Much of the American, Canadian, and Western European political and military aid during the Cold War years, from the 1950s to the 1980s, was contradictory. Aid during these years simultaneously supported market-friendly and modernizing authoritarian governments, while often admonishing them to provide political rights and move toward democracy.

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During the Cold War, the United States, Canada, and Western European countries often supported authoritarian regimes that were anti-communist and market-friendly, despite publicly promoting democracy and political rights. This approach was seen as a strategic necessity to counter the influence of the Soviet Union and communism, leading to a contradiction between the ideals professed and the actions taken.

Much of the American, Canadian, and Western European Political and Military