Hot News!
• Register to Vote, Right Now, at The Beacon!
• Cincinnati Progressives on the Bailout
• EXPOSED! Two sets of rules on Fountain Square
Contact Us
v mail, fax: (214) 481-6464
e mail: click here
Events
 |
|
|
Friday, March 09, 2007
Why Would Latin Americans Protest Bush?
Posted by Justin Jeffre
Brendan of the Spacetropic blog must be living in another world and I think this article exemplifies the arrogance of ignorance that is common place in the United States of Amnesia. Latin Americans may be poor, but they have a much better understanding of US foreign policy than many Americans, like Brendan.
In Brendan’s article “Bush and Latin America” he starts off by saying,
“According to the Associated Press, George W.’s five day trip to Latin America is about reversing the perception of neglect and promoting the spread of democracy. The rise of clownish socialist Hugo Chavez seems to indicate that some nations may be backsliding, thinking perhaps that dictators and colossal governments are somehow the route to prosperity.
Can’t we just leave them alone, and let them (for the umpteenth time) figure out what a losing proposition these “popular” ultra-Left revolutions ultimately become? I know, I know - I’m sure there are plenty of folks in Latin America who would much prefer open markets, equal opportunities, and free speech, and we should completely abandon them to banana-pot socialism, but they really need to get the ball moving first themselves.”
Brendan describes Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez as a clown and a dictator, but Chavez has an approval rating in the 70% range versus Bush’s 30%. The democratically elected Chavez was briefly overthrown in 2001 in a US backed coup and then restored to power just days later in a popular uprising. The problem isn’t that the US neglects Latin America, it is that the US has strangled and terrorized Latin America for too long.
There is a long list of US backed coups and death squads in Latin America, most recently in Haiti. In 1954 the US overthrew a democratically elected leader to protect the United Fruit company’s (now Chiquita) interest. When they say “national interest” they really mean “corporate interest”. On September 11th 1973 the US backed a coup against the democratically elected Salvador Allende and installed a brutal dictator named General Augusto Pinochet. Pinochet’s freemarket policies were the model for what the neo-conservatives are doing in Iraq today. Many people were tortured, kidnapped and disappeared under the brutal dictator. Now Colombian President Alvaro Uribe—the closest U.S. ally in Latin America—has been mired in scandal for having ties to rightwing paramilitary death squads. This is what is meant when the US is “spreading democracy.”
Historian and NYU professor Greg Grandin recently published a book titled “Empire’s Workshop: Latin America, the United States, and the Rise of the New Imperialism”. It examines how U.S. foreign policy in Latin America has served as a model for U.S. actions in the Middle East and around the globe. In his book Grandin writes,
Grandin also writes,
In this interview from http://www.democracynow.org Grandin says that the United States turned Central America into one of the last killing fields of the Cold War. And this is why Central America has such a pull on the imagination of the neo-cons, because this occurred simultaneously with the end of the Cold War. Now, Reagan for the most part acted in moderation everywhere else in the world, in other hotspots of the world. In El Salvador and Guatemala and Nicaragua, he gave that policy, U.S. policy to movement conservatives for them to act—it’s kind of wish fulfillment—the way they wished the U.S. would act towards the Soviet Union and the Middle East and in South Asia.
Grandin says in El Salvador, the U.S. supported an anti-communist regime in order to contain an insurgency that resulted in the deaths of something between 60,000 and 70,000 civilians.
Throughout the ‘80s and the ‘90s, there was a massive sell-off of government-owned industries and resources throughout all of Latin America. In Bolivia, water was privatized causing people to take to the streets. This led to the election of Evo Morales, Bolivia’s first indigenous leader in well over a century. There is now a strong movement in South America led by Chavez (a modern day Allende) that is moving towards a Bolivarian-leftist revolution that may be spreading into Central America.
Nobel Peace prize winner and indigenous rights activist Rigoberta Menchu is now running for President in Guatamala. If Menchu wins, she will be the first woman to hold the office, as well as the first Mayan president. Menchu is leading a campaign for Guatemala’s former military rulers to be put on trial. Argentina with the help of Chavez, has turned away from the disasterous IMF imposed policies and there is an enormous popular reaction against this new imperialism and the free market absolutism.
