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Edited on Tue Feb-13-07 02:39 PM by Peace Patriot
Before I knew the itinerary, I was trying to guess which So. American country the Bush Junta was trying to chip off, from the Chavez fan club.
My first guess was Chile, because I think Chile got strongarmed into not supporting Venezuela's bid to sit on the UN Security Council. I was following those events--Condi Rice delivering the threats/bribes to socialist Michele Batchelet, first woman president of Chile, who had been tortured by, and lost members of her family, to Pinochet (US-Nixonite/Reaganite-backed fascist pig dictator). I could see that Chile was in a tight spot--re US trade and aide--and was hoping that Batchelet, if she decided she had to cave on the Security Council seat for Venezuela, drove a hard bargain for her people. (And I can't imagine she was comfortable face to face with Little Miss Guantanamo Bay.)
But I find it fascinating that Bush is NOT going to Chile! Batchelet must have driven a hard bargain, indeed. (Yeah, we'll abstain on Venezuela. Now get the fuck outa my face!)
And IS going to Brazil. This is an interesting case, too. Two weeks prior to the presidential election in Venezuela, in Dec. last year, Lula da Silva--former steelworker and left/center president of Brazil--visited Venezuela for a big hoopy-doop opening of the new Orinoco bridge between the countries, specifically a nice opportunity for Chavez to do some electioneering. It was a very pointed visit, in my opinion. Lulu could have put it off. He didn't. Chavez was under blistering criticism at the time--in all the corporate news monopolies, all spewing Bush State Dept. propaganda--for various things including having called Bush "the devil" at the UN. The leftist candidate for president of Ecuador, in an election that occurred just afterward--Rafael Correa--when asked about Chavez's remark, said that it was an insult to the devil. He went on to win 60% of the vote in a landslide election which was considered much closer before he endorsed Chavez's remark. Lulu didn't go quite that far. But he DID provide Chavez with an implied endorsement by visiting Venezuela for the ceremony just before the vote on Chavez. (Chavez won by over 60%.)
So why is Bush going to Brazil? Same reason I guessed he might be going to Chile. To bribe/bully a president and government that are a natural ally of Venezuela.
More on this in a moment. But first let me list the countries that Bush CANNOT visit, and the probable reason why.
Venezuela--obvious reasons--they consider Bush "the Devil."
Ecuador--they agree.
Bolivia--Morales, 1st indigenous president of Bolivia--and 1st in S. America--hasn't said anything so harsh, but is VERY leftist, with supporters who are a-boil against rightwing/US/corporate destruction of their economy and sovereignty.
Argentina--leftist government allied with Venezuela (which helped bail Argentina out of World Bank debt, thus making Argentina a good trading partner with Brazil--talks between them now, on a common currency); also has strong, well-organized grass roots leftist movement.
Nicaragua--recently elected leftist Daniel Ortega as president--whom the Reaganites thought they had gotten rid of, back in the day.
Peru--big leftist movement, which will probably bear fruit in the next election cycle (movement allied with the above).
Paraguay - big leftist movement, led by former Catholic bishop, who resigned his bishop office to run for president--likely ally of the above; also, hot rumors all over S. America that Bush Cartel has purchased 300,000 acres in Paraguay, and is building big US air base, from which to launch a corporate resource war against the Andean democracies (--oil, gas, minerals, other resources). A visit by Bush would strengthen the already big leftist movement in Paraguay--and if the leftist former bishop wins the presidency, throw a monkey wrench into Bush Cartel plans. (Current gov't is weak rightwing.)
Add Chile to this list: Socialist Batchelet said piss off.
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Now back to Brazil: Lulu has played something of a double-game. Think: Bill Clinton--social liberal, but with pro-corporate economic policy ("free trade," global corporate predation); also tug of war on environment vs. jobs. Lulu isn't quite that bad. But he's got a big country, and a big economy with global reach to think of. So he to some extent plays the corporate game--perhaps with more of a real social conscience than Clinton. He also--like Uribe in Colombia--has regional/Latin American loyalty (something Chavez has really stoked with his Bolivarian revolution--Latin America for Latin Americans!).
