Bush leaves Latin America empty-handed

[rodeodance]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,,2033082,00.html

Bush leaves Latin America empty-handed


Rory Carroll in Caracas, Sibylla Brodzinsky in Bogota and
Jo Tuckman in Mexico City
Tuesday March 13, 2007
Guardian Unlimited

George Bush wrapped up a tour of Latin America tonight with little to show for his six-day swing through the region.

The US president was due to head home with no substantive deals or
immediate evidence that the public relations offensive had salvaged
Washington's reputation in the five countries he visited.

No breakthroughs had been expected but Mr Bush hoped to soften hostility
towards himself and his administration's policies on trade and immigration
by expressing concern for the region's poor.

His stops in Brazil, Uruguay, Colombia, Guatemala and Mexico, chosen for
their relatively friendly governments, were marked by street protests and
lukewarm to cold reviews by local media...........

[phantom power]

1. couldn't happen to a more deserving guy

[Kikosexy2]

10. As Hugo once said...

the Devil was here...the smell of sulfur still lingers....pretty much a waste of taxpayer's gas and expenses for Chimpie to go around spewing empty rhetoric and promises...I'm sure the Latin American countries are having a good laugh out of this...they know it was nothing but pure B.S.

[Cha]

53. It would be like the chimpenfrueher

going to New Orleans or New York City promising shit.

[John Q. Citizen]

2. Are they sure about that? Did the count the silverware and see if it's all there?

[EFerrari]

16. LOL!

:rofl:

[sarge43]

3. Did we expect anything else?

He screws up everything he tries. He's been a failure all his life.

[Demit]

4. What'd he do with that carrot he was holding?

[Judi Lynn]

5. Gee, this hurts. He's such a nice guy, too.

It must be that rough gang he hangs out with which colors peoples' perception of him.

[Cha]

54. Gawd..one of the all time

Ugliest pics in the history of the human race. I shit you not.

What's crackin' up the horrible wastard boltin?.. and why does condiliar think chimphead raising his hand at the UN is so fucking funny?

[Judi Lynn]

61. Their real character's shining right out, wouldn't you say? They can't hide it!

Looked for a source which could explain what caused all the snickering, couldn't find it exactly, but here are some more photos taken at the same time:



From this site, about 2/3rds down the page.
http://bagnewsnotes.typepad.com/bagnews/in_a_picturemedia_focus/index.html

It seems, if I understand it right that this was the day he decided he had to go to the bathroom. What a statesman.

[Cha]

62. Prolly the fact that bush

had a thought and raised his hand at the UN. I can only imagine what came out of those pea brained turtlelips. Ugliest "pres" ever.

[stevedeshazer]

6. That's so unfair.

We'll always have the sweet memories.

[sarge43]

8. Steve, that picture could get this thread blocked. n/t

[Judi Lynn]

9. He looks so second rate grabbing people every chance he gets.

So impressed by those citizens who refused to bow and scrape for him.

A jolt of reality would do this a-hole a world of good.

[calimary]

36. I think he figures that's the ol' "human touch" at work, doing its magic

on the unsuspecting. See george stoop to make physical contact with the great unwashed. :eyes:

Um, george, your job makes you a PUBLIC SERVANT. Were you aware of that? (Probably not...)

[President Kerry]

20. oh my.. that is one tiny wiener

for the 'leader of the free world'

[llmart]

23. Oh my God!

I hadn't seen that picture. Now THAT one is priceless!

I know I've said this about a gazillion times, but could he be any more of an embarrassment to our country?

I'll bet Jon Stewart could do a number on that picture! Quick. Someone send it to him.

[calimary]

35. Those other two women don't look too happy about his being there.

And I'm guessing he's so frickin' oblivious by now that it didn't even register.

[sutz12]

37. Well, while they waste a half hour for his photo op, they're missing their quota.

And no, I wasn't being sarcastic. They'll probably have to work overtime to make up for the unscheduled break, and not get paid for it.

[Lilith Velkor]

59. The first one looks real uncomfortable too.

I bet she's shopping for an exorcist right about now.

[underpants]

46. LOL

OMG

[sarge43]

47. No matter how hard you shake it, kid, one drop always rolls

down your leg.

[Cha]

55. She must not be able to smell

the sulphur. If she only knew what she had a hold of.

[burrowowl]

60. Oh God!

Wearing Guatemalean Indian weaves! RAYGUN (MOST PROBABLE UNDER HIS FATHER'S (BU$H) DIRECTION) KILLED AT LEAST 200,000 GUATEMALEAN INDIANS DURING IRAN-CONTRA! WIPED OUT VILLAGES THAT PRODUCED SUCH WONDERFUL WEAVES REPRESENTIVE OF THEMSELVES, THEIR FAUNA AND FLORA, THEIR CULTURE! NOW THEY AND THEIR CULTURE IS DEAD! AND THE FAUNA AND FLORA CONTINUE TO BE WIPED OUT! WHAT A LOSS TO THE WORLD! HOW DARE HE!
I am going to:

:puke:

[Lone_Star_Dem]

7. This is such a shame

I was hoping someone would decide to take him in down there.