According to Grandin, free market capitalism of the kind advanced by the United States under Reagan and extended by Clinton with all of the free trade agreements, has been an absolute failure. Between 1960 and 1980, which was the kind of heyday of state developmentalism, the economy in Latin America over the course of those two decades grew 89%. During the heyday of neo-liberalism or this kind of free market absolutism, it stagnated at somewhere around 1%.
Grandin says if it wasn’t for Chavez in Venezuela and Evo Morales in Bolivia, the US would certainly be less tolerant of what Condoleezza Rice likes to call “differences with friends”. Brazilian President Lula’s opposition to the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas or even Chile’s refusal to get behind the war on terror in a significant way certainly would be less tolerated if it were not for a greater threat. Venezuela is now a leader in OPEC.
Brendan writes:
The news story is being written. I heard on NPR that the lame duck hadn’t even landed in Brazil and already 6,000 protestors were sprayed with tear gas. Over 30,000 people took to the streets of Sao Paulo on Thursday and people across the country demonstrated as well. Demonstrations have already broken out in Colombia and more protests are scheduled in Uruguay, Guatemala and Mexico. I suppose the pundits at Fox news and MSNBC will tell a different story, but this indigenous movement and the real struggle for human rights is on the march.
Unlike our controversial elections in 2000 and 2004, Venezuela has international election observers overseeing their elections. The idea that George W. Bush is spreading democracy is absurd. The US has the lowest voter participation in the western world and our elections are more about money and name recognition than real issues. In contrast, in countries like Bolivia and Venezuela the issues are clear.
The US should stop deterring democracy in Latin America and harboring terrorist in America. Uncle Sam should be paying massive reparations, implementing fair trade policies, ending our failed and racist “War on Drugs” and closing the School of the Americas death squad training camp in Fort Benning, Georgia. Bush can reduce terrorism by not funding and training terrorists. Latin Americans are protesting Bush because he is the face of America’s neo-colonialism and new global empire.
• Share This Article!
Listen to this article
|  |
Register
Anonymous comments are allowed, but you can create an account above to stamp your name and to avoid typing the anti-spam code.
If you are not familiar with our rules for leaving comments, click here! The Cincinnati Beacon is not responsible for the contents of any comments. Comments do not represent the views of the moderators of The Cincinnati Beacon.
10 Mar 2007 at 08:42 am | #
Brendan writes haughty diatribes build from right-winged talking points. While Justin’s sources may be biased to the left, he clearly knows what he’s talking about—citing historical evidence and facts to back his claims. Brendan’s trumped up rhetoric pales in comparison.
10 Mar 2007 at 11:30 am | #
Even when the US supplies aid, we frequenly don’t do it with respect.
In the mid 90s Jesse Helms spearheaded a blocking of health aid to Haiti because the aid workers worked with the voodoo mambos & houngans to distribute medicines & treatments.
Even if you are helping people, you need to respect their customs when you are on their turf & not be imposing countless conditions on them.
10 Mar 2007 at 01:30 pm | #
Dean, I think reality has a bias to the left then. I’m simply talking about the historical record, that’s all. I do understand that this is history that we aren’t taught in school. We also don’t get context like this from the corporate media because that might show a value judgment, perspective or “bias” from the writer. We don’t see too many historians in these debates.
When immigration is talked about we don’t hear about the effect that NAFTA and GATT have had on Latin Americans. The corporate media is still a big fan of the so called free market despite the horrible effect it has had on workers here and abroad.
Media isn’t owned by the workers so their story is rarely told. The “liberal media"/corporate spinmasters get to write their stories.(For Now!)
10 Mar 2007 at 08:58 pm | #
I agree that reality has a bias to the left. That’s why people to the right are so out of touch!
