Pink Foreign Newspaper: Latins Are Sheep
I am in shock over the sheer stupidity and condescension of an assessment, carried in a pink foreign newspaper (sub req'd), of how President Bush's trip to Latin America is likely to be received. Here's the lead in...
"Back in 2001, many Latin Americans harboured hopes that George W. Bush would give greater priority to a “backyard” that the US had often taken for granted. After all, the newly elected president was a former governor of Texas, a state bordering Mexico, he spoke a bit of Spanish and the “cowboy summit” at the ranch of Vicente Fox, then his Mexican counterpart, was the occasion for Mr Bush’s first official foreign visit. “Some look south and see problems. Not me; I look south and see opportunities and potential,” he had said on the eve of that meeting.
Then came the attacks of September 11 and more pressing concerns. The administration’s apparent indifference to Argentina’s financial collapse later that year, its bungled response a few months to a Venezuelan coup and, above all, its invasion of Iraq made Mr Bush a deeply unpopular figure in the region. "
Got that? Because the US was forced by events to address its own pressing issues and because its policy in Iraq (which, after checking my map, I see is NOT anywhere near South America) is unpopular, South Americans have no alternative but to ignore Bush's economic policy message and be swayed by political messages from the hyper-populist to the downright Socialist. Nope, no responsibility for their own fate. No onus on them to sort out what economic policies hold promise for them and what policies are a danger to their freedom and well-being. No. Rather, George W. Bush has abandoned them to the tender mercies of Chavismo.
Like I said, unless it can be proven that Chavez stole both the referendum and the recent election, I have no sympathy. Venezuelans are getting exactly the government they asked for. Ditto the Argentines, Bolivians and Ecuadoreans. When will Latin Americans take responsibility for themselves? Perhaps when condescending gringos and Europeans stop treating them like children and denying their will and ability to forge their own way in this world.
"Back in 2001, many Latin Americans harboured hopes that George W. Bush would give greater priority to a “backyard” that the US had often taken for granted. After all, the newly elected president was a former governor of Texas, a state bordering Mexico, he spoke a bit of Spanish and the “cowboy summit” at the ranch of Vicente Fox, then his Mexican counterpart, was the occasion for Mr Bush’s first official foreign visit. “Some look south and see problems. Not me; I look south and see opportunities and potential,” he had said on the eve of that meeting.
Then came the attacks of September 11 and more pressing concerns. The administration’s apparent indifference to Argentina’s financial collapse later that year, its bungled response a few months to a Venezuelan coup and, above all, its invasion of Iraq made Mr Bush a deeply unpopular figure in the region. "
Got that? Because the US was forced by events to address its own pressing issues and because its policy in Iraq (which, after checking my map, I see is NOT anywhere near South America) is unpopular, South Americans have no alternative but to ignore Bush's economic policy message and be swayed by political messages from the hyper-populist to the downright Socialist. Nope, no responsibility for their own fate. No onus on them to sort out what economic policies hold promise for them and what policies are a danger to their freedom and well-being. No. Rather, George W. Bush has abandoned them to the tender mercies of Chavismo.
Like I said, unless it can be proven that Chavez stole both the referendum and the recent election, I have no sympathy. Venezuelans are getting exactly the government they asked for. Ditto the Argentines, Bolivians and Ecuadoreans. When will Latin Americans take responsibility for themselves? Perhaps when condescending gringos and Europeans stop treating them like children and denying their will and ability to forge their own way in this world.
posted by Donny Baseball at 9:37 AM
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