Chavez Gifts Obama With Book That Assails U.S. for Exploiting Latin America

I’m sure its already in use in our colleges as a text book.

This isn’t shocking at all. Obama and Chavez have a lot in common. chavez hates America, Obama apologizes for it. Obama, though, is much more efficient at nationalizing the banks and other industries – he’s done most of it in 90 days.
I can see how they’ll become BFF in no time!

While it wouldn’t be polite to refuse the book from Chavez in front of the world (but probably would have been the right thing to do!), Obama could have at LEAST whipped out the copy of the U.S. Constitution that he has in his coat pocket and presented it to Chavez. Would have been a civilized rebuke, but I guess he left it in his other jacket.

Congratulations President Obama, you are every bit the leader Chavez is, I’m so proud of you.

So Chavez is of Indian descent and not Spanish – sure. Chavez is a crooked joke to the civilized world, but a hero to left and Obama. Obama is truly on a roll in bringing America down – he is after all a world citizen first.

Pardon my grammatical errors. It is still early in the morning where I am.

Is it the rich foreigners that form the corrupt governments that continually rob the people of its Latin American countries? What about the drug cartels and their countless atrocities against the same people that you purport to protect, are they all ran by rich whites? No, my comrade, they are all a product of uniquely South American corruption, rivaled only by the likes of Mugabe and Pot. Only when you use emotion like Galeano can you stir up this kind of illogical nonsense. South America specializes in losing, only because its politicians specialize in fleecing its populace.

laz62: You sound crazy. Colonialism destroyed Africa and Latin America. These countries had no problems until those ships started ariving. And still in South America where the aboriginals ware not touched, they live peacefully and prosperous in thier own rights. Same for Africans whose tribes were untounched by colonialism. African by far had a superior civilization, exemplified by the fact that even prehistoric animals were able to survive under thier watch. More animals were extinct under colonialism than even possible under any other civilization. Let’s also not the condition of the planet and the filth we continue to live with daily and then pretend it does not exist – like a matrix!!

Wow, you just can’t make this stuff up.
Yay ABC, MSM, and Liberals. Yes you did! You destroyed America in record time and not a single bullet was used.

Furthermore, anyone that believes that Chavez is anything but a dictator is a fool. What kind of “President” threatens to jail its political opposition? He has already run out of other people’s money, oil is no longer $100+ per barrel, he cannot sustain his government expansion.

Obama’s response: Thanks but no thanks, I’v already read it

If they cant use their own resources in their own back yard, then they are stupid

This is a very good book regardless of ones political view. As one who grew up in Latin America,of American parents, I can tell you that this book is key to understanding why Latin Americans see the US the way they do.All of congress, state dept and whitehouse shld read it.

He can put his new book in the spot Winston Churchill’s bust used to be.

“The copy of the book Chavez gave Obama appears to be in Spanish, a language Mr. Obama does not speak.”
But does he speak Venezuelan? (Maybe he can turn his attention to it after he masters Austrian.)

What Obama needs to do, “is learn to speak spanish”… hahahaha, what a fraud

Posted by: David | Apr 18, 2009 10:05:33 AM
” Nearly all of Venezuela’s best-known opposition leaders are under indictment or facing investigation by the administration”…
http://uk.reuters.com
For the love of all that’s holy, I was being sarcastic in my first post.
_______________________________________
David:
Thank you for restoring my faith (in at least a small part) in humanity. Did you see John Ziegler get handcuffed in front of the Annenberg School of Journalism. It was something of a Chavez like tactic to squelch opposition. I think that we are soon going to move a bit towards Chavez land in this country.
Look into how the Obama campaign dealt with WGN talk show host Milt Rosenberg’s interview with David Freddoso and Stanley Kurtz. If you investigate these two events, you see that at the time, during last summer, Obama was comporting him self in a kinder and gentler, Chavez like manner. He aroused his catatonic minions to try to squelch the interviews. Not many folks know about this. The Obama press was absent AGAIN.

Stacy McCorkle: You’ve got it completely correct.

