there are folks on the border literally foaming at the mouth at the idea of kids from Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras seeking refuge here. Take this guy's attitude and multiply it by about a million.
I’m still trying to wrap my brain around the idea that there were so many American businessmen in Guatemala after we overthrew the democratically elected government in the fifties. This is a piece of an interview with one Fred Sherwood, former president of said American Chamber of Commerce. Not exactly sure when this took place , but must have been in the seventies or eighties. And is, I believe, a prime example of why we ignored so much violence.
Question: the state department says the government hasn’t done enough to deal with the death squads. Do believe that’s reasonable?
Sherwood: Hell no. Why should we do anything about death squads? They’re bumping off our enemies, the Commies. I’d give them more power.
Question: Do all the U.S. businessmen feel the same way?
Sherwood: Of course they do. After all they’re trying to do business. The commies are trying to stop them from doing business…to stop the economic growth…it’s a hell of violence going around. No one approves of violence. I don’t. But it’s a question of them or me. I’d rather I be them…we grew up on the basis of private enterprise. But these peasants, they don’t know how to run anything. Really, I’m not down beating them, but they don’t. They’re dumb damn savages.
Jesus wept.
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