Talons of the eagle preface

This book is a personal statement.
It reflects my belief that historical perspective is absolutely essential for the comprehension of contemporary international realities. Over the past few years there has been much discussion, often naive and shortsighted, about the end of the Cold War and its presumably benevolent impact on U.S.-
Latin American relations. In my opinion we can assess the novelty and significance of the current situation only by comparing it with previous epochs-not only with the time of the Cold War itself but also with the era stretching from the American Revolution up through World War II.
It reflects my commitment to interdisciplinary scholarship. The analysis attempts to blend insights from political science and international relations with the study of diplomatic, intellectual, cultural, and political history-of Latin America, the United States, and other parts of the world. There has been remarkably little communication between these apparently disparate fields. This volume seeks to draw some new connections.
It reflects my conviction that U.S. citizens-commentators, policymakers, investors, and othersmust pay close attention to Latin American viewpoints. Too often the study of inter-American relations deteriorates into the study of U.S. foreign policy. One of my central arguments is that there has existed a coherent logic, at times infernal and perverse, in the conduct of U.S.-Latin American relations; an understanding of that logic requires an understanding of Latin American feelings, attitudes, and actions.
It expresses my appreciation for the task of intellectual synthesis, as distinct from original research. This book does not present an exhaustive chronology of U.S.-Latin American relations. My goal is to offer a conceptual framework for the comprehension of changing patterns of interAmerican relations over a span of nearly two centuries, and to substantiate that analysis with solid factual evidence. The result is interpretive history (or, if one permits, historical political science). Of necessity, many topics and episodes receive cursory description. As a scholar, I am acutely aware that colleagues have published entire books on subjects that warrant only a paragraph or single sentence here. As a writer, I have sought to achieve the benefits of brevity without incurring costs of superficiality. (For the sake of readability, I have placed all statistical tables in an appendix to the text.) Finally, the volume fulfills an obligation-to the students, undergraduate and graduate, North
American and Latin American, who have stimulated, provoked, challenged, and refined my thinking on U.S.-Latin American relations. Over the past thirty years it has been my privilege to work together with outstanding young men and women-at Dartmouth College, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of California, San Diego, and various institutions throughout Latin America. To all of them I dedicate this book.