[AlCzervik]

11. just like his head.

[Sabriel]

29. I seriously thought it said, "empty-headed"

Well, no shit.

[superconnected]

12. Well I for one, am glad he didn't rob them.

[undeterred]

26. yeah, he must be losing his touch

[Olney Blue]

13. Oh? I thought he had grown a mustache.

[okoboji]

40. amazing isn't it?

How people in other countries go to the streets and protest this joker more than we do in the U.S.

[MAGICBULLET]

50. this always amazes me as well

maybe it's because they feel it more than we do? maybe because there's no draft, which I hope there never is. It's sad and makes us seem lazy.

[TomInTib]

14. Remember when Zoelleck threatened the Brazilians?

About their vote on the Free Trade Agreement.

"If you vote against this, your only trading partner will be Antarctica."

Or words to that effect.

A visit by the idiot isn't going to hold any water.

[Judi Lynn]

24. My God! Never have heard that one. Easy to imagine, coming from this mutant.

We have the worst administration in the history of all governments everywhere. They are scum.



Robert Zoellick

[TomInTib]

25. True story.

During a meeting of OAS, Brazil voiced deep misgivings (and rightfully so) about the FTA.

Zoellick stood up and started yelling at the Brazilian representative and ended with that ridiculous statement.

There is so much resentment toward the US in Brazil because of that single idiotic outburst.

[eppur_se_muova]

52. Opie's gone bad! nt

[Peace Patriot]

15. It's a fairly decent article, but the authors have picked up Bush's tic about dropping the ic

from Democratic. ("The Democrat Congressman....").

And there is one lie (in a quote) by an "expert" (from some thinktank) who seems to have a chip on his shoulder about Chavez. And the authors seem to share his attitude.

-----

"Venezuela's president, Hugo Chávez, stole some of the attention by denouncing the 'little imperial gentleman from the north' during a shadow tour, but he failed to draw his rival into a war of words or score a knockout public relations victory.

"Mr Chávez drew some adoring crowds in Argentina, Bolivia, Nicaragua, Jamaica and Haiti, and announced several oil-funded aid and trade packages, but his hosts declined to join his verbal attacks on the US.

"'Most governments are notably pragmatic these days and are willing to deal with both the Bush and Chávez administrations, and take advantage of opportunities that arise,' said Michael Shifter of the Inter-American Dialogue thinktank.

"'Chávez may have won wallets with his economic deals and promises but his belligerent rhetoric resonated only with a narrow sector. Bush was subdued and kept the cowboy swagger in check, but with resources tied up in Iraq and elsewhere, had little concrete to offer."

------

Now, how does Michael Shifter "of the Inter-American Dialogue thinktank" know that Chavez's "belligerant rhetoric resonated only with a narrow sector"? Tell that to the tens of thousands cheering Chavez at the anti-Bush rallies. It's a fair guess that those folks represented quite a "wide sector" not a "narrow" one. And how does he come up with the description "belligerent"? "The little imperial gentleman from the north" seems accurate to me, and overly kind, not belligerent. And what does Shifter mean by "denouncing"? What did Chavez actually say? He doesn't tell us. He expects us to take his word for these characterizations. When Chavez called Bush "the devil" at the UN, Rafael Correa, running for president of Ecuador at the time, when asked about it, responded that it was "an insult to the devil." Correa, who was in a close race until then, zoomed ahead and won the election with 60% of the vote. I'd say there is more evidence than not, that Chavez's "belligerent rhetoric" is quite popular with the majority of South Americans. It is the "narrow sector" of the rich and the corporatists who may not like it. And I can only presume that Shifter is THEIR spokesman. (And I wonder who's funding that "thinktank." USAID maybe? It wouldn't surprise me.)

Also, Chavez has won more than "wallets" (whatever that means) with his "economic deals." He has won regional cooperation and healthy trading partners, by creating a fund to bail his neighbors out of World Bank/IMF debt. Argentina is now well on its way to recovery, and is doing so well that it is talking with Brazil about a common currency. (This may be what got the Bush Cartel down to Brazil, for a little chat with Lulu--the possibility that Brazil and Argentina will go off the US dollar. I hope Lulu's kneecaps recover.) Further, getting out from under World Bank/IMF debt--with easy term loans from Venezuela--has other vast and positive benefits. Argentina, Bolivia and Ecuador can devote more resources to education, to bootstrapping small businesses, to infrastructure, to all the things that make a good society and a positive economic climate.

I think the article is accurate on what Bush didn't accomplish, but it has a sneering tone about Chavez and the aspirations of the millions and millions of poor people that he is speaking for. Maybe a slight cut above AP and the WSJ. But not much.