Once again Obama displayed grace and readiness to accept a gift of a book presenting a different perspective and view than is presented by the North American books. As Americans we are not proud of all the evil and the historical mistakes committed by us with regard to the native Americans, or Latin Americans, nor are the Germans or the British (with their respective histories). There is nothing wrong in understanding where we have erred and who we have hurt since our independence and to chart a new course such that we evolve as better human beings and build a more harmonious and compassionate nation and be better qualified to be not just the military leaders of the world but the moral leaders of the world.

The plan is to make more people dependent upon government. People who are dependent upon government are easier to control. Dependence on government creates permanent power for those that control the purse strings. That is where we are headed folks.

All done in a minimum amount of time. Bankrupt the good ole US of A and deplete the democracy and the total constitution in less than 90 days. I certainly don’t think this is the change that everyone voted for????

Those in Latin America have legitimate grievances. I choose to live in a capitalistic free-market (I wish) country. Those in South America can choose whatever path they want as long as it doesn’t interfere with the way we do things here. However on the flip side, we have been interfering in their affairs for a very long time for our own benefit. This book is probably another view of things. That is all…

Notice how Obama points to the book and has the other hand on the book, both probably using the same publisher.

The conservatives need only to look at one man to fire up their base…Obama. His apologetic stance tyo the entire world will surely set the stage for 1 term. Congress will be on the chopping block too. Let him do as he does. AFter all, he won, right?

IC Atlanta- We are ALL world citizens. There is nothing wrong with trying to gain a little bit of perspective.

Jones:
There are different styles to be sure, but there are many ideological parallels between Obama and Latin American leaders such as Chavez, Evo Morales and Rafael Correa (who, by the way, got his doctorate from the University of Chicago. Additionally, Lopez Obrador in Mexico could be added to this group. Although the styles are very different, I have believed for the last two years that Obama is cut from the same ideological cloth.

Gus:
Some day you might wake up and see that ideologically, Obama is not very different from guys like Chavez. You probably don’t know much about Latin America, and might not want to explore the issues too deeply.

Chavez and Obama are alike radicals.
friends. they both think alike.
it shows how much obama thinks america is to blame.
go america………

First congress in 2010, then the community organizer. Never, ever, never again will we elect a democrat socialist with no management experience and a deep hate for this nations history and economic system. Never. Then, we CLEAN OUT THE SCHOOLS. We have been such fools.

Why can’t you people just leave Bush alone? He is no longer the President – Obama does not have the experience to be President. He doesn’t understand America since he was raised in Hawaii and Kenya. Is he a true American? Well, we will have more tea parties because he will not destroy America as he is trying to do.

For those that haven’t got a clue out there, I recommend that you do some serious reading about Venezuela. George Bush was an angel compared Chavez. No joke.

Cessna- what EXACTLY has been destroyed under Obama’s watch? Did you miss the last 8 years? I have many friends all of the world and travel often and I can assure you, America’s reputation has been restored under Obama. The world finally has faith in America again.

Civilizations evolve and adapt. Asia had been colonized by the Europeans…their resources of much less abundance than that of Latin America. They have moved forward and probably will surpass Europe and North America within the next 20-50 years economically. It is because their populace places rigorous value on education. Americans and Europeans have become complacent in that regard.

TWO PEAS IN A POD

This is a very good book regardless of ones political view. As one who grew up in Latin America,of American parents, I can tell you that this book is key to understanding why Latin Americans see the US the way they do.All of congress, state dept and whitehouse shld read it.
==========
That may be so, but as President it is also his job to explain to others why the US sees the world the way we do.

IT’S PRETTY OBVIOUS THAT JOE McCARTHY…
was right. The internet has allowed all the communists in the U.S. to expose themselves. It’s amazing that our President is a Communist–but the American people are pretty dumb and have short memories.

Someone like Chavez would never have gained power had the US not raped their country through companies like Exxon-Mobli. Rather than give even the illusion of spreading the wealth, they only helped the upper class of Venezuela. Over time, we reaped the fruit of Exxon’s “lack of philanthropy”

Kelly Kinsel – The liberal scum will be in trouble because they don’t like guns. Oh well….

CommonSense – Thanks for some common sense. These neocon sillies really are silly.

