Iran-Contra
From RationalWiki
Iran-Contra was where the US sold weapons to its enemy (Iran), and used the proceeds to 1) pay the ransom for various hostages in the Middle East and 2) pay for weapons for its allies (the Contras of Nicaragua). Of course, paying the ransom on the hostages merely encouraged more hostage taking, and the weapons could have just gone to the allies instead. Oh, wait, Congress had declared such allies "terrorists," since they went around butchering helpless villagers and were trying to overthrow a more-legitimate government (the Sandinistas, aka Commie Scum).
Somehow, Ronald Reagan and his administration thought this was all a REALLY GOOD IDEA.