10 Mar 2007 at 09:06 pm | #
When will those silly foreigners realize that the US has nothing in common with all those other colonial powers which maintained control over them in the past? Don’t they realize, as Brendon does, that our interests are and have always been utterly selfless? Let the radical anti-American voices foolishly claim we’re only interested in the exploitation of natural resources and a cheap workforce unprotected by the “threat” of organized labor.
What better proof do you need than our own country, where we all rest easy knowing our own natural resources are protected, our water and air are pure and will always remain so, and our workforce is blissful about having the privilege to work in this best of all possible worlds called the United States of America.
You know why those foreigners protest our president? (And are we not lucky to be blessed with a political system so sound as to be able to produce a leader as fine as George W. Bush?) I’ll tell you why they protest our president. They are jealous of us! They can perceive how overwhelmingly happy and satisfied we are, both as individuals and as a nation.
But then who wouldn’t be happy? We are blessed by a system so perfect and a generous national character that can’t bear to horde all this happiness. Our cups runneth over, so we must to export it everywhere else so the rest of the world may experience the bliss that some of us all too often take for granted.
Thank god for those like Brendon who see our proud nation and the world as it really is. No doubt his friends, co-workers, his ex-wife, and especially his children are in awe of an intellect at once keen and discerning, yet tempered by compassion and caring for those less fortunate which emanates from his every word.
Brendon is America.
10 Mar 2007 at 09:25 pm | #
People who get their news from NPR are better informed than people that get their news from Fox. That was certainly true when it came to believing that Iraq had Weapons of Mass Destruction and links to Bin Laden.
11 Mar 2007 at 08:18 pm | #
Much to respond to here, but let’s start with this: Public approval ratings are not credible in countries which routinely beat and torture genuine citizens (according to Human Rights Watch). Once you hear about a few of those incidents, how are you going to respond when the state-run newspaper comes to your door to ask you if you “approve”?
And you can attempt to equivocate all you like with George Bush, but have as many MoveOn.org demonstrations on the National Mall as you like - provided you and your Green friends pick up the trash you leave behind each time - and the National Guard won’t be pulling up to load you into vans. In Venezuela that’s routine.
The response of Latin America towards Bush is a laughable example of incoherence. “Stop ignoring us, we hate you, come to our country and trade with us, go home gringo.” I’m hardly a big fan of the guy (which you would know if you ever actually read my so-called right wing talking points, another howler) - but he does seem to be blessed by useful enemies when it comes to fools like Chavez.
Brendon
12 Mar 2007 at 06:08 am | #
Steve Fritsch has taken on Jeffre here.
12 Mar 2007 at 08:19 am | #
Who is the little guy with a turd in his mouth behind the smokescreen?
12 Mar 2007 at 02:39 pm | #
Brenadan, I look forward to the rest of your response. In fact, I invite you to post it at the Beacon for all of our readers to enjoy.
Did Human Rights Watch have anything to say about the US? I don’t think you have a very good understanding of the media in Venezuela. And of course, Latin America is made up of many countries and diverse cultures so your remark that they are incoherent is well, “laughable”.
Dean, please ask Mr. Fritsch to post his article and comments here at the Beacon as well. I’m quite sure that the Beacon gets more hits than his and Brendan’s site combined and I believe that these are important issues that should be discussed. I think it will make for a lively debate. Thanks!
Justin
12 Mar 2007 at 04:21 pm | #
Justin, I get plenty of hits, thank you… Dean, if Justin wants to do a “back and forth debate” through columns I am more than happy to let you post my response, but only IF I am allowed to post his responses at my site.
However, I am not going to be a part of a “comments” only debate because they are not structured for healthy dialogue. All that happens is that people chime in with insults and I don’t want any part of that.
If Jeffre wants to do this fairly, I’m all for it.
BTW, to the anonymous person who said, “Who is the little guy with a turd in his mouth behind the smokescreen?”
Obviously you’ve never met me, because if you had you wouldn’t call me “little”—additionally, you are coward for insulting me behind your own “smokescreen"… that being your anonymous label—and you’re refusal to add anything constructive to the debate shows that you’re a very intellectually inferior person.
