El Salvador

in brief

• Popular support
• Reality of modern conflict
• dynamics and demographic upheaval complicated matters
• absent liberal values
• infighting
• no compromise
• final offensive

Sources of American Frustration

A Clear Vision

• measure of peace
• respect for human rights
• institutionalization of democratic processes

Rationale

• The Us recognizes these elements as necessary for success
• therefore it has focused on finding a catalyst to set them in motion

a flawed instrument: the Obdurate Right

• reliance on the good faith of the host government
• the host government adopts the language and ignores the principals

political violence, political space

• el salvador was the third most dangerous country in the world for trade union activity
• authoritarian culture prevented moderate and leftist influence
• union activity provokes death squads - alienate any support for leftist causes
• the amount of protests is tied to amount of disappearances
• if 120 k protest then 500 a month disappear, if 6 k protest then 5 a month disappear

the centre cannot hold: a nation polarized

• US goals assume a working social consensus, which that country has yet to achieve
• centuries of repression
• profound fear of reform
• peasantry's deep suspicion of government and armed forces
• absent values of moderation, democratic fair-play,

the tragic impact of the death squads is more severe than the 40 k death toll indicates

• among the first targets were the core of the political centre
• moderate and enlightened members of the upper class and business community

The Chimera of Compromise

infighting

• as extremism increases tolerance decreases
• the in-group turns on itself
• it begins to kill its own as an example
• it wants to show what will happen to people not fully committed to the cause

no compromise

• all or nothing campaign zero sum environment
• both sides think peace is useless
• the ruling elite was confident that the US would maintain support
• this is because of the domino theory regardless of how well the US terms were implemented.