The United States of Betrayal

Donald Trump — America’s self-proclaimed “ peace president,” head of the world’s newly created Board of Peace, and the recipient of the first FIFA Peace Prize — has nonetheless been embroiled in more than 20 wars, interventions, and conflicts. And more loom on the horizon. Cuba remains on the chopping block. He began threatening Greenland, again. And Guatemala agreed to joint military operations with the U.S. against cartels.

People in these countries will have a choice to make: Throw in with the Trump administrationm or resist. In Venezuela, resident quisling Delcy Rodríguez acts as a puppet of Trump’s viceroy, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and serves at his pleasure. A U.S. criminal indictment alleging corruption and money laundering charges hangs above her head, and Trump has threatened to attack again if she does not comply with his whims. If history is any guide, Rodríguez will be cashiered or worse once she outlives her usefulness.

For centuries, the United States has been double-crossing allies, selling out partners, and sacrificing innocent people without compunction. Recently, Iranian civilians avoided certain slaughter by ignoring Trump’s self-serving lies. Every potential ally, partner, and collaborator from Latin America to Greenland would be wise to follow their lead, assume the worst of America, and learn from the history of U.S. betrayals that has left a trail of suffering from Southeast Asia to the Middle East.

— Nick Turse, editor of TomDispatch.

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