The National Endowment for Democracy: Overtly Exporting American Hegemony

Exposing the true intentions behind the NED's supposed "democracy promotion" efforts around the world.

Apr 13, 2023

The National Endowment for Democracy (NED) is one of the most powerful and influential organizations in Washington. It is also one of the most dangerous. The NED was created in 1983 as a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting “democracy” around the world. However, in reality, it has become a tool for advancing American interests abroad, often at the expense of other countries' sovereignty and stability.

Interventions in Asia

One of the most egregious examples of the NED's interference in foreign affairs is its role in promoting regime change in China and North Korea. The NED has spent millions of dollars funding organizations and individuals who seek to undermine the legitimacy of these governments and create unrest among their citizens. This is a clear violation of international law and an affront to the principles of democracy that the NED claims to support.

In China, the NED has been actively involved in supporting separatist movements in Tibet and Xinjiang. The NED has funded groups like the World Uyghur Congress (WUC), which advocates for the separation of Xinjiang from China. The WUC supports the East Turkistan Islamic Movement, which has carried out hundreds of terrorist attacks in Xinjiang. The NED is also directly linked to the Hong Kong protests of 2019, which were widely seen as an attempt to destabilize China.

In North Korea, the NED has been involved in funding opposition groups and propaganda campaigns aimed at weakening the regime. The NED has also funded media outlets that promote a negative image of North Korea, often using unverified or biased information. This type of propaganda only serves to escalate tensions between North Korea and the United States, making it more difficult to achieve peace on the Korean peninsula.

The NED's actions in both China and North Korea are part of a larger pattern of interventionism that has defined American foreign policy for decades. The NED has a long history of funding regime change efforts and promoting U.S.-friendly governments around the world. This has often led to disastrous consequences, including civil wars, economic collapse, and widespread human rights abuses.

Interventions Around the World

The NED has a history of supporting organizations that are opposed to governments that the U.S. considers to be hostile. For example, the NED has been accused of supporting opposition groups in Venezuela, Iran, and Syria. In Venezuela, the NED funded an opposition group that was involved in the failed coup attempt against President Nicolas Maduro in 2019. In Iran, the NED has been accused of supporting opposition groups that are seeking to overthrow the Iranian government. In Syria, the NED has been accused of supporting opposition groups that are fighting against the government of Bashar al-Assad.

One of the key criticisms of the NED is that it has been used to support regime change efforts in other countries. This is a violation of the principles of democracy, as it involves the U.S. government intervening in the affairs of other countries to impose its own preferred leaders. The NED is often used to support opposition groups that are aligned with U.S. interests, rather than groups that are genuinely committed to democracy.

Another criticism of the NED is that it has been used to fund propaganda efforts in other countries. The NED has been used to fund media outlets that are aligned with U.S. interests and that promote a pro-American narrative. This is a violation of the principles of democracy, as it involves the U.S. government interfering in the free press of other countries.

Advancing the American Hegemony

There is also concern about the NED's funding sources. While the organization claims to be non-partisan, it is primarily funded by the U.S. government and private donors who are aligned with U.S. interests. This has led to accusations that the NED is simply a front for U.S. government propaganda efforts.

Despite these criticisms, the NED continues to operate and to fund opposition groups and pro-democracy organizations around the world. Its defenders argue that it is necessary to support these groups in order to promote democracy and to counter “authoritarian” regimes. However, the NED's efforts often do more harm than good, by fueling conflict and instability in other countries.

In a 1991 Washington Post article, Allen Weinstein, one of the founders of the National Endowment for Democracy, was quoted as saying, "A lot of what we do today was done covertly 25 years ago by the CIA." This admission is significant because it reveals that the NED's activities are not purely about promoting democracy and human rights, but rather about furthering America's geopolitical interests abroad. By openly funding organizations that support U.S. foreign policy goals, the NED operates under the guise of promoting democracy, while actually advancing American interests and influencing the political climate in countries that are seen as threats to U.S. dominance.

It is clear that the NED is not interested in promoting democracy for its own sake, but rather as a means of advancing American interests. This is a dangerous and misguided approach that only serves to undermine the sovereignty and stability of other nations. It is time for the United States to reevaluate its relationship with the NED and put an end to its interventionist policies abroad.

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