bernays was used in this entire effort. In fact, what we see today in the Middle East is nothing more than a picture of Central America circa mid-20th century. Yes, even Central America had it's villians such as we see and hear today and like then, the legacy of Bernay's lives on!
 

UnconTROLLed

perfection
Just what I thought, you got nothing.
You're insinuating you're superior in history knowledge on this subject, prove it.


"What does this article have to do with freedom, liberty and democracy? I'm sure the people of Guatemala that hate us have thier reasons, however I question if these obvious unethical studies have a thing to do with any of those reasons.

Other than that, I doubt any of the people that had direct or even indirect authority in the studies the article is about are even living today (63 years later)."

I am not here to teach, however I am open to agreement, discussion or dissention. wkmac apparently already helped you along, so care to elaborate now that you actually know something about the topic?.
 

UnconTROLLed

perfection
The history of Guatemala, especially mid to late 20th century is very telling. Knowing a little of that history would help explain the "Spreading Freedom, Liberty and Democracy to others" comment and it happens to be a direct takeoff to Richard Nixon's comments in 1954' after the democratically elected Jacobo Arbenz Guzman was overthrown in a CIA led Coup and a military junta was installed into power.
U.S. went bananas for oil, so to speak? ;D That was aimed more at your comment about the middle east.
 
The history of Guatemala, especially mid to late 20th century is very telling. Knowing a little of that history would help explain the "Spreading Freedom, Liberty and Democracy to others" comment and it happens to be a direct takeoff to Richard Nixon's comments in 1954' after the democratically elected Jacobo Arbenz Guzman was overthrown in a CIA led Coup and a military junta was installed into power.

Below is a just under 5 minute micro view of the events and some film of Nixon's comments are also seen. Another important point to consider are the comments of infamous CIA man E. Howard Hunt who was the CIA pointman in the Guatemala operation. How Hunt speaks of terrorism, a word in our present day with special implications, I would hope would cause pause to think.

[video=youtube;TQ-E--rmi3k]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQ-E--rmi3k[/video]

A side historical interest is how the infamous Edward Bernays was used in this entire effort. In fact, what we see today in the Middle East is nothing more than a picture of Central America circa mid-20th century. Yes, even Central America had it's villians such as we see and hear today and like then, the legacy of Bernay's lives on!
I find that very interesting but doesn't explain how it fits into the original article you posted. From that article the only connection to the US government was grants given to the researchers, something that our government has done for generations. Now if you are implying that the research was the front work before the "Banana Republic" stuff mentioned in the video that is another thing altogether. Long story short, neither the video or the article mention any connection of the two events.
 

wkmac

Well-Known Member
U.S. went bananas for oil, so to speak? ;D That was aimed more at your comment about the middle east.

Yep. Interesting with all the fear of radical islamic forces gaining power of nationstates and yet in the case of Iraq, now Libya and it appears Syria in the future being overthrown, these were still secular states. I can understand the point of these are not the nicest of people but they're not radical islam either which according to the script is far worse.
 

UnconTROLLed

perfection
Yep. Interesting with all the fear of radical islamic forces gaining power of nationstates and yet in the case of Iraq, now Libya and it appears Syria in the future being overthrown, these were still secular states. I can understand the point of these are not the nicest of people but they're not radical islam either which according to the script is far worse.
They are not truly secular states, however I agree typically not radically islam.
 

wkmac

Well-Known Member
They are not truly secular states, however I agree typically not radically islam.

True but many say America is secular but we really aren't. Let an atheist stand up, even run for public office and see how fast they get shouted down. Our society stills wants a religious connection to a great sky god and even our own christian fundamentalism can play well come election time. But we do seem for the moment to tolerate other religions and thus my point in some of these middle eastern states. They did tolerate "some" other faiths, mostly christian varieties but in the case of Libya, some greek orthodox churches in the fall of the Qaddafi regime were ransacked and damaged. This was not allowed under Qaddafi and even Saddam had christians in positions of power.

Even radical Iran as of just a couple of years ago had a jew elected to it's Parliament representing an Iranian jewish community. Until Zionism and fundamentalist Islam began their death dance, Iran had the largest and most viable jewish community in the Middle East and if you understand your Persian history and Cyrus the Great, you'll know why. Even the old testament in the hebrew called Cyrus "the annointed" which is where we get the greek "christos" or messiah! Yep, the old testament calls the great Persian king Cyrus, a messiah! But then there have been many messiahs if you read the good book!
:wink2:

In that sense I call it secular but yes in the truer sense of the word, not even America IMO is truly secular.
 
True but many say America is secular but we really aren't. Let an atheist stand up, even run for public office and see how fast they get shouted down. Our society stills wants a religious connection to a great sky god and even our own christian fundamentalism can play well come election time. But we do seem for the moment to tolerate other religions and thus my point in some of these middle eastern states. They did tolerate "some" other faiths, mostly christian varieties but in the case of Libya, some greek orthodox churches in the fall of the Qaddafi regime were ransacked and damaged. This was not allowed under Qaddafi and even Saddam had christians in positions of power.

Even radical Iran as of just a couple of years ago had a jew elected to it's Parliament representing an Iranian jewish community. Until Zionism and fundamentalist Islam began their death dance, Iran had the largest and most viable jewish community in the Middle East and if you understand your Persian history and Cyrus the Great, you'll know why. Even the old testament in the hebrew called Cyrus "the annointed" which is where we get the greek "christos" or messiah! Yep, the old testament calls the great Persian king Cyrus, a messiah! But then there have been many messiahs if you read the good book!
:wink2:

In that sense I call it secular but yes in the truer sense of the word, not even America IMO is truly secular.

Israel has had at least two Prime Ministers that were atheists.
 

wkmac

Well-Known Member
So while the world looked upon Gaddafi as pure evil, our own gov't via the CIA was playing footsie under the table.

Would we have worked with Hitler had it meant in doing so would make our country safe?
 
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