I found the video to be relevant to the issues of war and peace discussed in class because it exemplified an international conflict for which war was thought to be the only resolution, when perhaps, there could have been another alternative. I would definitely recommend this video to other viewers because it is very effective, informational, and, in my perception, truthful.

The video was absolutely wonderful and very helpful in understanding the reasons behind the U.S. decision to intervene in Panama. The video offered countless examples of the terrible aftermath of the Panama conflict, and it addressed in detail the extensive history behind the conflict, which, in my perspective, gives it great credibility. Furthermore, the report about the Panama invasion offers many eyewitness accounts as well as intellectual opinions, thus proving the facts that the video attempted to portray. I enjoyed almost every aspect of the video, and I thought that it was effective, clear and informational.

The first step the American government took in order to expose Noriega’s lack of character was to indict him on drug charges and to implement economic sanctions on Panama until Noriega is removed from power. Former president Bush completely dogs Noriega, labeling him as a dangerous man and a threat to international security, ignoring at all times the fact that until recently, he was sponsoring most of Noriega’s activities. As a consequence to their inability to remove Noriega from power, the U.S. representatives created a presidential election in which they sponsored different political representatives to run for office, while simultaneously manipulating the outcome of these elections. As mentioned by one of the speakers in the video, “People will vote to get bread when hungry”, and that is exactly what happened in those elections. People were awarded money for voting for certain candidates, and candidates were likewise funded to represent certain political ideals. The U.S. officials were sure that such activities would anger Noriega, and that he would revolt in a violent manner, which would come very handy in providing a cause for the American military intervention in Panama. Predictably, the staged election was discredited by Panama’s military leaders, and this came to be the perfectly justifiable motive for the world to hate Noriega.

At last, the American government began putting out the dirt on Noriega. Americans began publicly calling for the removal of Panamanian dictator that they once supported so earnestly. However, even while these accusations were being introduces, the video indicates that while in the media the U.S. was creating a negative picture of Noriega, the U.S. officials were secretly talking with Noriega, trying to reach an agreement for the U.S. to have a continued and increased military influence in Panama. Nevertheless, Noriega did not agree with the American objective, and his unwillingness to conform to those requests came with a very high price to his country as well as his presidency.

Some topics in this essay:
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