Bush To Meet with President of Paraguay at White House

[Kindigger]

In a statement released by the White House Monday, Press Secretary Dana Perino revealed that President George Bush would meet with President Fernando Lugo of Paraguay at the White House on October 27.

"This visit provides an opportunity to reaffirm our strong relationship with Paraguay," Perino said in the statement.

http://www.nasdaq.com/aspxcontent/NewsStory.aspx?cpath=20081020\ACQRTT200810201616RTTRADERUSEQUITY_1257.htm&&mypage=newsheadlines&title=President%20Bush%20To%20Meet%20with%20President%20Fernando%20Lugo%20of%20Paraguay%20at%20White%20House

[hobbit709]

1. They're working out the details

of him getting a safe haven after 1-20-09.

[Birthmark]

4. My first thought, too.

Working out the terms of his exile.

[madokie]

5. And that is a fact

[zbdent]

8. Isn't there a way that, as soon as Obama's sworn in,

the Secret Service could arrest him?

[remember2000forever]

2. Baaa-Byyyy ! And Off To Paraguay He Will Go After All Is Done.

Do Ya Think Laura Will Join Him?

[lynnertic]

15. Naw. Natl Enquirer sez that she's got a mansion in Dallas from the divorce n/t

[npincus]

18. you mean The Globe?

They've been on his ass for years! :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[Delphinus]

3. Isn't this the country

he's bought land? I know it's somewhere in South America ... too many months ago I read about the new compound, with lots of water.

[CreekDog]

6. He promised the Republicans he would be the worst president in history on one condition:

afterwards he gets the all the coke he wants.

[Ganja Ninja]

7. Meeting in person and making a down payment on his exile deal.

Making sure they hold the door open for him when he flees the country.

[Demeter]

9. Hope With His Usual Charm and Finesse Bush Blows His Home in Exile

He's sure to use too much force and not enough lucre....

I doubt that W would be in the country for Inauguration. He'd hop a helicopter for Mexico, and private jet from there to Paraguay, while Obama is waiting at the platform for him to show up for the swearing in.

Cheney would have left weeks earlier, and had a little medical emergency while in Dubai, so he was in no condition to return.

This stuff writes itself...the trick to being an author is having really complex and evil characters.

[gratuitous]

10. "Reaffirm our strong relationship with Paraguay"

Heretofore not in evidence in any dealings by the White House, but the relationship is "strong." Sure. What do you suppose is going to be the look on Commander Bunnypants' insipid mug when he finds out that Lugo isn't quite Stroessner?

[Peace Patriot]

11. This could be the "October Surprise": Bush is born again again, becomes a Catholic,

goes to confession, and, as his recompense, devotes the rest of his life, and all of his ill gotten gains, to serving the poor. Instead of retreating to a life of splendor in "Paraguay," he will go in sack cloth and ashes, and work in a soup kitchen.

Fernando Lugo is a priest, you know, and former bishop, known as the "bishop of the poor." He is the genuine article, too, the closest thing we've ever had to a true "saint" as a world leader. Due to his lifelong service to the poor, in the poorest region of Paraguay (we're talking the poorest region on a poverty-stricken continent)--and living with the poor, as a poor man (no regal bishopy ostentation whatsoever)--he was the only public figure who could pull Paraguay's fractious political parties together and win the presidency away from the rightwing Colorado Party, which had ruled Paraguay for 61 years, including a long period of heinous dictatorship. He won the presidency this year. He has a 92% approval rating (!).

When he won the election, Evo Morales, president of neighboring Bolivia, sent him this message: "Congratulations, and welcome to the Axis of Evil!"

:rofl:

Morales was referring, of course, to the Bushwhacks' funding and organizing of the fascist riots and white separatists of Bolivia's eastern provinces, who, a few weeks ago, tried to tear Bolivia to pieces, in an effort to gain control of Bolivia's gas/oil resources, until Morales threw the U.S. ambassador out of the country. They machine-gunned 30 unarmed peasants, sacked government and NGO buildings and blew up a gas pipeline. After the U.S. ambassador was ousted, UNASUR--the new South American "Common Narket" (sans the U.S.)--was able to step in and broker a peace, a triumph of South American self-rule and regional sovereignty and a harbinger of the future.