I'm thinking that the big threat here, to Bush and his corporate puppetmasters, is a South American "common market" and common currency (to get off the US dollar). That could not only completely crash the Bush Junta, it could lose a lot of super-rich people a lot of boondoggle Bush cash. And if China were to get involved--whoo! Look out! (China owns a lot of US debt paper.) In fact, this combined force could bring Bush down tomorrow (with a lot of fallout on the rest of us, but at least we would be rid of the Bush Junta; we would then have to rebuild REAL trade relations with So. America and the rest of the world, based on fair play).
So they want to drive a wedge between Brazil on the one hand and Venezuela/Argentina on the other--the nexus of a S/A "common market."
Colombia: $1.5 billion in military aid (already appropriated by the former Bush lapdog Congress); $3.9 billion MORE proposed to the current Congress, which hasn't shown ANY consciousness on So. American issues (or damn little). (There is a faction that wants to get rid of NAFTA, but they are outnumbered by Diebold/ES&S appointees.) This money is for killing leftists and peasants (US "drug war"). Bush wants to have a BIG CHECK in his hand when he visits Colombia. It's interesting, though, that President Uribe has so far refused to participate in anti-Chavez plots. He, too, has caught the "Latin America for Latin Americans" fever. (And I was just fantasizing a situation where, if the Bushites attack the Andean democracies, all the armaments that our taxpayer money has paid for in Colombia will be turned against any poor US cannon fodder the Bushites might pitch into the battle--blowback from US arms dealing, just as in the Middle East--as Colombia sides with its neighbor Latin American governments against US interference.)
Mexico: They will keep Bush in the north, and possibly out of Mexico City. The south and Mexico City are a-boil with well-organized leftists. I would think that Bush is not safe from millions of baskets of rotten fruit, now in preparation in Mexico City. (The price of the tortilla has skyrocketed in the past months--partly due to US farmers using corn for biofuel, not the least of the grievances of Mexico's vast poor population.) Bush will schmooze with Calderon and Fox in remote lush villas--they have much to talk about, as to stolen election techniques and oil.
Guatemala: Interesting choice of the Bushites. New leftist movement there, to oust the rightwing government. Scene of the slaughter of TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND MAYAN INDIANS in the '80s, with Reagan's direct complicity. Current government is not as bad as former dictators. Agreed to "truth and reconciliation" with UN help. The Bush Junta no doubt wants to get rid of "truth and reconciliation" and bring back the death squads. The indigenous democracy movement straddles the Mexico/Guatemala border.
Uruguay: Another interesting choice. Leftist government--but mostly European country. Bush will no doubt have bribes in hand.
So...Mexico/Guatemala: The Bush Junta wants to secure our border against leftist politics. Brazil/Uruguay: Big bribes to prevent or slow moves toward S/A "common market." Colombia: Big check in hand, signal to paramilitaries to re-organize, beef up the death squads.
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Note: Many South American militaries are filled with poor people with allegiances to their class, including some officers (who rose through the ranks--Chavez being a good example). Among the officer class, there may be poor people who have risen through the ranks, patriotic people who want constitutional democratic government, and an element of fascists (like the few who participated in the attempted military coup against Chavez, and the type of coupsters who have, in the past, helped to create brutal "banana republics" for the benefit of the rich). The rank and file are not as isolated from the concerns of ordinary poor people, as are our military and police state forces. They are often closely involved in ordinary community projects--building schools, providing flood control--and in emergency services (--kind of like our national guard, only even closer to the people, on an intimate, daily level). So, it is by no means certain that Latin American militaries will automatically support rightwing politics or brutal oppression. And that includes in Colombia. This is likely why the Bushites have larded billions and billions of dollars onto the Colombian military--as a bribe to bolster the rightwing forces, and as a means of creating military and paramilitary forces who are addicted to cash, luxuries and top-of-the-line equipment. But one can't help but think that, at the same time, both rank and file and some officers are affected by the great democracy and self-determination movement that is sweeping the continent. So, that total of $5.4 billion of our tax dollars that the Bushites are pouring into the Colombian military may be wasted, as to securing exploitable resources, and killing leftists and peasants, for our Corporate Rulers.
Rant: Just think what that $5.4 billion could accomplish, here at home, or in South America, for the poor, for peaceful fair trade, and for the "greening" of the planet. Going to guns, bullets, tanks, bombs, and toxics of every kind. Ah, me.
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