PDF The Brothers: John Foster Dulles; Allen Dulles; and Their Secret World War by Stephen Kinzer in History

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. A review of THE BROTHERSBy mikepThe Brothers; John Foster Dullas; Alan Dullas; and their Secret World War; by Stephen Kinzer.These two men; the former ; Secretary of State from 1953 to 1958; and his Brother Alan; head of the CIA from 1953 until 1962; performed actions in the international arena which have served to undermine America's prestige up to the present day.Now; I am aware; as a student of history; it is folly to interpret events of the past by the standards of today;however the seeds sown by these two have germinated into many of our present international problems.Both men were members of an important law firm which represented international corporations; and their loyalty to these corporations served to impact many of the decisions they made relative to the role of America in the world arena. For example; one of the firms they represented was the United Fruit Corporation which owned and controlled large a swaths of property in Central America (Costa Rica; Nicaragua; and Guatemala among others. Another client was British Petroleum which owned the rights to Iranian Oil production ( a consequence of treaties obtained by bribes and duress). In both of these areas their senses were impacted by the imperialistic belief that Foreign Cultures and People were inherently inferior to that of the U.S and the West in general; this l and their use of Anti - Communist sentiment blinded them to the realities of the Nationalistic tendencies in these countries and others as well.In the case of Iran; at the behest of the British oil interests and the British Government -- with the acquiescence of the U. S. Government -- they undertook to overthrow a popularly elected democratic government led by MOHAMMED MOSSADEGH; a man who idealized the American concept of democratic ideals. In overthrowing that government they placed Reza Shah Mohammed a man (whose family had been forced out) as head of the government in MOSSADEGH"S place; thereby setting the stage for the Hostage Crisis of the late 1970's and the current impasse over whether that country should have nuclear weapons.In the case of Guatemala; they likewise undertook to destabilize the democratically elected government of President JACOBO ARBENEZ; at the behest of their client; United Fruit; because the President ARBENEZ undertook land reform; requiring; " . . . large landowners to sell the uncultivated part of their their holdings to the government ; for distribution to peasant families. United Fruit held more than a half million acres of the country's richest land 85 percent of which was uncultivated. " And incidentally the two brothers held large blocks of stock in United Fruit and the is action effected their net worth. They branded ARBENEZ a Communist; formented a revolution by bribing military officers; used CARDINAL SPELLMAN ; an unabashed anti-Communist to persuade the hierarchy in Guatemala to have letters read to the faithful denouncing the President as a Communist and anti- Christ; and thereby installing a dictatorship in that country. This tactic was used in many countries including the Congo in 1962; as a consequence many developing countries today look askance at America. In addition they established a precedent by which Kissinger; Secretary of State during the Nixon Administration; undertook the destabilization of the ALLENDE Government in Chile and the establishment of the PINOCHET Dictatorship.It is well to remember the causal factors which have impacted America's problems in the present day.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. A great book on American foreign policy at its worstBy HowieThis book is very disturbing as it shows how the United States has historically attempted; and at times succeeded; in forcing its values on other countries without any valid consideration of the effects these policies would have on those countries. This book shows how the theory of America being "exceptional;" within the context of religion and the domino theory; has forced us into very wrong decisions such as placing the Shah in Iran; and getting us involved in Vietnam. Overall; after reading this book; it is clear to see how we got involved in Iraq and have made other major mistakes in our policies based upon the misguided influence of a few select and powerful individuals. The book is well written with a good deal of detail. Highly recommended for anyone interested in American foreign policy.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Essential reading for allBy Ray StefanskiThis is the sort of book that should be required reading for every American. Don’t ask “Why is there widespread world enmity toward America?” Read this book and it’ll become clear.In some sense; WWII didn’t end with the surrender of the Axis powers: The U.S. emerged from the war as the world’s dominant power; but challenged by the Soviet Union—a competition that quickly gave way to the so-called “Cold War.” The world had changed: colonialism was near its end; giving birth to new nations with sometimes questionable leadership; and Eastern Europe was dominated by the Soviet Union and closed to the world community by an “Iron Curtain.” Then the shock of Mao Zedong victory: China would be an ally of the Soviet Union. Or so we thought.The Eisenhower administration established an unusual and disastrous alliance between the State Department and the CIA: never before; and thankfully not since; have these two agencies been so intimately aligned; overseen by siblings with a similar worldview. A world view based on clichés: If it’s good for business it’s; good for everyone; as a God-fearing Christian nation; America can do no wrong; and godless Communism is the world’s greatest evil ever. The brothers took aggressive action to stem the spread of Communism; sometimes as a cover for protecting American business interests. Lacking adequate analysis based on fact; and acting according to personal prejudice; and misguided religious belief; the brothers engineered some of our nation’s biggest mistakes: Viet Nam; the Bay of Pigs; the overthrow of elected governments in Iran; Guatemala; and the Congo. These actions set a precedent for American interference in global affairs that continued throughout the twentieth century and into the twenty-first. Arguably; the world views America as a bumbling giant; trudging its way through other people’s backyards leaving behind death and devastation. And it all began with the brothers Dulles in the 1950’s.As Americans we are responsible for our government—we elect the people that represent us in Washington. In a democracy; an ill-informed populace can be the seed of disaster; as it has been in much of American foreign policy: can we truly justify our actions in Iraq; or was that aggression motivated by preconceived bias; and a desire to acquire rights to a rich oil resource? This is what our country does and has been doing since 1953. This book by Stephen Kinzer should enlighten many; perhaps enough that change might ultimately be possible. But for now; read it and weep.