Zaire and Vietnam - Countries in Turmoil essays

Zaire and Vietnam - Countries in Turmoil essays Zaire and Vietnam Countries in Turmoil After, before, and during the Vietnam War, America has tried to push democracy, or at least democratic ideas, onto other countries. In Africa, Zaire was a country that was heavily influenced by the morals of the U.S. a stable government and a greedy, capitalistic economy, barely held in place, thanks to its exports. According to historians, America did follow through with their proposal of foreign policy a stand-off form of economic and democratic assistance - although it was up to the country whether or not to use this prod in the right direction effectively. The U.S., during the time of the Cold War, felt that anyone against communism was a friend, and therefore promoted Zaire and its leaders, at least temporarily. During most of the 20th Century, Zaire (then called The Republic of the Congo) was ruled by Joseph Dsir Mobutu (Mobutu Sese Seko), a corrupt leader who seized the power for nearly 30 years, until he was later overthrown. The U.S. influence here was visible, in that the country gained independence from Belgium in the mid-1960s. After Zaire received this independence from Belgium, it experienced five years of political mayhem. In 1965, army chief of staff (Mobutu) received his power from a coup. For nearly 32 years Mobutu ran a corrupt, undemocratic administration, concentrating his power in the executive branch and favoring those who were loyal to him. His party, the Popular Movement for the Revolution (MPR), became the only legal political party, and rebels were taken care of. In May of 1997, the rebels led by Laurent Kabila won control back over the country and overthrew Mobutu. Kabila suspended the constitution and declared himself president. This displays that none of the democratic ideals which the U.S. claimed to have put upon its countries in foreign policy. However, Zaire was misruled by ...