Since Obama said we needed the strength of the Mexican work force, I guess we are still exploiting Latin America to our own demise.

Phocus- I”m not sure who you are exactly speaking for at this point. I would suggest the Republican party wake up and kick out the right wing extremists if they want to have a legitimate chance of winning in 2010 or a shot at the Presidency in 2012. The majority of Americans approve of Obama’s job in office (63%). 71% of Americans trust Obama with the economy (Gallop). That’s a HUGE number. Patriotic Americans who understand history and the principles by which this country was founded on support Obama. Fortunately, that’s the majority.

I guess 12 million illegal Latin Americans sucking the life out of the US taxpayer us ignored by Chavez. I don`t thing Chavez is a decendent of native Latin Americans. Apparently he is the decendant of Spanish that were the origninal pillagers,murderers and oppressers of Latin America.

More tired scolding and leveraging guilt on America. We can be certain that our Apologist-in-Chief will respond in a way that his Leftist buddies across the globe will aprove.

People who hate the president for being critical of his own country are not truly patriotic, just bull headed, arrogant and ignorant. A society that cannot examine its own shortfalls can never advance and improve in its relations with other countries or its enlightenment in dealing with its own challenges. To have that knee jerk superior attitude has painted our nation into a corner. We have constantly to swagger and dispay our might. A little humility goes a long way in the world of diplomacy. I think President Obama is a great ambassador; and despite the furious hate speak on the Right, I think he will be solidly re-elected for a second term.

This is what happens when you deny the new world order.

SearamblerOne-I thought the exact same thing about that post. Doesn’t understand America because he grew up in Hawaii? Seriously?
Jane, thanks for telling 1.2 million people that they are apparently not Americans. I’m sure they’ll be glad to know. BTW, isn’t Pearl Harbor somewhere near there?

Bravo PhoenixLady- Great post!

under GW, while he was dumping billions into the sands of IRAQ for absolutely nothing, you never heard even a “peep” from the neocons about “fiscal responsibility”. And Lord have murcy, did they really think anyone would fall for that silly “Tax Tea Party” stunt?

Thoughtful moderates immediately knew Obama’s reaching out to our adversaries would spark attacks from the right. Science has determined politically right peoples’ brains are wired differently than the rest of us – I suspect “different” actually means mentally ill – not that there’s anything wrong with that…
Moderates are sick of the loud right and we’re not going to take it much longer!

Steve – Interestingly enough both Bush and Clinton probably have more blood on their hands than Chavez, no joke. We need a kill count based on civilian deaths do to decisions made by all three. It would be very telling. ————– so you count suicide bombers that blow themselves up and killed thousands of iraqis in iraq as our fault. I count that as islam’s fault.

This is a perfect example when you give an inch to an idiot he wants more. Chavez thinks now that he got a handshake and a big smile, he can basically tutor Obama on everything.
Obama should have kept his distance from this idiot.
Obama is playing a dangerous game if he continue his “apology” tour.
So, on his next trip to Iran, Ahmadinejad is going to give him another book, this one in Farsi!

I mean, they spent all that effort to give the fake, illusory appearance of a “ground roots upswell”… when everyone could see that Fox News merely propagandized the red state people. Fox News is nothing more than a neo-con propaganda machine.

SearamblerOne , 62 Americans voted for your hero and 60 millions voted for McCain. It was not an overwhelming take over. So were are pretty much divided in half. Sadly,the victory is so poor that your hero has some of his party leaders against him and he does not even have 4 months in office.

Joe the plummer….the cable guy…. always a gimmick… or a stunt… like the tax tea parties…. why are the republicans always looking for the next quick gimmick to dupe the public?

Rick Perry should be impeached for advocating that his state, Texas, secede from the USA. what kind of governor would even say such silly mess… oh yeah, another republican neo-con…

lol searambler, you are so “on target” with your assessment of the republican shyster charlatan machine!

BTW, Mr Tapper, “gift” is a noun and not a verb. Thank you.

