I am an international student and a citizen of two countries deeply affected by US foreign policy in the last century: Colombia that lost Panama with US intervention and Guatemala that suffered the bitter fruits of the United Fruit Co. and US Army first psychological operation in the 1950's. Thus, I know that electoral choices in US affect the lives of countless people around the world.
We belong to different countries, yet the dramatic increase in commerce and international communications makes it difficult to isolate countries and their interests. "If there are connections everywhere, why do we persist in turning dynamic, interconnected phenomena into static, disconnected things? Some of this is owing, perhaps, to the way we have learned our own history" (Eric Wolf).
Along this line of thought, McCain will keep on pushing forward trade agreements with Latin America, while proposing to physically build a wall between Latin America and the U.S. McCain wants to make sure no more illegal immigrants come into the country for they take away jobs, lower wages, etc.
He does not contemplate any measure to alleviate the conditions of violence and poverty that force people to leave their countries of origin in search of better opportunities in the US.
Off course, these issues are the responsibility of those countries and the United States has no obligation to do something about them. In fact the U.S. government has treated Latin America as its “backyard” and acted there for domestic policy reasons and the global strategy effect (potential future threats). In the case of Guatemala, it was evident that it acted to secure US corporate interests in that country. Today, the 45 US interventions in Latin America during the last century are subtly being transformed into trade agreements and candidates have important differences in this regard.
McCain vacillates between upholding the values of freedom for all and dismissing the effects of US foreign policy on other nations’ freedom or ignoring the impact that his foreign policy has in the US domestic scene where at least 41.3 million Hispanics reside and maintain close ties with their lands of origin.
McCain’s proposed aggressive military policies overseas will continue to afflict American families with the loss of their young and the economic burden of wars fought on false premises like the presence of weapons of mass destruction.
For his part, Obama is willing to engage others and talk, even to those that are overtly antogonistic to the US. This trait, evident during the Presidential debates, offers hope for people and goverments overseas and can well be an important way to lift the heavy burden that the war in Iraq places on the American people.
Published in "The Ebbtide" - Shoreline Community College student newspaper - http://shoreline.edu/ebbtide/0809/article.asp?issue=4402&id=57
