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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Sun Tzu who wrote (87842)	3/31/2003 11:59:25 PM
From: Thomas M.	Respond to of 281500

Indeed. Neocon is just reciting stale government propaganda: By the way, the United States never was hostile to the socialist governments of Europe, nor even many Third World socialist governments. Sweden was never in any danger, nor was Nehru's India. It was hostile to radical socialist governments that aligned themselves with the Soviet Union....... Not! The Soviets were hardly involved in the Italy, while the U.S. was devoting a massive effort to subvert the election. In fact, it was the Soviets themselves who put the final nail in the coffin of the Italian Communist Party: <<< Though some Italians must have been convinced at times that Stalin himself was the FDP's principal candidate, the actual Soviet intervention in the election hardly merited a single headline. The American press engaged in speculation that the Russians were pouring substantial sums of money into the Communist Party's coffers. However, a survey carried out by the Italian bureau of the United Press revealed that the anti-Communist parties spent 7½ times as much as the FDP on all forms of propaganda, the Christian Democrats alone spending four times as much. As for other Soviet actions, Howard K. Smith presented this observation: " The Russians tried to respond with a few feeble gestures for a while -- some Italian war prisoners were released; some newsprint was sent to Italy and offered to all parties for their campaign. But there was no way of resisting what amounted to a tidal wave. There is evidence that the Russians found the show getting too rough for them and actually became apprehensive of what the American and British reaction to a Communist victory at the polls might be. (Russia's concern about conflict with the West was also expressed within a month of the Italian elections in one of the celebrated Cominform letters to Tito, accusing the Yugoslavs of trying to involve the Soviets with the Western powers when 'it should have been known ... that the U.S.S.R. after such a heavy war could not start a new one'.)" The evidence Smith was alluding to was the Soviet rejection of the Trieste proposal. By its timing, reported the New York Times, "the unexpected procedure caused some observers to conclude that the Russians had thrown the Italian Communist Party overboard." The party's newspaper had a difficult time dealing with the story. Washington did as well, for it undermined the fundamental premise of the Italian campaign: that the Italian Communist Party and the Soviet Union were indistinguishable as to ends and means; that if you buy the one, you get the other as well. Thus the suggestion was put forth that perhaps the Soviet rejection was only a tactic to demonstrate that the US could not keep its promise on Trieste. But the Soviet announcement had not been accompanied by any such propaganda message, and it would not explain why the Russians had waited several weeks until near the crucial end to deliver its body blow to their Italian comrades. In any event, the United States could only come out smelling a lot sweeter than the Russians. >>> For more details of the American campaign to subvert democracy in Italy: members.aol.com

To: Sun Tzu who wrote (87842)	4/1/2003 12:05:41 AM
From: Thomas M.	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

Oriana Fallaci (the current hero of the anti-Arab racists on SI) apparently once had a conscience. When interviewing the CIA man who ran our Italian operation to subvert democracy, she told him: " Had you been born on the other side of the barricades, you would have made a perfect Stalinist." " I reject that statement," Colby replied, "but, well ... it might be. No, no, it might not."

To: Sun Tzu who wrote (87842)	4/1/2003 10:29:32 AM
From: Neocon	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

It is true that the United States was hostile to the Communist Parties of Western Europe, and to any Socialist Party willing to allow Communists into the Cabinet. However, they were not generally hostile to Socialist Parties, as long as they were not aligned with the Communists. Italy was, thus, a special case. It is also worth pointing out that whatever might have been "considered", no one in fact mounted a coup against any Socialist government, in Italy or elsewhere.........