Do Americans realize that their president is coming across to the world like a weak and push over president? Why are his advisors not reading newspaper commentaries or letters to the editor in the countries he visits? Stop the apology tour already, it is making the United States look very bad…do you see Putin or Chavez, or Castro go around the world apologyzing? Even if he says there will be a new course of action, Mr. Obama should speak also of the good things the USA has done.

Funny thing is that I see Obama as more Christ-like than any Republican or right wing extremist.

Eduardo-According to his book, Perkins’ function was to convince the political and financial leadership of underdeveloped countries to accept enormous development loans from institutions like the World Bank and USAID. Saddled with huge debts they could not hope to pay, these countries were forced to acquiesce to political pressure from the United States on a variety of issues. Perkins argues in his book that developing nations were effectively neutralized politically, had their wealth gaps driven wider and economies crippled in the long run.

The fact that Hugo Chavez is an attention seeking buffoon does not lessen the impact of having a president who takes the higher ground. Not just Americans are seeing images of this meeting, but many thousands of people in South and Central America, who will see the openness of an American president, willing to meet an adversary halfway. It is, after all, just a book. It never hurts to read the thoughts and ideas of our enemies. We all read Mein Kamph in high school. Many of us own copies. that does not make us Nazis.

The Ugly American is not an imaginary character, it is very much alive as demonstrated by the majority of posts here. The conquistadores and the Spanish Catholic zealots who accompanied them ravaged South America, Central America, Mexico, and tried to do so in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado but were turned back because the riches of North America were not the in-your-face gold, silver and emeralds found south of the Rio Grande but were of a more subtle nature. Europeans, during the age of colonization DID rape, pillage, torture and kill, decimating native populations, human and animal, with abandon throughout the continents of
the Western Hemisphere, and siphoning off natural resources. Keep in mind that the book Hugo Chavez presented to President Obama was written in 1971 by a man who not only talked the talk, he
walked the walk. The USA is envied by many other countries for the freedom of speech, the achievements we’ve made and the wealth we apparently enjoy and where envy exists hate is usually not far behind. But, keep in mind, what people see of us is the make-believe of TV. The last administration had an adversarial relationship with almost every other country in the world and when the negligence of that administration brought us to the brink of financial ruin, few stand with us now. President Obama’s term has begun having to do damage control trying to repair what 8 years of coddling the wealthy while being militarily engaged on two fronts has done. Bush started out with a balanced budget and a surplus; but Obama has had to begin his term with minus zilch.

SearamblerOne: “CommonSense – yeah, the tea-baggers were definitely not grass roots, more like astroturf!”
You guys sure seem to be experts on rallies YOU DIDN’T ATTEND. Our tea party had about 8,000 people, ONE THIRD of whom were Democrats. And for many people, it was their first rally EVER.
As more and more people come to their senses, the rallies will get bigger. MUCH bigger.
And I’m sure the whining from the left will only get more shrill and desperate, even though they won and have their utopia now. Further proof that liberalism is a mental disorder.

“It’s delightful to see how uneasy the loony left is over the tea parties. Note that on that day Fox News’s ratings exceeded those of MSNBC and CNN combined–by a lot”
Which tells you exactly why, in black and white, Fox sponsored and promoted these events – ratings and profit!

Chavez is preaching to the choir. I’m sure Obama has read and cherished that book, and many more like it.

Stacey, the tax tea parties were a mere gimmick on April 15th. No one likes to pay taxes, including the Obamas who paid more taxes than you will make in a lifetime; yet, to think you have a popular uprising only shows that you are a pawn of sean hannity and rush limbaugh!

I think Obama and this thug leader
could be fast friends. Seems Obama
wants to know and understand people
who are like these tyrants than the
people who had a “tea party” this
week. Those are the people that his
administration want to write off as
a bunch of kooks. Go figure.

phallon, “Teaparties were a gimmick” tell that to the millions who came out!

Obama term: “ONE AND DONE”!!!

That photo-op of Obama shaking hands with Chavez…
I bet Rev Wright and Bill Ayers have tears in their eyes.
How long they have waited for that.

It’s ironic that Chavez likes recommending books to our Presidents. When he befriends bookburners like those who rule Iran and Cuba How many political dissidents are in the gulags of Iran and Cuba? Let’s here a word from the lefties on Chavez’s hypocrisy.

