Gang of Four (pro-Contra): Difference between revisions
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* {{cite journal|first1=Kai|last1=Bird|authorlink1=Kai Bird|first2=Max|last2=Holland|title=A Defection in the Family|journal=[[The Nation]]|month=30 November|year=1985|url=http://www.thenation.com/archive/defection-family|ref=harv}} |
* {{cite journal|first1=Kai|last1=Bird|authorlink1=Kai Bird|first2=Max|last2=Holland|authorlink2=Max Holland|title=A Defection in the Family|journal=[[The Nation]]|month=30 November|year=1985|url=http://www.thenation.com/archive/defection-family|ref=harv|id=[http://www.washingtondecoded.com/site/files/a_defection_in_the_family.pdf PDF version] and [http://www.washingtondecoded.com/site/irancontra/ HTML version at Decoding Washington website of Holland]}} |
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* {{cite book|title=My life in the time of the Contras|first=Bruce P.|last=Cameron|authorlink=Bruce P. Cameron|publisher=UNM Press|year=2007|isbn=0826342515, ISBN 9780826342515|pages=340|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=a-eB2PduzxUC&dq=Bruce+Cameron%2C+Penn+Kemble&q=Jane+Fonda#v=snippet&q=Jane%20Fonda%2C%20Penn%20Kemble&f=false|ref=harv}} |
* {{cite book|title=My life in the time of the Contras|first=Bruce P.|last=Cameron|authorlink=Bruce P. Cameron|publisher=UNM Press|year=2007|isbn=0826342515, ISBN 9780826342515|pages=340|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=a-eB2PduzxUC&dq=Bruce+Cameron%2C+Penn+Kemble&q=Jane+Fonda#v=snippet&q=Jane%20Fonda%2C%20Penn%20Kemble&f=false|ref=harv}} |
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* {{cite journal|first=Michael|last=Massing|authorlink=Michael Massing|journal=Mother Jones|month=October|year=1987|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=R-cDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA12&lpg=PA12&dq=Penn+Kemble,+%22Gang+of+Four%22&source=bl&ots=WuKokJNoDY&sig=NeEO7XmuHV-0poTDM2A1-17_yDQ&hl=en&ei=8EHETvDkGoGO4gS9wtSLDQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CC0Q6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=%22Gang%20of%20Four%22&f=false|ref=harv|title=Contra aides: Why four Democratic operatives enlisted in Ollie North's crusade|pages=23–26, 40–43}} |
* {{cite journal|first=Michael|last=Massing|authorlink=Michael Massing|journal=Mother Jones|month=October|year=1987|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=R-cDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA12&lpg=PA12&dq=Penn+Kemble,+%22Gang+of+Four%22&source=bl&ots=WuKokJNoDY&sig=NeEO7XmuHV-0poTDM2A1-17_yDQ&hl=en&ei=8EHETvDkGoGO4gS9wtSLDQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CC0Q6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=%22Gang%20of%20Four%22&f=false|ref=harv|title=Contra aides: Why four Democratic operatives enlisted in Ollie North's crusade|pages=23–26, 40–43}} |
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Revision as of 11:13, 17 November 2011
In the American political history of the 1980s, the Gang of Four refers to four advocates of U.S. Congressional funding for the Nicaraguan Contras, who were engaged in an armed campaign in opposition to the Sandinista government, during the Reagan Presidency. The four were prominent policy analysts and activists in the Democratic Party.
Background: The Nicaraguan Contras and the United States
During the 1980s in Nicaragua, the Contras were engaged in an armed campaign against the Sandinista government. In the beginning, the Contras consisted largely of former members of the National Guard of Somoza, the dictator who had been overthrown in the 1979 Revolution. The Contras were joined also by former revolutionaries who had turned against the Sandinista policies; a third source of personnel were farmers and Indians angered by the Sandinista land reform.
The Contras had financial and military support from the Central Intelligence Agency of the U.S. However, a CIA-supported manual advocating killing Sandinista politicians and poisoning wells, and the mining of Nicaraguan harbors created political scandals. The House Appropriations Bill of 1982 contained the Boland Amendment,[1] which outlawed U.S. assistance to the Contras for the purpose of overthrowing the Nicaraguan government, while allowing assistance for other purposes.[2] Having been passed unanimously, the appropriations bill was signed by President Ronald Reagan on December 21, 1982.[3] The Boland amendment enjoyed wide support among Democrats but had been opposed by the Reagan Administration.
Soon after they had blocked Contra aid, Congressional Democrats were embarrassed and politically vulnerable because of the Sandinistas. Very soon after the vote, Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega announced that he would visit the Soviet Union.[4] The Speaker of the House, Tip O'Neill, a liberal Democrat, was troubled by reports of harassment of the Catholic Church.[5] Some Sandinistas had earlier endorsed the Communist crack-down on Poland's labor movement, Solidarity.
Advocacy of Congressional funding of Contras
The Gang of Four were four advocates of U.S. Congressional funding for the Contras, who were notable for being prominent Democrats.[6] Aronson helped to draft President Reagan's speech on Contra aid, which influenced moderate Democrats.[7] Excerpts were introduced into the Congressional Record.[8] Their goal was not to overthrow the Sandinista government, which had been elected, but to pressure the Sandinistas to negotiate a peace treaty with the Contras—a peace treaty that would provide more guarantees for the civic opposition.[9] They differed from the Reagan Administration on some questions. For example, they supported efforts to transfer control of Contra funding from the Central Intelligence Agency and Department of Defense to the Department of State's USAID;[10] they also supported negotiations opposed by Reagan Administration "hard-liners" who wished to overthrow the Sandinistas.[11]
The members were Bernard W. Aronson, Bruce P. Cameron, Robert S. Leiken,[6] and Penn Kemble.[12][6] All four members were nationally prominent Democratic Party policy analysts who had criticized the conduct of the Vietnam War.[6][12] Their advocacy of Congressional funding for the Contras was unpopular among liberals and progressives in the Democratic Party.[12] The label "Gang of Four", alluding to the Chinese Gang of Four who had allegedly sought a revival of the Maoist Cultural Revolution, was ironic.
See also
Notes
- ^ "A Review of Iran-Contra". Retrieved 2007-09-27.
- ^ Riesenfeld, Stefan A. (1987). "The Powers of Congress and the President in International Relations: Revisited". California Law Review. 75 (1). California Law Review, Inc.: 405. doi:10.2307/3480586. JSTOR 3480586.
The Boland Amendment was part of the Joint Resolution of December 21, 1982, providing further continuing appropriations for the fiscal year 1983
{{cite journal}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help); Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) - ^ Congressional Limitations and Requirements for Military Deployments and Funding
- ^ Cameron (2007, p. 40)
- ^ Cameron (2007, p. 124)
- ^ a b c d Massing (1987, p. 23)
- ^ Massing (1987, p. 42)
- ^ Cameron (2007)
- ^ Cameron (2007, p. 42)
- ^ Cameron (2007, p. 41)
- ^ Cameron (2007, pp. 42–43)
- ^ a b c Template:Cite article
References
- Bird, Kai; Holland, Max (1985). "A Defection in the Family". The Nation. PDF version and HTML version at Decoding Washington website of Holland.
{{cite journal}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help); Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) - Cameron, Bruce P. (2007). My life in the time of the Contras. UNM Press. p. 340. ISBN 0826342515, ISBN 9780826342515.
{{cite book}}: Check|isbn=value: invalid character (help); Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Massing, Michael (1987). "Contra aides: Why four Democratic operatives enlisted in Ollie North's crusade". Mother Jones: 23–26, 40–43.
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