Greg Grandin on how the Monroe Doctrine Became the Donroe Doctrine

What It Covers

Greg Grandin examines how the Monroe Doctrine evolved from 1823 anti-colonial statement to justification for US hemispheric dominance, explaining Trump's Venezuela intervention as historical pattern of asserting regional power during global weakness.

Key Questions Answered

• •Doctrine Evolution: The Monroe Doctrine transformed from vague 1823 State of Union paragraphs into customary law through power assertion. Grover Cleveland declared absolute US sovereignty over Western Hemisphere, Theodore Roosevelt added international police power corollary in 1904.
• •FDR's Reversal Strategy: Roosevelt renounced intervention rights in 1933, giving up conquest doctrine and recognizing Latin American sovereignty. This created goodwill that prevented fascism's spread and unified continent for World War Two from position of strength.
• •Hemispheric Retreat Pattern: US presidents historically turn to Latin America to reassert dominance after global failures. Post-Vietnam, post-financial crisis, and post-war on terror all triggered renewed focus on hemisphere as testing ground for projecting power when international influence wanes.
• •Trump's Precedent Break: Unlike Reagan or FDR who used Latin America interventions to build governing coalitions with moral frameworks, Trump demands oil tribute without democracy promotion pretense, running minority movement through anti-majoritarian structures rather than majoritarian mandate.