SearamblerOne: “CommonSense – yeah, the tea-baggers were definitely not grass roots, more like astroturf!”
You guys sure seem to be experts on rallies YOU DIDN’T ATTEND. Our tea party had about 8,000 people, ONE THIRD of whom were Democrats. And for many people, it was their first rally EVER.
As more and more people come to their senses, the rallies will get bigger. MUCH bigger.
And I’m sure the whining from the left will only get more shrill and desperate, even though they won and have their utopia now. Further proof that liberalism is a mental disorder.
Stacey
***************************************
Too bad the Repubicans can’t even grasp for
a level of competence, in their case they are
beyond the term dysfunctional.

oh yeah, Sarah Palin wanted to “ban” certain books… Republicans are quick to “ban”…. use “sanctions”… kill… cuz, they represent the party of the uneducated, close minded people!

I’m not surprised that a few people would be offended by Obama’s way of doing business.The parochial minds would have wished that we present the typical egocentric leader who’s in a hurry to deride and denigrate any an everyone who disagrees with American values.The fact of the matter is that America is not that island Auterky that a whole bunch of people imagine .We need others as much as they need us.This has become increasingly glaring now that we are in a global recession. A good leader gives others room to express themselves while he listens with rapt attention.There’s a new world order and cynics had better come to terms with it.Otherwise,they’ll remain out of touch.

The republican party can revive itself by getting their constituency to stay in school beyond a 5th grade understanding of the world!

Hey, Commonsense!! How about useing facts with the commonsense!! CHINA HAS NEVER BEEN COLONIZED as you claim!!

You wait, this book will be on Oprah’s book list! It’s author will be our next president! Even if he’s not US born, like this one!!

Face reality, everybody is tired of the republicans and their lies! Everybody now sees clearly through rebublican BULL. Exxon Mobil was kicked out of Venezuela over a profit sharing dispute. Rather than take less profits, they thought they could rally Bush to invade Venezuela, cuz, didn’t take much to make him invade somewhere. Rather than less profits from Venezuela, now EXXON makes ZERO profit there. That’s what “close-minded” arrogant greed gets ya, “ZERO”

ZERO!

Although I only lived in one area of Latin America for less than 12-years it is easy to understand why nearly every country in this part of the hemisphere struggles with the democratic process. One might blame it on the centuries of living under colonial rule, others can trace it to the mixture of races (native Indian, European, Afro and even North American) which has resulted a people whose background is so convoluted that it begs to be controlled by a strong-arm leader, or are open to constant upheaval. Couple that with majority of the people who are uneducated and you have what is today’s Latin America. Does some of the blame fall onto our shoulders here in the US? It does if you are looking for a scapegoat. Let’s get real about the situation in the people in Latin America choose to live in today…it is of their own making, even if they were strong-armed at one time, they still control their own environment today, just as we do here in the States. Its like believing the woman who continually ends up in an abusive relationship is not to be blamed for the choices she makes.

Obama’s “We Suck” tour.
Where is his next stop?
And which dictator will he validate next?

Obama and Chavez have much in common.They both like to bash America and its former US President.
Can the public take another 44 months of this? Next thing you know, he’ll be giving Texas, N Mexico and Arizona back to Mexico, just as soon as he runs all of the white framers off their land.
We’re officially the United Statee of Zimbabwe (and the value of the dollar is heading that way, too)

SearamblerOne, you (I) get pushed (by you) then (I) push back. Won’t take this creep without resistance!

The miracle of Obama’s soft power, as reported by Newsweek:
“Over the past few months, North Korea’s behavior has grown unusually belligerent, even by Pyongyang’s prickly standards. The North has cut relations with Seoul, tested a new missile, and, after the U.N. condemned the launch last week, threatened to withdraw forever from further nuclear-disarmament talks and restart its weapons program.”

birds of a feather flock together

Philo – Yeah. You’re right. You liberals are so compassionate and understanding – esp. when it comes to the right of the child in the womb, the man or woman breaking his or her back working to pay taxes for those who wish not to work, and for those who still feel that children in a public school should still be allowed to have a Valentine or Christmas party without fear of litigation. You and your people are sooooo compassionate.

