Panama Forum - View Single Post - Why doesn't the Panama Canal belong to the US as it should?

FRISCO · 04-29-2008

Thanks for your replies. There are some interesting points. Even though the excellent articles you provided soltero gave me the historical facts I am still of the same opinion.

Which president is to blame doesn't seem to matter that much. A lot of them were involved anyway, right up to Clinton who could have stopped the final handover. They surrendered the Canal to gain points with Panamanians, and to the damage (and against the will) of average Americans who now have to pay even more taxes to make up for the lost income.

I don't think that kind of altruism makes any sense, but maybe it does and there is something I don't know. Doesn't Panama owe its very existence as an independent state to US influence? Why would we come crawling to them on our knees and ask them to please like us and accept the Canal as a gift? Did we get anything tangible out of this deal?

I still think that America should be the rightful owner of the Panama Canal. Why should Panama get the profits of something that they didn't build and could have never built on their own? They should at least have paid back all the expenses and then some. How can we get the Canal back?

FRISCO

04-29-2008	#6 (permalink)
FRISCO Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 3 Rep Power: 0	Thanks for your replies. There are some interesting points. Even though the excellent articles you provided soltero gave me the historical facts I am still of the same opinion. Which president is to blame doesn't seem to matter that much. A lot of them were involved anyway, right up to Clinton who could have stopped the final handover. They surrendered the Canal to gain points with Panamanians, and to the damage (and against the will) of average Americans who now have to pay even more taxes to make up for the lost income. I don't think that kind of altruism makes any sense, but maybe it does and there is something I don't know. Doesn't Panama owe its very existence as an independent state to US influence? Why would we come crawling to them on our knees and ask them to please like us and accept the Canal as a gift? Did we get anything tangible out of this deal? I still think that America should be the rightful owner of the Panama Canal. Why should Panama get the profits of something that they didn't build and could have never built on their own? They should at least have paid back all the expenses and then some. How can we get the Canal back? FRISCO