He was referring also to similar Bushwhack plots in Venezuela and Ecuador--a fascist secessionist movement to split off the oil rich provinces and give the oil over to U.S. global corporate predators. Venezuela's northern Zulia province, where all the oil is, is especially vulnerable, with its Caribbean coastline (now harried by the U.S. 4th Fleet), and adjacency to Colombia (Bush Cartel client state, larded with $6 BILLION in military aid, and rife with death squads, Blackwater, U.S. special forces and the dreaded Colombian military). The Bushwhacks have been trying to kill Venezuela's president for about 6 years now, and topple its democratic government. Failing that, the current plan appears to be to grab Zulia, and secure the Caribbean for global corporate predation.

The "Axis of Evil," in the western hemisphere, is anyone who rejects neoliberalism and the corrupt, failed, murderous U.S. "war on drugs." That would be, mainly, Venezuela, Bolivia and Ecuador--the three chief targets of the Bush Junta. They are also committing the crime of using oil profits to benefit the poor, and leading the leftist democracy movement for South American economic/political integration based on social justice. In that, they are closely allied with Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Nicaragua and now Paraguay (and soon El Salvador, next election; as well as Honduras and Guatemala, current governments leaning left, remarkably; there is also a huge leftist movement in Mexico).

The Bushwhacks are failing, colossaly, all over Latin America.

"Congratulations, and welcome to the Axis of Evil." Is Fernando Lugo a candidate for the "Axis of Evil"? He surely is. The entire "Axis of Evil" and all their friends and allies (most of the leadership of South America) attended his inauguration, for a delirious celebration, with Paraguayan voters, of this decisive triumph of the left, featuring Chavez and Lugo singing together on stage, doing a rendition of "Todo Cambio"--a hit Latin American song about change ("Everything Changes"). (There is a wonderful vid of it floating around.) Lugo, however, is simply NOT a politician, in any sense of the word. He is a spiritual leader. He is probably closest in spirit to Evo Morales, who is uncomfortable with typical politics--unlike, say, Lula da Silva in Brazil, and Chavez in Venezuela, who seem to relish it--and is trying to run a sort of Gandhian-Martin Luther King-like government based on redeeming the souls of your oppressors. Morales speaks more like a prophet than a president. (One his most memorable lines; "The time of the people has come.") It's a bit dicey for a head of state to be so peace-minded. Morales, for instance, was so reluctant to use force against the fascist rioters, that he probably sent the army into Panda a couple of days too late. Several dozen peasants were slaughtered in the meantime. It was probably the best decision. The fascists, backed by the U.S. ambassador, were spoiling for a civil war. But the decision was informed as much by Morales' philosophy of non-violence as it was by security considerations. Security should have been first in his mind. It wasn't. He has been criticized for this decision (withholding the army, and telling the police not to use their guns--until later in the rioting). I think it was the right one, but for the wrong reason (or chief reason--his abhorrence of using force). In the big picture, he is absolutely right. Forcing people to obey will always backfire, eventually. But sometimes you have to do it, when the innocent are at such risk. That is the responsibility of the head of state, and why "saints" are seldom chosen for that position.

This is not to say that Morales is "weak." He is not. (Was Martin Luther King "weak" for letting himself be beaten and jailed?) Non-violence is a philosophy based on STRENGTH, but of a different kind than violent strength. It implies to ABILITY to strike back, and the decision not to--in order to call upon the greater force of the spirit--the potential spiritual change or ethical change in your oppressor. (I remember Martin Luther King saying he would rather recruit a street kid, who knows how to defend himself, to his non-violent resistance movement, than someone who shrinks from conflict out of fear or cowardice.) Morales was a union organizer before he was president, was kidnapped and beaten by the police in the course of his union activities, and faced many an extremely dangerous situation, in mobilizing the poor majority of Bolivia, with non-violent civil disobedience and other such tactics. We are not talking about cowardice here. Far from it.

Fernando Lugo is more in this mold--but as a pastor, not a union organizer. He is steeped in the "liberation theology" movement, which calls for a more active political role of church leaders in defense of the poor, and in support of their movements for change.