Obama and Chavez are hermanos. Soon, los Etados Unidos will be one with Cuba and Venezuela. One big paraiso.

So, please tell us what did POTUS 43 do to reign in Chavez during his 8 yrs in office!? Oh, the silence is deafening!!!!!
Posted by: DShirley
Yes, if one can’t “reign in” Chavez, one must join him. 43 could only reign in the Saddam guy.

I WISH I COULD SAY THAT CHAVEZ’S GIFT WAS INAPPROPRIATE!
I wish I could say that His gift insulted the President…
I wish I had a President that would have thrown the damn book back at the self-righteous despot…
But alas; My PRESIDENT is Barack Obama; A Community Organizer that agrees with Chavez and joins with him in debasing My Country!
tragic…

I don’t know about you but it gives me great confidence in our “dear leader” when Obama gave Chavez a “soul brother” handshake! True brothers-in-arms! Viva Chavez! Viva Fidel! Viva Obama! Viva Mugabe! Viva! Viva! Viva! Si Se Puede!

Chavez gives Obama a book he can’t read and Obama gives Brown DVDs that he can’t watch. Our planet is in good hands…….

Chavez gives Obama an America bashing book? I’m sure Obama will treasure it. The speech Obama gave while in South America was probably excerpted from it, considering that they both carried the same anti-American theme of how rotten we are as a country.

It seems the Obama cultists are more than willing to commune with the Chavez cultists. Come, amigos, join us.

Commonsense: Liberalism is a philosophy built on victimization and emotion. Any liberal argument can be dissected within seconds. Your posts represent the true ignorance of the political faction in which you are a part of. So let me break down your post indicating that neo-cons (another emotionally-based name which means nothing used to describe republicans ). Your claim is that republicans do not hold their politicans accountable when it comes to fiscal matters. GWB shot the economy. Most Americans agree with this. Bush won in 2004 with 51% of the vote. By the time he left office in January, his approval rating was 17%. This means that the majority of republican voters abandoned him during his second term because of his handling of the economy. A majority of republicans does not consititute 17% of the electorate. In addition, this 17% also included some independents and blue-dog democrats. I am not trying to put you down. You are a very smart person whose capabilities are much greater than you yourself think. The problem is that you’ve bought into a defunct political philosophy – liberalism – which preaches emotion and dependece.

Obviously the conservatives here have never read the history of how the US treated others in the Americas. Instead of mouthing off they should do a little reading about the truth. When they read about the truth they will find that the US has not always been the nice guy.

OK, enough play time, I gotta get some work done…..

Obama will love this book, he is the only President that I know of who hates America and all it stands for. Obama is hard at work denigrating America its people and all that America stands for. Obama is a disgrace, I guess he will go to any lengths to make sure we are reduced to a third world country. Can you imagine consorting with a dictator like Chavez. Oh, wait Obama wants to be a dictator. I liken what Obama is doing to Zimbabwe, you think that is beyond the pale?? Wait and see how he will destroy us.

Posted by: Lynn: Isn’t Chavez of Spanish decent? What does he think of the spanish that settled in latin america?
………………………
Chavez is an indigneous American. the book is about FIVE HUNDRED YEARS of exploitation. That includes the colonization by Spain. That is why he SPEAKS Spanish – because his country was invaded by Europeans in the 16th century.

jollypolly2 : So move to Texas and secede with Perry.

unshrub – No nation under the sun is completely innocent of its treatment towards others. A nation should not be judged on her sins of the past. Rather, she should be judged on how she strives to correct the effects of her past sins. And many of the sins that our nation has committed were done so by the party you represent. From Andrew Jackson’s ‘Trail of Tears’ to FDR’s detainment of Japanese-Americans to Harry Truman’s bombing of innocents in Nagasaki and Hiroshima to JFK’s and LBJ’s creation and advacement of the unjust Vietnam War to LBJ’s creation of ‘The Great Society ‘ which yielded the complete destruction of the black famility solely and specifically to keep them a dependant voting block. Be careful where you point your fingers.

searamblerone–if you did this much writing in your 5000 person high school, you made have made it to college. The level of debate in this blog is jejune.
Chavez was overwhelmingly elected president of Venz. by an uneducated electorate. We appear to have the same problem in the US.

