A tale of two Militaries: keeping despots in power
"It never happened. Nothing ever happened. Even while it was happening it wasn’t happening. It didn’t matter. It was of no interest."
-- H. Pinter, Nobel Prize Winner, discussing public apathy toward war crimes
Sometimes nations invade other nations. Usually the reason is simple (despite the propaganda involved) - a resource grab.
But if it can be arranged that you can give your own citizens’ tax money to fund the military of a despot, who in return will provide the resources you want.... well then, why bother trying to help the oppressed citizenry?
EXAMPLE I:
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In Burma the world has stood by for decades and done little to alleviate the mass suffering in the country. Buddhist priests and lay people have been slaughtered by the hundreds of thousands by Burma’s brutal military dictatorship SLORC.
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The democratically elected president was jailed, her cabinet disbanded, many killed. SLORC is allegedly kept in power by receiving hundreds of millions of dollars each year from Big Oil to gain access to Burma’s large oil and gas reserves. Use of slave labour has been documented in these areas.
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It has been alleged that so long as the oil keeps flowing, the number of countries rushing in to "restore democracy and human rights" will continue to be... zero.
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A few of the major oil companies and countries which some have been alleged to be doing business with the Burmese SLORC dictatorship, and thereby perpetuating it:
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Australia (Broken Hill Petroleum, Clyde Petroleum)
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France (Total Oil and ELF)
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United States (oil compies Unocal, Chevron, Amoco, Apache Oil, Texaco)
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South Korea (Yukong Oi)
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Britain (Croft oil Exploration)
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Japan (Idemitsu and Nippon Oil Exploration)
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Netheralnds (Royal Dutch Shell )
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China (National United Oil Corporation)
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Canada (PetroCan Oil)
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India (military helicopters to the dictatorship in return for oil access)
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Malaysia (Petronas)
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and many others including Russia, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, etc.
EXAMPLE II:
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In Zimbabwe the world has stood by for decades and done little to alleviate the mass suffering in that country. Hundreds of thousands have allegedly been maimed, tortured, and murdered by that country’s brutal dicatorship.
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Once a land with a very high living standard, literacy rate, and life expectancy, the dictatorship has destroyed things to such an extent that now the average life expectancy is 37 years for males, 34 for females. Child mortality is extremely high. Inflation is currently the highest in the world.
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It has been alleged that the dictatorship is kept in power by foreign corporate involvement in Zimbabwean mines. Gold, cobalt, copper, coking coal, diamonds... these are a few of the items mined. Including almost 90% of the world’s platinum supply. Use of slave labour has been documented in these areas. It has been alleged that so long as the mines stay open, the number of countries rushing in to "restore democracy and human rights" will continue to be... zero.
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A few of the mining companies and countries which some have alleged to be doing business with Zimbabwe’s dictatorship and thereby perpetuating it:
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South Africa (De Beers, Central African Mining)
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UK, U.S. (Anglo American)
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China (Sinosteel Corp, Zhonghui Mining, CATIC, NORINCO, Hwange Colliery, etc.)
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UK (African Consolidated Resources; Camec)
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Congo (Gécamines)
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Canada, Holland, and many others
(Photo Credits: 1. Burmese police killing civilians - photo smuggled out anonymously 2. Zimbabwan police attacking civilians - The Zimbabwean)
There are of course, others. For example the war criminal and human rights criminal and leader of Libya was happily kept in power for decades by a number of governments around the world so long as he kept shipping oil to them at reasonable prices. Pick a country, look at whether or not it ships oil or other valuable resource (drugs, gold, rare earth elements needed for electronic toys, etc.) to certain rich nations. Then look at the human rights records of the leaders of those recipient countries.
When will war occur? That is easily predictable: The moment one of these dictators, who were often installed as leaders of more powerful nations, threatens to limit access to its resources. Then suddenly it is invaded. Under the pretext of having to “bring democracy” and correct the terrible abuses of human rights.
Yet so long as the dictators keep shipping their country’s resources at tolerable prices, dictators, torturers, and others of loathsome evil are kept on their thrones. Slave trading in some countries, women so suppressed they can be killed for driving a car? No problem - their king sends as much oil as we want. Hence no invasions, no interference... while people suffer.
‘‘I have spent 33 years ... being a high class muscle man for Big Business, for Wall Street and the bankers. In short, I was a racketeer for capitalism.... I helped purify Nicaragua for the international banking house of Brown Brothers in 1909-1912.
I helped make Mexico, and especially Tampico, safe for American oil interests in 1916. I helped make Haiti and Cuba a decent place for the National City (Bank) boys to collect revenue in. I helped rape half a dozen Central American republics for the benefit of Wall Street.... In China, I helped see to it that Standard Oil went its way unmolested.... I had ... a swell racket. I was rewarded with honors, medals, and promotions. I might have given Al Capone a few hints. The best he could do was operate a racket in three cities. The Marines operated on three continents....’’ — Major General S. Butler, the most highly decorated U.S. marine in history.
