The Monroe Doctrine, 1823. What it says: that the American continents are no longer open to European colonization and that any European presence in Latin America would be viewed as unfriendly to the United States. Corollary (by Theodore Roosevelt): that the US may be forced to intervene if there is instability in Latin America, in order to prevent European intervention. What it really means: The US lays imperialistic claim to hegemony over the Americas, and reserves the right to intervene in Latin American countries’ internal affairs whenever they threaten US interests. It gives the US the right to interfere with elections in these countries, depose their leaders, overthrow their regimes, terrorize them, train their police in the art of torturing dissidents, etc.

Roosevelt Doctrine, 1930s. What it says: any Latin American country which was the object of fascist aggression "whether external or home grown" would automatically benefit from US assistance.

The Truman Doctrine, 1940s. What it says: The US promised "to support free peoples who are resisting subjugation by armed minorities or outside pressures". What it means: The US has the right to intervene in foreign states affairs in order to support free-market capitalist and pro-business forces against liberals, socialists, communists, or anyone else who threatens the interests of US elites or of US big business.

Eisenhower Doctrine, 1957. What it says: It declares the United States prepared to use armed force to assist Middle Eastern nations threatened by "international communism". What it means: If the US thinks that the influence of liberal, socialist, or communist groups in the Middle East is too great, it has every right to interfere and intervene.

Khrushchev Doctrine, 1959. (Peaceful Coexistence). What it says: ‘The Soviet Union and all the socialist countries have opened up for humanity the road for a socialist development without war on the basis of peaceful collaboration. The conflict between the two systems must and can be resolved by peaceful means ... Coexistence is something real, flowing from the existing world situation of human society ... Several well-known personalities, and in the first place President Eisenhower, want to find ways of reinforcing peace’. What it means: Khrushchev did make some attempts to dampen hostilities. But the US did not respond, and the U2 incident caused problems. The Cuba Missiles Crisis was probably the final nail in Khrushchev’s reputation as a Soviet leader.

Kennedy Doctrine, 1960s.. What it says: "Prevention of intervention" in Latin American by forces other than the USA. In effect, yet another extension of the Monroe Doctrine.

The Tonkin Gulf Resolution, 1964. In 1964, Congress passed a resolution authorizing military action in Southeast Asia, though the US was already involved in the Vietnam War anyway. Pres. Johnson alleged that US destroyers had been attacked the same year by North Vietnamese gunboats in the Gulf of Tonkin. The resolution was repealed in 1970, but the Vietnam War and US involvement with it continued regardless. In 1974 it was established that the alleged Tonkin Gulf attack on US destroys never occurred.

The Brezhnev Doctrine, 1968. What it says: The USSR has the duty to intervene to defend the "socialist gains" of its allies. What it means: The USSR reserves the right to intervene if its allies deviate too far from Soviet orthodoxy or if they try to introduce democratic institutions at an inopportune moment; hence the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia.

The Nixon Doctrine, 1969. (Guam Doctrine). What it says: The Nixon Doctrine of 1969 called for the use of regional surrogates to bar the gates to communism and protect American interests. What it means: Regional surrogates means, for example, rightwing dictators, rightwing armies, and rightwing guerrillas who will take power with American backing, funding, and training, or who will destabilize any liberal, socialist, or communist regimes. For example, the Shah in Iran prior to 1979 was an American surrogate, as is or was Suharto in Indonesia, and as was Somoza in Nicaragua. However the doctrine also stated that foreign nations would bear primary responsibility for their own defence. What this means: It is a way of giving Nixon a reason to take the US out of the increasingly unpopular war in Indochina.

The Gorbachev Doctrine, 1980s. What it says: that in the USSR, civilian decision-making has pre-eminence over military decision-making. Oddly enough, this doctrine was renounced by President Yeltsin.

The Carter Doctrine, 1980. What it says: "an attempt by an outside force to gain control of the Persian Gulf region will be regarded as an assault on the vital interests of the United States," to repel which the United States would employ "any means necessary, including military force." What it means: that the US regards the Gulf almost as its property, in the same neo-imperialistic terms as it has regarded Latin America. The US seeks domination of the Gulf by western capitalist interests and will intervene militarily to maintain that domination.

The Reagan Doctrine, 1980s. What it says. This states that the US should always support those who are "risking their lives on every continent from Afghanistan to Nicaragua to defy Soviet-supported aggression". What it really means: Those who were "risking their lives" in Nicaragua are apparently the terrorists (Contras) trying to overthrow the elected Nicaraguan government and replace it with a rightwing authoritarian regime. The US therefore supports, arms, funds, trains these terrorists, as well as similar rightwing guerillas in El Salvador and elsewhere . State-sponsored terrorism par excellence, and the logical conclusion of the imperialism of the Monroe Doctrine.