Obama has now commited treason. He should be immediately detained and tried..convicted as a traitor for his crimes against the people of this nation…
Sure! Just as soon as Bush and Co are arrested and tried for treason for subjugating the constitution and bill of rights to their own ends. Patriots don’t start wars to avenge their own personal issues or to make money. They don’t lie to their fellow Americans…

Ed,
The treason came up when Obama ordered the FBI investigate Veterans to see if they were joining certain groups. Not only is that a violation of the Constitution it is Obama’s attempt to keep tabs on anyone that may not agree with his policies. Last I checked Vets and anyone else are allowed to join any group they want, including the Black Panthers if they want.
Obama has labeled those people that don’t agree with him the enemy and that in itself is an act of war against his own America.

“Chavez was overwhelmingly elected president of Venz. by an uneducated electorate. We appear to have the same problem in the US.”
politicsIsdirty, Very well said … and sadly, very true.

tabtwo: You are very correct friend. I find it amazing how for eight years the left was screaming about unjust profiling and domestic spying, yet they are silent on the recent DHS report. Complete hypocrasy.

I would venture to say that not one of these right wing nuts has not only not read this book but any other book about US actions in Latin and South America. I certainly haven’t read this one either but I have read enough to know that the US has spent much of its history screwing our neighbors to the south. Talking to adversaries is part of being civilized. What would you do–pull out your rifle and shoot the guy?
Such nonsense to equate diplomacy with capitulation.

Obama is smooth as they come. His line about how he thought it was one of Chavez’s books so he wasgoing to give him of of Obama’s books was classic. However, if I was Axlerod, he would have said “It’s a real shame my kidsbook isn’t out yet”. To all the right wingers, and some of the extremist on your side. Please do tell how Europe and America has not obstructed Latin America over the decades?

I just love ‘mm’s ‘absolute clarity’… LOL

Matthew, because you vacationed for a month in Santo Domingo does not qualify you as an expert in Caribbean, South or Central American history. You’re certainly not Cuban or Dominican.

I really love the derogatory comments towards the people of the south… Being a true blooded Texan I can honestly say that I cannot wait for the day when we put our second amendment right into your pancy ass faces and pull the trigger! This country is divided and there is only one way to unite it. Do not care how you chumps try to re-write history, slaves were owned by Democrats who fought the Republicans while flying that confederate flag. Fools… Democrats ARE antiAmerican RDDB S.O.B.’s.

Steve, unfortunately, with Obama cultists, pendejos r us.

Matthew:
Are you serious? Al Qaeda terrorists? People disagree with Obama for purely racial reasons? Don’t be a disingenuous fool, please.

How long must we put up with clowns both American and foriegn. I just find it insulting that we have people (Obama, reid, pelosi, franks,etc.) that don’t take a stand for America. This South American fool and others can be eliminated so easy.
They take our money, jobs and bad mouth all the way to the bank. God em I alone

and did Obama make sure there were IHS signs in the camera shot?

DID HE ALSO BOW TO CHAVEZ?
THIS DUFUS HAS NO CLUE ABOUT GIFT GIVING ON THE WORLD RULER STAGE.
HE SENDS A BUST OF WINSTON CHURCHILL FROM THE WHITE HOUSE BACK TO THE BRITS..INSULT…GIVED THE BRIT PM A GIFT OF DVD AMERICAN MOVIES THAT WON’T PLAY ON BRIT MACHINES AND GIVES HIS KIDS A WHITE HOUSE GIFT SHOP MARINE ONE HELICOPTER TOY……HIS WIFE HUGS THE QUEEN OF ENGLAND, AND THEY GIVE HER A DARN IPHONE WITH OBAMA’S SPEECHES ON IT….AND HE JUST ACCEPTS A GIFT FROM A WORLD RENOWN HATER OF AMERICA….HE JUST DOES NOT HAVE A CLUE…THIS BLACK MAN FROM KENYA AND HIPPY PARENTAGE, NO SOCIAL CLASS OR UNDERSTANDING EXCEPT WHAT A LOW LEVEL LAWYER LEARNS AS A COMMUNITY ORGANIZER….AND HE THINKS THE WORLD IS GOING TO ADORE AND RESPECT HIS IGNORANCE AND STUMBLE BUMBLING TELEPROMPTER SPEECHIFYING!!!!!
THE OBAMA WORSHIPERS ARE BLIND FOOLS.

