Brazil Greets Bush
March 9, 2007
So W flies to to Brazil on the first leg of his Latin American tour ”with a simple message: the US cares.” That is touching. But what about the Brazilians?
Democracy Now! reports:
In Brazil, an estimated 30,000 people took to the streets of Sao Paolo Thursday as President Bush landed for the first stop of his Latin America tour. Demonstrators marched through the downtown core chanting slogans including “Out with Bush!” and No to War!”. Thousands more turned out for protests in other cities and towns across Brazil.
Guardian reports:
Violent clashes were taking place between police and masked protesters in the financial centre of Sao Paulo, the president’s first stop. Rioters threw rocks at police who answered with rubber bullets and tear gas bombs. Bystanders fled the smoke-filled streets outside the art museum as running battles erupted. Several loud explosions shook the area.
Earlier protesters in Brazil signalled widespread hostility to the US leader by briefly shutting down an iron mine, invading an ethanol distillery, occupying a bank and unfurling a banner in parliament.
A massive security effort will mobilise about 4,000 police officers and soldiers as Mr Bush’s cavalcade of 60 vehicles drives through the sprawling metropolis.
A warm — indeed, hot! — welcome, I’d say. [visit Democracy Now! for extensive coverage of the protests]
The real agenda behind Bush’s visit is of course to contain Hugo Chávez. However, the Venezuelan president is merely articulating the resentment felt generally in Latin America over years of American exploitation. Some of the language that I heard used to describe Bush and “Yankee” interference during my trip to Brazil and Venezuela last year, would suggest Chavez is too restrained in his denunciations.
American power is on the wane today, primarily because of events in Iraq, but the fact that total Ameican aid to the region has been only $1.6bn annualy – most of it spent on Colombia’s military — does little to win hearts and minds long resentful of its influence.
According to the Guardian, he is meeting Lula to “discuss cooperation in development of ethanol, an alternative fuel, and in Uruguay there will be talk of a trade deal with the US.” That sounds fantastic – literally! Since ethanol has been successfuly kept out of the US market mostly through the familiar colonial instrument: an unreasonably high tarriff.
Guardian in the Gutter Still
This Leader from the Guardian may very well have been written by a first-year undergrad or the New York Times’ editors; it is symptomatic of what makes phoney Liberal journalism so unreadable. The editors find the two opposite poles of the argument and squat right in the middle, inventing some facts along the way in order to appear sufficiently “balanced”. The only fidelity in this mode of journalism is to an image, not to accuracy. It is pathetic.
March 9, 2007 at 9:21 pm
Seems the mainstream media,like the Guardian,are still trying to peddle the myth that the US can still call the shots in “its own backyard”.
It’s bollocks of course.And what a disrespectful way to refer to a great swathe of largely anti-US humanity.It tells you where these liberal imperialists are coming from doesn’t it.
Where the US has failed to pacify with bunker-busting bombs,napalm and phosphorous in the Middle East,they will certainly fail with bribes and threats in Latin America.
Given that that’s as far as their capacity to deal in any meaningful or half-respectful way with the rest of the world stretches,the US has at last reached a watershed in its empire-bulding history.Dubious alliances with Israel,Saudi and dodgy client regimes elsewhere will not be enough to save them from their ignominious fate as world pariah.
We in the UK are supposed to like them but we actually detest them.Maybe the Guardian hasn’t worked that out yet.
Der……
March 10, 2007 at 4:37 pm
A maioria da violência que os manifestantes passam na rua é culpa, basicamente, da polícia e de alguns mais exaltados, que preferem logo lançar pedras. Assim, a polícia revida em toda multidão. depois se escuta os policiais falando “pois é, bando de vagabundos! nao fazem nada! só querem fazer baderna”. Essa é uma visão bem típica da polícia no Brasil. Outro dia, quando fechavam uma radio comunitária aqui em Porto Alegre, eu conversei com um policial que participou, e a única coisa que ele sabia falar era que tinha “acabado com os vagabundos da favela”.
São feitos protestos diários no Brasil, muitas vezes pacifistas com repressão desproporcional da polícia. um horror. sempre com a desculpa social de que são todos “vagabundos”, “preguiçosos” e “bandidos”.
March 13, 2007 at 9:52 am
I bet you didn’t see this on your news papers.
Here is a part of Lula’s speech while the “Emperor” was visiting:
“As ditaduras que infelicitaram a região por duas décadas são uma dolorosa recordação do passado. Todos os governos sul-americanos são resultados de eleições livres, com ampla participação popular. Todos estão empenhados em projetos de crescimento, com distribuição de renda, capazes de pôr fim à terrível desigualdade social que herdamos, agravada por aventuras macroeconômicas passadas”.
Don’t worry. I will translate:
“The dictator regimes that ruined our region for two decades (here he is talking about the Military Dictatorship in Brazil, Argentina, Paraguai… that includes Pinochet. All regimes with documented proof of support from the CIA and in some cases the Oval Office) are now just a painful memory of the past. All South American governments are results of free and democratic elections and have a broad support of the population. (Here he gives his support to Chaves). All countries are engaged in projects for development, with equal distribution of the benefits, capable of putting an end to this terrible heritage of social disparity, aggravated by past macroeconomic adventures (here he clearly criticises the Bill Clinton’s neo-liberal decade (1990s) that open south American economies to world markets)
Lula is criticised in Brazil for several reason that goes from his lack of higher study (he never finished High School) to his inability to keep his own workers party (PT) clean from corruption and bureaucratic infestation. Needless to say that most of his critics write for news papers like the Estado de São Paulo e Folha de São Paulo on behalf of people that clearly miss the “neo-liberal” wave. This is a big topic of discussion that is not worthy of many details at this point. Let’s just say that the Brazilian press is not that different from any other press. Nevertheless one has to admire his capability to give Brazil a different perspective in international affairs. Fact that will likely lead Brazil to an alternative future.
I would also have several reasons to criticise Lula. For instance his insane support for the Financial System. Nevertheless, given the options the “Brazilian Establishment” – Yes! We have one of those – was able to create, Lula is without a doubt the best option for an alternative future. Somehow he can get away with a mix of progressive and left-reformist agenda.
If the intention of Bush’s visit was to make his presence felt in Latin America, this speech clearly shows its relevance to our governments.
social que herdamos, agravada por aventuras macroeconômicas passadas”.
Don’t worry. I will translate:
” The dictator regimes that ruined our region for two decades - here he is ta
March 14, 2007 at 5:04 am
Video about bu$$h visit to South America. Commentary by conservative USA television, “The Mclaughlin Group” report.
http://www.bradblog.com/?p=4252