[speaker001:] well we haven't really heard that much in the news lately about uh US involvement in Latin America since uh all this Middle East crisis began so I haven't really paid that much attention like since back in August when all of the news and all of the media began to focus in on um Iraq and the so the last thing that I remember hearing that much about is the Iran-Contra scandal that happened in the Reagan presidency can you think of anything else that's happened recently
[speaker002:] no I would agree with you we haven't had too much but uh historically we've always uh almost been like a big brother to in and to the Latin American area and uh almost used them I I I feel um I think something will have to be done down there very soon about uh
[speaker001:] um-hum
[speaker002:] about Mexico and and uh some of the other areas but with the Persian Gulf as you said it's just uh been very quiet I I keep pretty close tabs on the paper and you don't hardly see a unless it's there and we're just not seeing it
[speaker001:] well the only uh references that I have seen lately has been uh in part of the overmilitarization of Iraq was due to companies selling them arms and things and and they made references to in the past
[speaker002:] um-hum
[speaker001:] how we have given arms to uh Nicaragua and to other places in Latin America and that those might turn around and haunt us someday I mean not not to this large scale as Iraq but that whenever we give arms to people
[speaker002:] well it's um-hum
[speaker001:] as as we did and as we sold arms to pardon me to Iraq when we wanted them to fight Iran and then uh and then it turned around and
[speaker002:] um-hum um-hum I I agree we're the largest munitions producer in the world and so um there's a lot of money to be made there and it's uh be very difficult to to cut it back to a level where it should be and and then it will come back to haunt us it seems to come in cycles
[speaker001:] um-hum and I know when I spent the time that I've studied in Mexico uh since Spanish was one of my majors in college that uh there was a kind of a lot of resentment there towards America
[speaker002:] um-hum
[speaker001:] about uh like you say using them you our interest there is you know what profit we could make off of any kind of relationship with them and that we weren't normally very interested in them and they have in other in most Latin American countries they
[speaker002:] right
[speaker001:] there are a lot of the kind of problems that we've fought for in other countries you know that they have corruption and and they don't have um I mean there's just very few really modern cities
[speaker002:] right and the probably the biggest biggest problem down there is that's where the that's the drug entry points in their economies
[speaker001:] um-hum
[speaker002:] of several several of the countries especially Columbia is so built on the on the on the drugs that uh our our little war on drugs has really been laughable it's just a you know such a small amount and it does it just it um cuts off just a trickle and uh if if we can't get a handle on that through some through some uh method I don't know where where that'll be another big problem
[speaker001:] well that's right because that's just so much of the way that they make their money and so many communities have uh have to have that for farming and they don't look at it so much as you know
[speaker002:] right right and as long as we're the largest uh consumer then uh this is the market
[speaker001:] um-hum that's right
[speaker002:] if we can cut back the usage then uh maybe it'll have to go someplace else
[speaker001:] and I think it's really very sad that north of the border you know the United States and Canada is so different from the South from South America and Central America there's really a disparity between the um
[speaker002:] um-hum um-hum yeah
[speaker001:] what you I would call civilization of the countries you know
[speaker002:] right yeah we're just so much wealthier and uh and uh there has to be resentment built up and that's where uh leaders can use uh use that whenever the opportune moment arises
[speaker001:] um-hum yes it's really kind of sad and that we would go all the way to Iraq and that we would be very concerned with the situation between Jerusalem and
[speaker002:] yeah
[speaker001:] uh Israel and the Middle East Arab countries and and when we have when we have a lot of problems right right in our own back door
[speaker002:] that's right our own hemisphere but we've that's been uh that's been the way it's always been
[speaker001:] hm so I guess we've kind of neglected Latin America
[speaker002:] so uh very much so except when we need them you know when they found oil in Mexico then we got very friendly with them again
[speaker001:] right recently yeah fairly recently well that's really sad I hadn't thought about that in a long time
[speaker002:] yeah hm
[speaker001:] well I guess then I will go but I made me stop and think a minute about
[speaker002:] okay sure did
[speaker001:] not worrying so much about the Middle East crisis I know that it's not settled but there are other areas that we could focus our attention on well thank you you have a good day bye-bye
[speaker002:] always yes ma'am you too dear bye