|
Only from 1980 did the United States begin to regain its
foreign policy aggressive role. It happened initially
after the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979 and the
subsequent humiliating occupation of the US embassy in
the country in November of that year. In April 1980, the
superpower carried out military action in Iran in an
attempt to free the hostages. The action failed, but at
the same time showed willingness in the North American
people to support military actions under certain
conditions. Visit
Countryaah
for detailed information about North America, Central
America, and South America. The paralysis after the
Vietnam War - the so-called Vietnam syndrome - was so
small to be overcome.
Following Ronald Reagan's
takeover of the presidential post in January 1981, the
superpower formulated an aggressive "roll-back" strategy
towards "international communism". This was achieved
through massive support for the counter-revolutionary
forces in Afghanistan, Angola and Nicaragua. In 1983, at
the same time, the superpower was quick to exploit the
divide in the progressive government of Grenada. Under
the pretext of wanting to save North American medical
students in the country, in October the United States
invaded the country and installed its own sound regime.
The invasion gained some international and domestic
political support and made it clear that the United
States had overcome its Vietnam syndrome. At the same
time, the invasion was a test of a new strategy
developed by the United States military in the period
following the repugnant defeat in Vietnam. When and if
the United States militarily intervenes militarily, it
should take the form of swift action, in which the
superpower, through a huge military overweight, had to
secure victory in a matter of days or weeks. At the same
time, the media had to undergo a severe censorship. In
Vietnam, during the 1960's, the US had been dragged ever
deeper into a morass, (corpses) helped undermine
domestic support for the crusade against communism.
Media coverage of the war first changed course around
1968. Throughout the '50's and' 60's, the media
supported the war, but by 68 the US military had
recognized that the war could not be won, and
so did the country's business life. The media's
criticism of the war from that point on was therefore
not an expression of independence, but merely another
example of their conformity to the wishes of the rulers.
At the same time, they were subjected to considerable
pressure from the anti-war movement, which until then
had been totally ignored or mocked as unpatriotic
troublemakers.
Throughout the 1980's, the superpower expanded its
support for counter-revolutionary movements. Most
extensive was the one in Afghanistan where the Afghans
received training and large arms supplies to fight the
Soviet invasion forces in the country. In addition, the
United States channeled large supplies to the so-called
contraindications, which from Honduras fought the
Sandinist government in Nicaragua. The supply was
increasingly suspiciously organized. As early as 1983,
the United States had organized the first large arms
shipment to the counterclaims. These were weapons Israel
had conquered from the Palestinians in Beirut, following
the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 82. When the
democratically controlled Congress in 1985-86 put a cap
on the extent of official assistance to the
counterterrorism, the government organized secret
shipments. The first phase consisted in conducting
secret arms sales to Iran - which was officially one of
the main enemies of the United States. From the proceeds
of this sale, weapons were purchased which were
transferred to the counterparties. The entire operation
was coordinated by Colonel Oliver North from his White
House office and in the late '80's rolled up in the
media as the Iran-contra scandal. The
government needed to divert criticism and, during 1989,
organized a hate campaign against its own former CIA
agent and then dictator in Panama: General Manuel
Noriega. The campaign culminated in December 89 with the
North American invasion of Panama. An invasion aimed at
testing a number of newly developed advanced North
American weapon systems, which laser-guided "precision
bombs" and the "invisible" B-1 bomber.
The collapse of Eastern Europe in 1989-90 created a
new geopolitical situation that drastically strengthened
the United States at the expense of the Soviet Union.
The United States further accelerated this development
as the superpower, following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait
in August 1990, brought together the largest military
alliance and force after World War II. When the United
States, with its enormous military overweight, had
defeated the Iraqi forces and ended the war, then-US
President George Bush launched the term, "The New World
Order." For the superpower, the specific content of this
concept consisted in the fact that the United States had
recaptured the role of world police officer,
and had shown both the ability and willingness to act
thus. At the same time, however, the Gulf War also
revealed that the world's police officer had
become poorer than in the 50's and 60's. The United
States had to go begging to Germany, Japan and
especially the rich Arab oil states, to get them to
finance the police operation. That the political content
of the demonstration was the most important was
confirmed by the fact that Bush, in the immediate
aftermath of the Gulf War, drastically cut North
American military spending.
Following the 1989-91 parade shows, US military
action was considerably more difficult. The superpower
was weakened economically against Europe, where Germany
joined forces and rapidly growing. During the same
period, Japan expanded rapidly in the North American
market. At the same time, North American voters were
more interested in the unemployment and economic crisis
in the United States than in military adventures.
After losing the November 1992 presidential election
- mainly because of the continuing deep economic crisis
- in December, President Bush sent 28,000 North American
soldiers to Somalia. An invasion force and a problem his
successor Bill Clinton was allowed to take over. Unlike
Grenada, Panama and Iraq, defeating an identified enemy
was not possible in a matter of days or weeks. The
invasion pulled out, the North American soldiers began
to return to the United States in bodybags, and
it did not arouse enthusiasm among North American TV
viewers to see their own soldiers being killed and
dragged behind a jeep through the streets of Mogadishu.
