I know a lot of good folks don't like Hugo Chavez and really don't like Fidel Castro. I like Chavez and am sympathetic to Castro. Not entirely because they're such good men, but because I admire their courage and determination in not succumbing to the massive and intense pressure the USA has applied to destroy populist movements in Latin America. Through the twentieth century the story of repression, murder, rape and torture by death squads and para-militaries financed and directed by the CIA, the State Department, and the Pentagon are so commonplace that the people of the US have lost their ability to be enraged, shocked, or even embarrassed .

The tide is turning. Bush has no vision or principles that enable him to determine a policy for maintaining positive relationships with the rest of the world. The dissolution of the Soviet Union, supposed to have represented the victory of Western democracy and free enterprise system, has given way to a resurgent totalitarianism motivated by concern over the US's military incursions into Eastern Europe, and facilitated by Putin's posing as an ally in "the war on terror" while he reversed democratic reforms in Russia.

Our leadership of the liberal democracies wasn't lost, it was discarded.
When the democratic governments of Europe questioned our unjustified invasion of Iraq, Rumsfeld labeled them as the "old Europe" and applauded the willingness of the "new Europe" who could be bribed into supporting the war effort with a token commitment of forces. Who needs France and Germany when you have Poland and Roumania?

In Asia as well things have come unglued, with Japan moving toward re-militarizing as the US is perceived as unwilling and perhaps unable to contend with the growing power of China. The trade deficit while enriching a segment of the US economy has given the Chines immense economic leverage (ie the ability to wreak havoc on the US economy) while causing an immense transfer of technology to our most vociferous enemy.

I can't even bring myself to begin to describe the mess we've made of the Middle East with our slavish devotion to the most militaristic / expansionist elements of the Israeli state apparatus.


So why should I express concern over Latin America? Read this article for an description of how badly the last four administrations , over a period of twenty-five years, have betrayed US principles and ideals, and then ask "to whose benefit?"

http://consortiumnews.com/2007/030607.htm

I just stumbled across Rootsies Roots and found a link to very nice history links page.   Thanks

Barack went to an AIPAC meeting this week and said the US should fund the entire cost of Israel's missile defense program, and that no US president should pressure the Israeli leadership to accept a peace plan the Israelis don't like. There was more about being willing to use force against Iran, but you get the point.

When new senators get elected, they choose a more senior member of that august body to be their mentor. Barack picked Joe Lieberman. I don't know how that slipped by me at the time. But it moves Barack from the "bought and paid for" category into the treasonous collaborator group.

As expected, Hillary is not happy about being out-zionized. Just before she and Barack visit the sunny southland this weekend to commemorate the Selma marches, with Obama's poll numbers among blacks rising, word came out that his mother's great grandparents were slave owners.

Stay tuned for more mad-cap political fun as Hillary attempts to savage Barrack, while Barrack endeavors to overcome lingering doubts among his jewish constituency. "He speaks beautifully, but we don't find a lot of emotion in what he says," said Mark Sherman of Northbrook after Obama's AIPAC speach. Could it be that as hard as he tries, Barack will continue to run up against jewish suspicion of the trustworthiness of black politicians as regards the blacks' love for Israel. If he could close the doors and turn off the mikes he could explain, "but I'm not really black, you know."