Comment #36, here...
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=405x30994Your comments about the "rainforest Chernobly" in Ecuador--the Chevron-Texaco toxic oil spill the size of Rhode Island, which has destroyed fisheries, rivers and streams and the living of 30,000 Indigenous people in the Amazon forest--and your racist remark, that the charges against Chevron should be disregarded because they were "presented by an Indian," taint all your other comments on Latin American issues. You are an oil corporation apologist. And your remarks are so ignorant, uninformed and so like the crap put out by Chevron's 12 P.R. firms--which they hired to discredit the Indigenous who filed suit against them for damages and cleanup--that your views have no credibility whatsoever.
In fact, I advise other DUers to use my Rule No. 1 from the Bush Junta as a guide to determining the truth of your statements: To wit, whatever you assert, the opposite is the truth.
Thus, we can surmise that--contrary to "protocol rv"s views--this is quite a big deal and that this
isn't "what the WTO does"--ruling against the U.S. In fact, the WTO was set up by the U.S. and its multinational corporations to favor behemoths like the U.S. at the expense of "third world" countries, and it took a decade of passionate work by leftist activists and leftist leaders in Latin America to
force the WTO to become fairer and more democratic--with Brazil in the lead of that effort.
"...that's what the WTO does, it referees free trade disputes..." "Protocol rv" would like us to swallow this Pollyanna view that there is some sort of objective institution out there that wasn't set up by the rich for the rich. He doesn't want people to know that the protests of tens of thousands of dedicated activists, including many campesinos and Indigenous, as well as courageous political leaders like Lula da Silva, have been
effective and are helping to change the rules. "Ho-hum, move along, nothing to see here." The opposite is true--there is much to see and understand here, as to the WTO, as to Brazil and the Latin American left, as to all the anti-globalization protests, and as to the failure and backstabbing and ill intentions of Clinton diplomacy and as to the eventual outcome.
"Eventually they'll negotiate something, they always do," and we can know from this that they won't. This is a "shot across the bow," that is going to be accompanied by additional developments in the economic/political integration and unity movement in Latin America, leading to a Latin American "common market."
As a Chevron-Texaco apologist, "protocol rv" doesn't want us to think these thoughts--that Latin American countries can establish independence from U.S. corpo-fascist bullying and dictation. As a racist, "protocol rv" would likely despise the fact that the Indigenous are leading this vast and important independence movement in countries like Bolivia and Ecuador and that mixed race, brown-skinned people like Hugo Chavez hold major leadership roles in this revolution. Chavez in particular has had a profound influence on Lula da Silva, who--contrary to "protocol rv"'s view--is not acting only in the economic interests of Brazil; he and Chavez share a "raise all boats" philosophy for the
region and a deep commitment to Latin American sovereignty and independence that is achievable if the countries of the region stick together. Rightwingers want us to believe that everyone is always out just for themselves. They want us to believe in selfishness and greed. Clearly something better is arising in Latin America and "protocol rv" doesn't like it. It doesn't fit the "dog eat dog" world of the corporate rulers.
And this is why I never put anybody on "ignore," don't report violations of DU rules such as "protocol rv" committed, and don't mind stupid Freeper comments. If you simply presume the opposite of what they say, you can find out the truth.