Thank God They're on Our Side: The United States and Right-Wing Dictatorships, 1921-1965

For anyone who wants to cut through the lies of 'just wars' and 'global cop' or 'the US supports democracy and freedom,' this book is essential. A long, close look at US foreign policy, based mostly on primary sources (presidential libraries), the book tells in the words of the decision-makers the prejudices guiding these wise men directing the course of 'democracy.' Mussolini, the Shah of Iran, Batista, et al., all 'our' allies despite the fact of democratically-elected governments the US had to push out of the way to make way for the strong-arm despots. Schmitz makes a good case that this was all due to paternalism (those little brown/yellow people aren't ready for democracy; anti-communism (the democratically-elected gov'ts the US replaced with dicators generally desired agrarian reform); and simple racism (see paternalism). They didn't teach me this stuff in school . . . A great bibliography represents long, hard scholarship, and the index makes this a great reference work.