Whom does Bush represent? Exxon-Mobile. Multi-billionaires. It seems to me that a bit more weight ought to be given to someone who was genuinely elected, as opposed to Bush, who was not, and that a lot more digging should have been done into Bush's true purposes and contacts in these countries. The article fails to mention what seems to have been the universal theme of the Latin American leaders he met with--from the rightwing/corporatist Calderon in Mexico, to the leftwing former steelworker, Lulu, in Brazil: The SOVEREIGNTY of Latin American countries!

[ProudDad]

56. Probably the "Wide Sector" he's concerned with

is that group bush called "The Haves and the Have Mores" or his "base"...

As Noam Chomsky would say (I paraphrase), these are the only people who "count", the opinions of the vast majority that are being helped by Hugo Chavez' policies and hard work are not worth mentioning within polite society.

This IS A GREAT BOOK!!!!

http://www.amazon.com/Hegemony-Survival-Americas-Dominance-American/dp/0805074007

BUT DON'T BUY IT FROM AMAZON (unless you have to). Buy it from your local book store!!!!

[EFerrari]

17. Thanks for the memories

Death squads and bad elections
when you sent your best affections
and cheated us of our vote -
How lovely it was.

:)

[raccoon]

51. Great lyrics! nt

[w4rma]

18. Another Bush failure. (nt)

[spanone]

19. His smokescreen has NOT worked. C'mon home junior, the water's just right.

Bwahahahahahahaha

[truthisfreedom]

21. Methinks not! He came away with a lovely carrot.

Just look at how proudly he is displaying it as he molests this unfortunate young seniorita.

[JoFerret]

28. How hapless he looks

What a clever pic.

[TrogL]

49. where's he's gonna stick it?

[Zorra]

22. "concern for the region's poor"?!? He hasn't done anything but

piss on poor people in the United States. Just look at what he's done to our nation. By all appearances, he's trying to establish a class of permanent wage slaves/indentured servants.

Fuck that lying fascist piece of shit pendejo son of a whore.
:grr:

[Cha]

57. Yep! bush is Fucking photopwhore

who will say anything to get his picture taken with the poor. But, he and his handlers will do everything in their power to make sure the poor stay that way. And killing them isn't out of bounds either looking at the way they were abandoned in New ORleans.

Action speak louder than words you fucking bushpendejo.

[Judi Lynn]

27. Bush Left With Little to Show From Tour of Latin America

Bush Left With Little to Show From Tour of Latin America

President George Bush is due to wrap up his tour of Latin America this morning with little to show for his six-day swing through the region.

The US president was due to head home with no substantive deals or immediate evidence that the public relations offensive had salvaged Washington's reputation in the five countries he visited.

No breakthroughs had been expected but Mr Bush hoped to soften hostility to himself and his administration's policies on trade and immigration by expressing concern for the region's poor.

Mr Bush's stops in Brazil, Uruguay, Colombia, Guatemala and Mexico, chosen for their relatively friendly governments, were marked by street protests and lukewarm to cold reviews by the local media.
(snip/...)

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/130595.html

[Judi Lynn]

31. Whoops. I was in too large a hurry, didn't recognize this article was already

visible at the top of the thread. Gotta slow down! Sorry.

[olddad56]

30. With no credibility, it is hard to be a salesman.

[sutz12]

38. Sincerity...

Once you can fake that, you;ve got it made. :evilgrin:

[Casablanca]

32. "expressing concern for the region's poor"

I ... pardon you.

[pinniped]

33. The POS* came back with plenty of farewell FUs.

.

[calimary]

34. Maybe that's a good thing, though. If he left empty-handed, it means he didn't

have much of a chance to pick their pockets.

[BlueStater]

39. Just like everything else in his pitiful life, he's a failure n/t

[IndianaGreen]

41. But look at all the large festive crowds that welcomed Bush at every stop

Bush's visit was a rousing success... to the Left.

[Robbien]

44. Hola! Amigos!

ha!

[EFerrari]

45. You bet! Thanks, Junior, for helping to consolidate the Left

in Latin America!

:rofl:

[HughBeaumont]

42. You mean their leaders DIDN'T go for . . .

. . . Amerikanische Uber Alles policy as usual? Gee, that's a damned shock.

678 days left until we get a real leader . . . or not . . . sigh.

[Virginia Dare]

43. Even Calderon publicly spanked him...

how humiliating. Failure, failure, failure, everything he touches fails.

[slackmaster]

48. Dumbass, you should always at least get a bottle of tequila

:argh:

[Lisa]

58. only because they searched his baggage before he left!

Given Bush's track record, he's probably one of the few people who deserves having a thorough screening, not just before he enters a country, but as he's preparing to depart.

[earth mom]

63. Watch out for the temper tantrum to follow. * likes to get even you know.

:scared: