In an essay at the U. S. Naval Institute Lieutenant Commander Stuart J. Ambrose urges the use of the U. S. Coast Guard in guarding the coasts of African countries:
Perhaps more than any other region, African nations eagerly await partners with whom they can begin to realize their vast potential. The United States should not miss this opportunity to shape this incredible continent for generations to come, and the Coast Guard can play an outsized role in engagement efforts with countries hungry to grow their littoral maritime forces. Africa’s 54 countries will engage with someone—and the United States should work hard to be the partner of choice in the region.
The essay is far too dewy-eyed and general for me. For example:
The United States shines at engagement. Its melting pot values of inclusion and acceptance often make it the partner of choice against the frequently heavy-handed Chinese or even Europeans, who—deservedly or not—still carry today the baggage of past colonialism. But this is true only so long as the United States chooses to show up.
Is that true? Or is the U. S. tarred as a racist, overbearing colonial power, lumped with the British and French?
I have no problem with the U. S. Coast Guard or, better yet, the Navy taking part in joint activities with European, South American, or Asian countries in anti-piracy activities around the Horn of Africa. Such activities might even be managed as a method of encouraging countries who are otherwise spending too little on defense (Netherlands—1.1% of GDP, Germany—1.2% of GDP, Italy—1.3% of GDP, Brazil—1.5% of GDP). But I’m concerned about “mission creep” for the Coast Guard.
Has it really been so successful in eliminating smuggling (its original purpose) that it must look abroad for new objectives?
Africa has no vast potential, except to colonial powers. An average IQ in the 70’s means there are not enough people (the smart fraction) to run a modern economy. Scratch agriculture is the limit.
An the US is an overbearing colonial power, an actual aggressive, expansionist empire, rightly lumped in with 19th Century Britain and France.
Moreover, our treasonous neocons’ lies and rants do not change the fact that Germany and our other NATO allies are right to spend only 1 to 2% on defense. There is NO threat to their security, other than being dragged into a nuclear war by the US. On every measure, whether it is active duty military personnel to GDP, the ratio of the EU to Russia lies between 2 and 20. (The 2 applies to military personnel.) And those ratios are without either the US or Turkey.
The US, itself, could use a major reduction in military spending and in the size of our military. And the world needs a reduction in our military, too. We are the actual cause of most of the strife in the world, or haven’t you heard about Afghanistan, El Salvador, Georgia, Granada, Haiti, Honduras, Iraq, Libya, Nicaragua, Sudan, Somalia, Serbia, Syria, Ukraine …?
The idea of the US Coast Guard patrolling the African coast is beyond absurd, it is actually criminal.
When will the American people wake up to the monster that is the American regime? Ruby Ridge, Waco, perhaps JFK, RFK, and MLK, Jeffery Epstein?, the Clintons, the Bushes…