Overthrow Chapter Summary

What happens when the United States takes over a country's governments? Overthrow by Stephen Kinzer tells the story of how the United States took over the governments of many unstable countries. The U.S interfered with the governments for the worse and caused the countries too lose total control. The most recent places that the United States took over were Grenada, Panama, Afghanistan and Iraq. The United States caused communities to unravel and people to go into total chaos. The United States thought that overthrowing these countries would lead to success and the citizens would be grateful for all that the U.S did, but quite the opposite occurred. The governments changed for the worse and the U.S had a very negative impact on the citizens

as well. As a result of interfering, the United States up to this day suffers from hatred from the people in the communities impacted, meanwhile the communities themselves still suffer from consequences such as loss of stability, and loss of resources as well.
First, America for decades was known for thumbling democratic governments that they saw as a national threat by replacing them with dictatorships. The reason why the United States installed dictatorships in places were they saw were a threat, such as Iran and Guatemala is because they knew that if those countries were to gain free speech rights, the people will criticize the United States actions. America has always prevented rights from getting to people in those countries and the method they often used is supporting dictatorships: “The reason was straightforward. When people in countries like Iran, Guatemala, South Vietnam, and Chile were free to speak, many criticized the United States and supported political movements that placed their own national interests a head of those of outside powers” (Kinzer,196). America during that time was faced with its biggest fear, communism. Although the Soviets Union’s main target was Eastern Europe, the U.S. was still nervous about Communism reaching the U.S. mainland or any of its territories or even the neighboring countries and therefore the U.S. tried preventing communism from spreading outside the Soviet Union by replacing democracies with dictatorships that were loyal to the U.S. However, despite their efforts to prevent anti-American riots, many broke out: “Soon after that banquet, angry crowds began surging through the streets of Tehran and other Iranian cities crying “Death to the American shah!” (Kinzer, 202). The American efforts to prevent such riots failed. Americans have always thought that by silencing people by preventing free speech in countries that suffered from the United States actions, the anti-American feelings would disappear. Unfortunately for the U.S. that was not true in countries such as Iran, Guatemala, and South Vietnam that suffered a lot from the United States.
Next, the United States helped to create a dysfunctional government when they were just trying to help out countries in need.

The United States tried to help out Afghanistan because they felt that it was their duty to help them out. A man from the United States mentioned “First, Afghanistan’s collapse was partly the result of the devastating war Americans sponsored there during the 1980’s, and it might well be argued that this was gave the United states a moral obligations to help rebuild what it helped destroy” (Kinzer,309). The United States felt that it was their duty to help out Afghanistan after they helped to cause a war prior to the overthrow, however; while the United States thought that they were helping to create a better society in afghanistan, they were actually doing the opposite. The United States was helping to create chaos and terror and it destroyed the political structures that were in the country before. This suggested that while the United States thought that they were helping to repay Afghanistan for the terrible items they had done to them before, they were actually just making everything worse and they were not helping the country out at all. Also, quite the opposite also occurs in a small Caribbean country called Grenada. The United States once again intervened into their government hoping to create something positive there but instead of creating turmoil which is what usually happens, the United States succeeded in helping out the citizens of

Grenada. “The invasion of Grenada in 1983 had quite the opposite effect. Of the fourteen countries whose governments the United States has forcibly deposed, Grenada is one of the few in which most citizens were, and have remained, genuinely grateful for intervention” (Kinzer, 302). The country of Grenada was different than all the other countries that the United States had overthrown. In Grenada, the United States was able to help out that country and satisfy the needs of the citizens. The people who lived there were affected positively and showed support for the United States after they had come and overthrown their country. Instead of being enraged with the United States, like many of the other countries, Grenada was able to show gratification for all that the United States did to improve their government.

Stability was not the only thing that the countries impacted by the U.S.

lack, the countries also suffered from loss of resources. There has always been economic damages in the countries were the U.S. interfered in or invaded. Before the U.S. invasion, Panama city, the capital of Panama was were people from all around Latin America headed to spend money. The Latin Americans found everything they needed in that city, from clothing to jewelry to kitchen appliances. Within a few hours of the U.S. invasion all of that vanished: “By one estimate, more than $2 billion of merchandise was stolen during these hours. Even a small show of force would have stopped this larcenous frenzy, but American soldiers never appeared” (Kinzer, 306). Panama City shopping centers were completely robbed In a matter of hours by locals. After destroying the public order in Panama City, the United States did not bother to defend their new territory. Instead of interfering and stopping people from completely robbing what was once the shopping center in Latin America. Locals were not the only ones that caused the damage, American soldiers physically also played a huge role in the damage of Panama city: “The other great loss that the American invasion caused was through fires that were set off during the fighting” (Kinzer,306). American soldiers left thousands of people homeless due to their unnecessary and careless shooting, in an area where houses were made out of

wood.
The United States was the cause of the overthrow of many different countries all over the world. Even though these countries are all so different, the United States had a very similar impact between them. Almost all these countries suffered dramatically from a severe loss of instability and a growing hatred towards the United States. Grenada was the only country able to escape these consequences and prove that it is possible to become prosperous even with the United States interference. Although the United States has overthrown many countries and changed the fate of many of these for the worse or better, this is not the end. In fact, this is only the beginning as the United States has plans for the overthrowing of more governments in the near future.