12 Mar 2007 at 06:19 pm | #
Have Brandone an Big Boy Frisch ever been to Latin America? Do they know anyone from Latin America? Have either ever done anything noteworthy? Couple of chickenhawks that are keyboard warriors. Got an opinion? You are not alone. I apologize for the turd comment. I should have said; “what appears to be a turd.”
Hope that clears it up.
In terms of adding to the debate. I would be happy to match wits with you anytime, seeing as you are only half prepared, I’ll be nice. To spew the party line and call it a debate is meaningless. To live in terror of our own government is not the way I choose to live. If you do that is your choice and you can live with it.
from behind the smokescreen of anonymity, that’s all for now.
13 Mar 2007 at 06:45 am | #
How about a debate / discussion at Media Bridges between Mr Fritsch & Mr Jeffre ?
13 Mar 2007 at 09:08 am | #
Central and South America have a long history of spirited protests of visits by postwar American presidents. Needless to say, many Americans know very little about that part of the world. Based on their writing, that apparently that includes Brendan and Steve. I would venture that neither has done much traveling South of the border or devoted time to reading up on the history of the area. I would encourage them to do so because there’s much to learn.
For example, the CIA-led overthrow of the Arbenz government in Guatemala in 1954 became the model for similar postwar US interference and subversion of democratically-elected governments. In Guatemala, the result was the establishment of 40 years of a series of brutal military dictatorships which instituted widespread torture and murder. Well over 100,000 civilian deaths in that tiny country.
My personal travels to Guatemala led me to learn the history of that country and our country’s responsibility for its ongoing poverty and widespread misery. Last time I checked, they had a 50% infant mortality rate. If firsthand observation of such conditions combined with the knowledge that our tax dollars maintain those conditions in order to benefit our military-industrial state doesn’t arouse your compassion and indignation, you have a future writing for the National Review.
On the other hand, if you’re not a heartless liar, such knowledge and personal experience inevitably leads to facing painful truths about the United States, truths which are, of course, not acknowledged by popular media and are vigorously denied by supporters of the status quo. In one sense, it’s much easier to believe a sanitized “happy” version of history in which American imperialism is portrayed as charitable and based on ideals of democracy. On the other hand, lying to oneself in order to echo popular lies has a tendency of catching up a country and individuals which wave its flag. A country in denial is easy prey for despots who want to steer us into war; an individual in denial of history often hits a wall of friends or family members, perhaps one of their own children, who refuse to be indoctrinated into the parents’s fundamentally dishonest, self-serving worldview.
In other words, politics is Newtonian and history (including our own country’s history) proves that colonialism eventually results in the destruction of the colonizer’s empire. Per the current protests against Bush - which is what sparked this thread - colonized people have a tendency to not go quietly, despite Brendan and Steve’s wishes that they respect the authority of a foreign power which has attempted to dominate their country for much of the past century.
13 Mar 2007 at 11:13 am | #
Not a bad idea, but let’s see if we can even get a debate going through columns on the net first. One step at a time.
13 Mar 2007 at 11:56 am | #
Fritsch: But if Justin Jeffre really is a closet Marxist who seriously would rather have Hugo Chavez as his president rather than George W. Bush, then not only is he a dangerous influence on any person who would consider supporting or voting for him, but it also makes the Cincinnati Beacon come across (at least generally) as Marxist and anti-American as well.
God bless Steve Fritsch for having the courage to expose dangerous radicals like Justin “Green Party” Jeffre and the Cincinnati Beacon which provides safe harbor for him. Thanks to Fritsch, we can all see Jeffre’s master plan.
No doubt Jeffre was originally hired by the enemies of democracy to infiltrate the minds of our youth by singing hidden commies lyrics and performing suggestive sex-oriented dancing in front of wholesome American girls. I urge Mr. Fritsch to call for a congressional inquiry so that we might learn whether other so called “boy bands” are nothing more than fronts for a subversive anti-American ideology.
