30
This is a weekly thread in which we read through books on and related to imperialism and geopolitics. Last week's thread is here.
The book we are currently reading through is Empire's Workshop by Greg Grandin. There are two main editions, to my knowledge: the original one with a yellow cover from 2006, and an updated version from 2021 with an orange cover. I am reading the latter version.
Please comment or message me directly if you wish to be pinged for this group, or if you no longer wish to be pinged.
This week, we will be reading Chapter 4.
Next week, we will be reading Chapter 5.
Imperalism Reading Group ping!
In Chapter 4, the beginning of the Cold War (and especially the Chinese Revolution), as well as the creation of the CIA, marks a shift from the Good Neighbour policy. The wave of constitutional democracies are gradually overthrown as the US seeks more pliant regimes that are entirely anti-communist and thereby pro-imperialist, with Arbenz's Guetamala successfully couped after a propaganda and terror campaign. Meanwhile, Cuba's Batista is himself overthrown by Castro, who successful resistance (Bay of Pigs) and popular support providing a beacon of resistance around which Latin American revolutionaries can be guided and aided by. Kennedy's inauguration, despite the rhetoric of progress, institutes only a new wave of anti-democratic terror and kidnappings throughout the continent.
This continues the cycles of the US growing heavy-handed, inspiring pro-democracy insurgents to resist them, which then causes major problems for the US both materially and legally, which causes the US to back off a bit, and then new people come to power who do not understand the lessons of a decade prior. All the while, hundreds of thousands of people are killed and many millions more live in fear of America-backed death squads.
@RedDawn@hexbear.net @Cowbee@hexbear.net @kittin@hexbear.net @Sebrof@hexbear.net @TrippyFocus@lemmy.ml @OrionsMask@hexbear.net @0__0@hexbear.net @SummerIsTooWarm@hexbear.net @mbt2402@hexbear.net @BanjoBolshevik@hexbear.net @BodyBySisyphus@hexbear.net @NinjaGinga@hexbear.net @Test_Tickles@hexbear.net @luddybuddy@hexbear.net @Coca_Cola_but_Commie@hexbear.net @niph@hexbear.net @redline@lemmygrad.ml @glimmer_twin@hexbear.net @MF_COOM@hexbear.net @MiraculousMM@hexbear.net @StarkWolf@hexbear.net @StillNoLeftLeft@hexbear.net @BGDelirium@hexbear.net @THEPH0NECOMPANY@hexbear.net @devils_dust@hexbear.net @Ehrmantrout@hexbear.net @quarrk@hexbear.net @RaisedFistJoker@hexbear.net @Lemmygradwontallowme@hexbear.net @darkmode@hexbear.net @PaulSmackage@hexbear.net @FunkyStuff@hexbear.net @Babs@hexbear.net @Rojo27@hexbear.net @OgdenTO@hexbear.net @iie@hexbear.net @Wertheimer@hexbear.net @Blobber@hexbear.net @MLRL_Commie@hexbear.net @XxFemboy_Stalin_420_69xX@chapo.chat @CARCOSA@hexbear.net @cosmosaucer@hexbear.net @picayune@lemmy.zip @revolut1917@hexbear.net @lil_tank@hexbear.net @WellTheresYourCobbler@hexbear.net @sodium_nitride@hexbear.net @wheresmysurplusvalue@hexbear.net @lmfaMAO@hexbear.net @vovchik_ilich@hexbear.net @Lalutacontinua@hexbear.net @SockOlm@hexbear.net @InappropriateEmote@hexbear.net @GoodGuyWithACat@hexbear.net @semioticbreakdown@hexbear.net @Moidialectica@hexbear.net @oculi@anarchist.nexus @reader@hexbear.net @umbrella@lemmy.ml