The United States was eventually forced to withdraw its
troops - without the world's police officer had
been able to separate the warring parties or resolve the
conflict. Bermuda
Bermuda, a British colony of local self-government, consisting of 150 coral
islands in the Atlantic Ocean 1,200 km southeast of New York; 53 km2,
64,200 residents (2010), capital Hamilton. 20 of the islands are inhabited
and most of these are connected by road bridges and dams.
Despite its remote location, Bermuda has developed into one of the world's
most prosperous communities; average income of $ 84,381 per population (2013) is
among the highest in the world.
The islands are located near the northeast passage of the Northeast Passage
to the United States, and British military presence early secured the colony
fixed incomes; Bermuda still has British and American military bases. Of greater
importance, however, is the massive influx of especially American tourists,
approximately ½ mio. per year. The large tourism sector makes the economy very
sensitive to the economic situation in the United States. Bermuda is an
exclusive tourist destination; with a pleasant climate, a beautiful, lush
landscape and all kinds of water sports at pink and white beaches of coral sand.
The islands' coral reefs rest on an underwater volcano that rises 5,000 m
above the seabed, and it is farther from the equator than any other coral
reef. High sea temperatures are due to the Gulf Stream. There are no actual
streams in the calcareous, porous soil, and water supply is based on
rainwater; therefore, flat roofs with drains for water tanks are a
characteristic part of the architecture.
Bermuda is one of the centers for so-called offshore businesses, where a
large number of insurance companies and shipping companies take advantage of the
country's liberal legislation.
History
The islands were discovered in the early 1500-t. by the Spanish seafarer Juan
Bermudez, but was uninhabited until a group of English emigrants stranded there
in 1609. From 1612, the islands were colonized adjacent to Virginia, which was
under the English crown. In 1615 they were subordinated to the purpose-created
company Somers Island Company. The company launched a settlement with English
immigrants and African slaves.
Later, Portuguese labor was imported from Madeira and the Azores. The first
Parliament of the Commonwealth outside the British Isles was established in
Bermuda in 1620, and from 1684 the islands were administered as an English Crown
Colony. In 1797, the British established a permanent military base, and as in
the rest of the British Empire, slavery was abolished in 1834.
During the American Civil War (1861-65), due to their location, the islands
were the starting point for attempts to break the naval blockade against the
Southern States. During the Prohibition era in the United States (1920-33),
spirits were smuggled from Bermuda to the United States. In 1941, the United
States entered into an agreement with Britain to lease a naval and air base (the
islands' only airport) for 99 years.
The British garrison was withdrawn from Bermuda in 1957; in 1968 the islands
got a new constitution, which entailed the introduction of a certain
autonomy. In the 1970's, social and political unrest was followed by proposals
for full independence. Social inequalities have since diminished, and fears of
political and economic instability in connection with a secession from Britain
and the possible consequences this would have for the welfare of the islands
have so far put a damper on the independence efforts.
In 1995, the United States closed its air base on St. George's Island, and
the same year a referendum showed a clear majority to maintain affiliation with
Britain.
British Virgin Islands
British Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, British territory,
archipelago in the Caribbean northeast of the former Danish West Indies; 130 km2,
27,800 residents (2012). The islands have local self-government. 80% of the
population lives on the main island of Tortola with the capital Road Town; by
the way, Anegada and Virgin Gorda are the largest islands. The economy is
completely dominated by tourism; one caters to an exclusive clientele offered
secluded white beaches and entire private islands for rent. Furthermore, the
archipelago is visited by a large number of cruise ships and yachts. With
uncertain future prospects for Hong Kong and other traditional offshore financial
centers have a number of companies sheltered in the territory's liberal economic
atmosphere.
The islands were discovered by Spaniards as early as 1493, and in the
1600's. both Dutch, French and English began to take an interest in them. In
1672, the English captured Tortola, and some of the Dutch residents fled to
the newly established Danish colony on the neighboring island of St. Thomas,
where they became the majority of the European population. In 1680, the first
British plantations were planted on Virgin Gorda. A large part of the
residents are descendants of Africans who worked as slaves on the
plantations. From 1872 to 1956, the British Virgin Islands were part of the
Leeward Islands colony.
The population has since the 1700's. has been in close trade with the
residents of the Danish West Indies, since 1917 the US Virgin Islands, and
many residents have since the abolition of slavery in 1834 sought work as
sailors, coal miners and servants in Charlotte Amalie on Sankt Thomas or as farm
workers on Sankt Jan. There is a ferry connection between Tortola and St.
Thomas.
The small uninhabited Norman Island is said to be the model for RL
Stevenson's novel Treasure Island (1883).
|