But Jeffre didn’t stop there. He then tried to run for mayor of Cincinnati, which he no doubt planned to make into a socialist mecca, bringing Skyline and Gold Star under government control. Luckily, the voters saw through his evil scheme and sent him packing.
Now this Dean of Cincinnati character has taken in Jeffre (or has he been “taken” by Jeffre?), giving him what they would probably call “freedom of speech.” Well, Steve Fritsch has called it what it really is, propaganda for creeping socialism which could lead anywhere: universal health care, environmental safeguards, even peace! (Ugh, just saying the words makes me want to clean my dentures.)
Well, I for one am proud to take down my pants and proudly salute Mr. Fritsch with my own Big Boy, complete with extra special sauce.
And let FREE-dom ring.
13 Mar 2007 at 01:43 pm | #
Fritsch: Not a bad idea, but let’s see if we can even get a debate going through columns on the net first. One step at a time.
Dean - Don’t take the bait. Fritsch is a classic ankle-biter who wants to elevate his status by worming his way onto your good thing. Everything about the guy is substandard plus he just tried a cheap smear of you and Justin. Anyway, the only reason you engage with him is because of proximity. If he was in Minneapolis, you’d ignore him - and he’d ignore you.
By the way, Fritsch trying to smear the Beacon by association using archaic red-baiting is a laugh considering that Fritsch hosts the feculent Jim Schifrin on his site. Clean up your own abatoir, Fritsch, before you start criticizing others - in this case, your betters.
Want some perspective? Think where Fritsch is going to be in five years, ten years, 20 years. I predict he’ll be doing exactly what he’s doing now. Like Schifrin, he’ll become yet another Cincinnati crank. At least Phil Burress knew how to leech off the wretched, but deep-pocketed Carl Lindner and made some financial hay for himself. Fritsch and Schifrin are just perpetual creeps who stink up the place.
Don’t say nobody warned you....
14 Mar 2007 at 11:41 am | #
Funny how (with a few rare exceptions) only “anonymous” people badmouth me. The Dean, Justin Jeffre, Andrew Warner (though I disagree a lot with them politically, at least they have the courage to publicly stand up for what they believe).
On the other hand, the majority of Beacon readers prove once and again that they are among the nation’s biggest cowards. It’s very pathetic guys; why don’t you grow a pair and at least be Marxist Men, instead of Marxist pussies.
14 Mar 2007 at 06:13 pm | #
Steve,
Thanks a lot for lumping all cowards into the marxist pussy category. This is insensitive and cruel, silly boy. All the real men are dead and gone, (big sighhh) all that’s left are cowards, mental masterbaters and perhaps the Beacon staff.
It has been said that our external world is merely a reflection or projection of our thinking. Since we cannot see the outcome of any decision we make(can’t see the future) the best we can do is guess, hope, and pray. We make decisions about the future by remembering the past as a point of reference. The only thing we can agree upon regarding the past is that it is gone and therefore not here. If you realized that you do not perceive your own best interests, you could be taught what they are. But in the presence of your conviction that you do know what they are, you cannot learn. Once you know something there is no further need to learn and therefore the mind is closed.
Think about what is upsetting you and you will find that just beneath the anger is a layer of fear from which all defense grows. The rehearsals in your head will drive you insane. Trying to think up just the right words to express yourself is easy as soon as you learn to think. That means you must go beyond the chatter of the world into silence that is frightening and from which you want to recoil. Remain in the stillness and you will soon find freedom.
peace brother
14 Mar 2007 at 06:21 pm | #
Stevie witdaturdnmouth,
I’m sorry you think I’m among the nations biggest cowards. Who I am is not important, what is important is your reaction to what I said. It tells a lot about you ,and, your level of maturity, or lack thereof. Your attitude of superiority is just another smokescreen to hide your insecurity and self loathing. If you weren’t simmering in your anger you might realize that the world is not as fearful as you make it out to be.
17 Mar 2007 at 12:03 pm | #
Justin, I just saw Brendan’s link to the Enquirer article on your 2005 campaign disclosure information. So I guess corporations maybe aren’t all that bad.