“The title ‘wise’ is, for the most part, falsely applied. How can one be a wise man, if he does not know any better how to live than other men? — if he is only more cunning and intellectually subtle?” – Henry David Thoreau, “Life Without Principle”
On this day, 25 October 1983, the United States invaded the Caribbean island of Grenada. The stated justification of the invasion was to “protect” US citizens. However, the real reason was very different. In the wake of their defeat in Vietnam, the US was keen to demonstrate its military and political might, and as a senior US official told New York Times journalist Bernard Gwertzman, “What good are manoeuvres and shows of force, if you never use it?” Scores of people were killed in the invasion, with hundreds wounded, as the US government toppled the left-wing government which had been established after independence from Britain. 18 civilians were killed when US aircraft missiles hit a psychiatric hospital. The new, pro-US government which was subsequently set up, established October 25 as a national holiday called “Thanksgiving Day” to commemorate the invasion. Political scientist Stephen Shalom subsequently pointed out the hypocrisy of the invasion. While no US citizens were at risk in Grenada, in some other countries in the region, some US citizens really were in danger. For example the four US nuns who were murdered by death squads in El Salvador. Historian Howard Zinn pointed out: “there was no US intervention there, no Marine landings, no protective bombing raids. Instead Washington backed the death squad regime with military and economic aid, military training, intelligence sharing, and diplomatic support.“
*
Reminder, we are now also on TikTok. Please give us a follow at https://tiktok.com/@workingclasshistory https://www.facebook.com/workingclasshistory/photos/a.296224173896073/1838798672971941/?type=3
[video]
[video]
