McFarlane on the Contras

McFarlane is correct in his assessment that the American people do not back the Reagan Administration’s policies in Latin America, and specifically in Nicaragua. I submit that if the American people were made aware of all the covert, illegal operations sanctioned and/or carried out by our government, not just in Latin America, but throughout the world, there would be such an outcry of revulsion and dismay that McFarlane and Reagan, and all who supported such policies, would be fully discredited and never again allowed to hold high office in this country.

It is true that the majority of these individuals believe that they are patriotic and are engaged in activities to secure our individual freedoms and way of life. They seem to believe that the ends justify the means.

Instead of further support for the contras, we should encourage the current peace initiative proposed by the five Latin American countries who are most at risk. According to some estimates, over 30,000 casualties have resulted from Reagan’s “low-intensity conflict” in Nicaragua.

I can’t help but think that if we had used the millions of dollars that were spent to finance the contras and other covert activities, to promote the economies and well being of the people of Nicaragua and all of the other countries in the area, we would all have been better off and democracy would be on the rise. Instead, we attempt to prop up or reinstall failed dictatorships in order to promote the interests of the multinational corporations and the military-industrial complex that profit from our actions.

WILLIAM V. EVANS

Torrance