OPINION & EDITORIAL
President Bush's trip to Latin America disingenuous, selfish
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Also by Andy Granias:
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by Andy Granias
Thursday, March 8, 2007
It is hard to believe that anything would be on the president's mind these days besides the business of patching up his disastrous war in addition to trying to calm the uproarious domino effect of failure that has followed it (see: Walter Reed, Scooter Libby, etc.). Yet as Mr. Bush arrives in Sao Paulo, Brazil, this morning to embark on the longest tour of Latin America in his presidency, I'm convinced that he has actually been taking a little time out of his days of late to think about something else for a change: himself.
With just a little more than 22 months left in office, Mr. Bush has officially entered "legacy season." And for those of you unfamiliar with this presidential phase, it is that rare and coveted period when a second-term president gives up on earning support at home (good idea, George) and tries to gain favorable standing with the history books by chalking up easy policy victories abroad.
Yet for this president, victories at home or abroad are few and far between, and none of them has been easy.
Billed as a "tour against extremism" in the region, the most recent obstacle to Mr. Bush's success is none other than the president of a country with only one-10th the population of the United States and with a per-capita GDP that ranks 90th in the world — Venezuela's Hugo Chávez FrÃ
Anonymous (March 8, 2007 @ 2:15am):
Oh wow, creative Andy. An anti-Bush article. Geezz. You've convinced me. I'm dropping my support for the Republicans and voting for the Chicago Cubs and the Democratic Party.
Anonymous (March 8, 2007 @ 7:20am):
Your articles are fun.
Anonymous (March 8, 2007 @ 8:42am):
"Yet aside from Mr. Chávez's explosive personality, many are arguing that his policies have actually served a benevolent purpose by finally bringing some much-needed attention to the region."
I guess once you get past the huge increase in major weapons and small arms he's introduced into the region it's all good. I mean that's what's really needed is a million AK-47s that will be passed out to all and sundry.
Anonymous (March 8, 2007 @ 2:18pm):
Hmmmm...Chavez has bought some weapons. Honestly, how can anyone in the US complain about another country buying weapons when the US spends more than the rest of the world combined on their military and exports more than half the world's fire arms? The US is also using other country's attempts at creating atomic bombs as a pretext to attacking them while announcing that they plan on building a new round of hydrogen bombs (the first time in decades). The US already has thousands of them, so it makes sense to build some more...wait. I'm so sick and tired of US citizens applying completely different standards for others that they would never stand for themselves; the bible calls people who do this hypocrites. By the way, the US has been behind at least one outright coup and a couple attempts at crippling Venezuela's economy, funded by US tax dollars through the NED. If you doubt look it up on line, the documents are available through the Freedom of Information Act. Eva Longoria has written a lot about this and has a book that deals specifically with the NED's activities, along with the help of the elite media in Venezuela, to undermine Venezuela's democracy. If any country had done it to the US, the right wing would be calling for ten times more extreme measures than has Chavez. That's thinking objectively though, and since Chavez is an enemy, according to the rich war criminals in government, objectivity isn't allowed. I bet you think Chavez is going after the press and is a dictator because of the decrease. If you need clarifications on both, let me know. What the right wing has said is outright lies.
Anonymous (March 8, 2007 @ 4:27pm):
"Venezuela's democracy"
LOL - a place run by a dictator for life who rules by decree is not a democracy.
Anonymous (March 8, 2007 @ 4:35pm):
You may have had a legitament argument 2:18, until you cited Eva Longoria as one of your sources. Hahaha. First off, the U.S. is well within its right to police the rest of the world in terms of the prolifercation of nuclear weapons. 2, who else is going to stop countries who shouldn't have these weapons to make and possibly distribute them to terrorists? 3, the U.S. earned its right to have an opinion over arms build up since, and I hope you will agree, we don't need countries like Iran developing a nuclear program. Sorry but I am just being realistic here, not sure why liberals have to make things so hard. Hugo Chavez is a punk and should be disposed of.
Anonymous (March 8, 2007 @ 4:56pm):
Hey 2:15am,
You're a chach. You obviously work for the Herald and you clearly are some right wing insider who waits 'till right after the Herald is on-line every single morning. 2:15am? I really hope your name is Taylor Hughes, in which case you would be the chach of all chaches for not identifying yourself. Get a life.
Anonymous (March 8, 2007 @ 6:16pm):
Why is it that Chavez looks good when compared to our president? Oh, America, you used to be the Cadillac of the world. Now, everyone wants a Lexus.
Anonymous (March 8, 2007 @ 11:03pm):
Hey 2:18, you can capitalize Eva Longoria but not the Bible? Nice one....
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