So, what do you think he is going to say to George Bush, who has slaughtered a million people to get their oil, tortured thousands of prisoners, and plotted the assassinations of South American leaders and the overthrow of democracy?

Hard to say. But I think "turn the other cheek," "love thine enemy," and "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do," might come into it.

And, who knows? Bush might be ripe for a Saul moment. God is on Lugo's side, believe me. And if lightning is needed, it will be supplied.

[Peace Patriot]

14. About the Bush Cartel land purchase in Paraguay...

I've been unable to find confirmation for it. It was in the 100,000 acre range, on South America's major aquifer, in Paraguay, and apparently next door to, or near, Rev. Moon's holdings in Paraguay. It is also near a U.S. airfield, which the Bushwhacks have beefed up, on our dollar, and made jet-worthy.

I don't know if the purchase went through. I don't imagine that the escape plan contemplated a real leftist being elected president of Paraguay. Their inteference in Bolivia certainly failed to take that possibility into account. Paraguay was probably to be the staging area for U.S. forces to cross the border in support of the white separatists in Bolivia, when they declared their "independence" from the Morales government.

The man who was elected president of Paraguay (described above), Fernando Lugo, has probably been a major "monkey-wrench" in Bushwhack plans for Bolivia. He wants the U.S. military out of his country, and simply would not collude with, or wink at, U.S. activity against his neighbor and "brother," Evo Morales. The prior rightwing government likely would have--although even the rightwing leaders of the Colorado Party were beginning to see "the handwriting on the wall." For one thing, they joined the Bank of the South (one of Hugo Chavez's best ideas), and they rescinded their non-extradition law and their immunity for the U.S. military--conditions for joining South American trade groups--before they were ousted by Lugo's win. (Though he was ahead in the polls, lots of analysts were saying he wouldn't be able to hold Paraguay's fractitious left together. They were wrong.)

So-o-o-o, with the non-extradition law rescinded, Paraguay had already become a much less attractive haven for Bushite war criminals. Then Lugo was elected.

This is not to say that they didn't buy the land. I simply don't know. Nor is it to say that Bush won't flee to Paraguay--maybe under an umbrella of "sack cloth and ashes." That would be a hoot. And don't underestimate Fernando Lugo's ability to get a genuine conversion either. I mean, everybody's soul is savable, right? That's the theory of Christianity (real Christianity). As for miracles, Lugo has already pulled off one of those--by getting elected president of Paraguay. Who woulda thought?

[Kindigger]

17. Thank you

for all the great information! So they have changed leaders since he bought the new homestead. :thumbsup:

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

12. Lugo is a leftist (ex-priest) and Shrub is going to make him an offer he's going to refuse.

[peekaloo]

13. Lugo will perform an exorcism.

of course Boo$h misunderstood him and thought he wanted to exercise with him.

[Peace Patriot]

16. An exorcism! That would be cool! Then get some indigenous shaman in there,

to cleanse the place for Obama. That's what's happening in South America--an historic alliance between the Liberation Theology Christians and the Indigenous with their reverence for Mother Earth.

Here's an interesting connection: Fernando Lugo is good friends with Rafael Correa, the new young, leftist president of Ecuador. And how they met was during Correa's "time in the mountains," learning indigenous languages and living with the poor. Lugo went on to become a bishop. Correa went on to become educated as an economist in the U.S., and took an early and adamant stance against neoliberalism. And Correa just presided over the re-write of Ecuador's Constitution--and passage by nearly 70% of the voters--which contains a first-in-the-world provision granting legal standing to Mother Nature ("Pachamama," in the indigenous language), and her right, and the rights of all her critters and ecosystems, to exist and to function properly, quite apart from the rights and interests of human beings. What this means is that parties into protecting Nature don't have to suffer or prove injury in order to take a pollution case, or some other environmental outrage, into court. They can sue on behalf of Pachamama.

