This NY Times article about the waning of democracy in Latin America makes me think the policy I just outlined should begin with our own backyard. We've had a Monroe Doctrine for 180 years, but we've done relatively little to spur the growth of our neighbors to the south. Some of our engagements have been NAFTA in Mexico, anti-narcotics operations in Colombia, the Panama Canal, supporting the Contras, and overthrowing the democratically elected leader of Chile. Obviously that's not everything, but it's enough to show that we can and should be doing more in our own hemisphere. It's in our best interest, and it certainly wouldn't hurt to practice nation-building on some damaged nations before moving on to completely broken ones. We need to look at how China is making friends gently all over Asia and do the same in South America.