This provision may have been inspired by a huge pollution suit against Chevron-Texaco, brought by several poor indigenous tribes. The toxic oil pollution in the Ecuadoran rainforest is some of the worst in the world (worse than the Exxon-Valdez; called the "Chernoybl of the Rainforest"). It's been in the courts ten years. A huge judgment against Chevron-Texaco is expected soon, for damage to the health of the indigenous peoples and cleanup costs. But it has been a long, difficult struggle for the plaintiffs and their one poor lawyer (it was his first case!). Death threats and other bullying, and sheer poverty--the costs and requirements of a major lawsuit, illness from the pollution--could have defeated these plaintiffs or their lawyer along the way. This new Constitutional provision means that, if that had happened, someone else--the government, an NGO, an individual--could have stepped in, and intitated a suit, or continued the suit, with Pachamama as the plaintiff! Nature has a right to exist and to function properly.

Correa is a Catholic. His old friend Lugo is, of course, a Catholic. Chavez is a Catholic. All of these leaders are Catholics. But they are pioneering for an indigenous belief in the sacredness of Pachamama, and for several corollaries of that belief: for instance, the long tradition and high skill of the indigenous at organic farming, and their strong resistance to the use of toxic pesticides and GMO seeds (which the Corpo/Fascists are, of course, pushing and profiting from). Toxic pesticide use is a particularly big issue in Paraguay, and Lugo is wholly on the side of the peasants and their resistance to it.

We are seeing the good side of Christianity come forth and join hands with the Indigenous and their ancient beliefs and ways of life. We have a weaker Christianity here in the north, influenced by Puritanism (Nature is anathema, devilish, to be hated and fought). Sometime read William Carlos Wiliams' essay on, what if the French had won America and not the Puritan immigrants from England? He talks about the French priests "going native" and approving of May Day rites--a much better attitude of embracing Nature and appreciating the native peoples' reverence for it.

Our northern Christianity is more punitive, prone to negativism and cruelty--very visible these days in its politicized version in the service of Corpo/Fascism. The extremist rightwing 'Christians' (and one strain of Catholicism) are anti-sex, anti-women, anti-gay, anti-Nature, anti-science, anti-environmentalist, anti-enlightenment, anti-democracy, pro-war, pro-torture, pro-greed and seemingly pro-stupidity. They are hardly recognizable as Christians. Their religious beliefs are extremely distorted by Puritanism. And they are, and always will be, a small minority in the Christian community. Why do you think they came here? Because the English found them intolerable. (The Puritans opposed everything most Britishers love--their theater, their colorful language, their poetry, their ale--the bawdy life.)

Anyway, we are at a disadvantage as to understanding our impacts on Nature and saving the planet--in large part because of this Puritan strain in our major religion. South America doesn't have that handicap. Thus, with the success of democracy in South America, the Indigenous view of Nature, so long suppressed by fascist politics and greed, is on the rise, and the sort of Christianity that Lugo represents, is there to meet it. It is a warmer, more passionate and more tolerant Christianity, and since Catholicism if so pervasive in Latin America, may provide a meeting ground for opposing political forces, a ground that we don't seem to have.

Rather an irony, this. We (the majority here in the U.S.) believe in a secular state largely because Thomas Jefferson hated the Calvinists, suffered oppression under a Calvinist (extreme Puritan) preacher when he was young, and vowed to never let them get a foothold in the new government that was being created. He was not alone in this conviction--but he was the emotional force behind it. The early revolutionists were also reacting to the religious wars in Europe, and the Church's role in supporting monarchies. And I certainly agree with them on that.

Still, it's interesting how politics and religion interact in Latin America--so different from here, hard for us to understand, really, but certainly no black and white situation, to which you can apply northern political dogma. I can say, for myself, that separation of church and state is almost a religious belief. I am adamantly opposed to mixing the two. Mixing the two almost always leads to violence and war--but that is not true in Latin America. Latin America is something of a mystery to me--a fascinating one, in this rebirth of democracy that we are seeing there now. I think our tired old battered, buffeted, Corpo/Fascist-ridden democracy, with its shrill 'christian' wingers and its hard-working leftist activists, and its broken economy, and its bashed spirit, has a thing or two to learn from the democracy movement in Latin America, and the rise of the Indigenous at long last.*

"The time of the people has come." --Evo Morales


-------------


*(Lesson one: transparent vote counting - not exactly a thing I associate with the Pope.)