Grow up, people. Obama doesn’t hate America, we’re not becoming socialist or communist, and neither Obama nor America are infallible. That’s reality. And why is it that every republican politician and supporter is automatically perfect in every way, simply because of their political affiliation? What childish thinking. It seems nobody in the GOP ever finds fault with anybody in their own party, no matter how inconsiderate and poorly suited to politics they may be (ahem, Palin). Instead of whining about the left all the time, lets find ways to progress and make our country and world a better place for everybody. Like it or not, we’re all human and we’re all interdependent. If that’s too socialist for you, then go find your own planet.

Obama will lead to the downfall of the USA.

A masonic handshake obviously: he’s half white so the masons accepted him

I have to agree with Chevez on one thing. He thinks Obama is an ignoramis too. Hanging with a dictator that would like nothing better than to see the United States destroyed is treason.

Does the book mention the sanction of the enslavement of indigenous peoples by the Roman Catholic Church?
For profit.

Excuse me while I go and throw up…

It is interesting to see the anti-republican comments being put out here in response to a story about Chavez putting a book into President Obama’s hands. The fact is that if a Republican speaks, it is immediately assailed by the left and criticized as being over-the-top and anti-American.
The response to these people is that we view your right to disagree as all fine and dandy, but you might want to take lessons in diplomacy and also to stop with the hate-talk. It has driven a wedge between us that might take a generation now to repair. We want nothing to do with Democrats now. Our take is that they support socialism/communism and this bit with the artificial criticism is a means of sealing the fate of the U.S. with a society where no diversity of opinion will be allowed in the future so that the Democratic voice will be the ONLY voice to be heard or sanctioned. The U.S. is headed into the abyss that Russia and China entered long ago.
As for Hugo Chavez, he is a traitor to his people and this stunt of his is only that. Personally, I am driving less and less so that I can stick it to him and his country by keeping the price of oil low.

I could care less what books a punk like Chavez gives Obama. Obama didn’t ask for it, Chavez gave it to him. What I do care about is that everytime Obama leaves the country he apologizes for how much he believes America sucks. He either beieives this or he is pandering to get applause. Either way it’s disgusting and has never been done by any other president.

Such a great man who cares only for the poor and struggling…this Hugo Chavez. He is a Hero to the world.

It saddens me that President Obama crossed the room to shake hands with this little thug. What saddens me more is that the people who voted for him don’t understand how weak it makes our President look to the world.

Bluestarmom,
What did you think of W kissing the king of Saudi Arabia and holding his hand and also seeing into the soul of his good buddy Vlad Putin? I am curious to know.

Obama will read the book and he will love it. Chaves gave it to him so that he could write a book report on it in a month when he is done reading it. You liberals should be proud that Chavez is trying to give him pointers on how to be a good dictator. If Chavez is successful then in a few months you will not see any posts like this on the internet. You will not see Drudge on the internet either.

What did you think of W kissing the king of Saudi Arabia and holding his hand and also seeing into the soul of his good buddy Vlad Putin? I am curious to know.
Posted by: Seeryer
It was certainly better than kissing Putin and seeing the soul of the Saudi king. That point notwithstanding, Saddam is still dead.

This is not a party thing, this is shaking hands with a man who just two weeks ago called OUR President and idiot! Now as an American, this is unacceptable! But the President has been on an Apology Tour right now hoping for better relationships. Well Europe has not given us any support, nor has the Middle East. South America wants more hand outs and we want Chavez’s oil. But he has already bowed to the Saudi King…

robin:
re: Truth has no affiliation….
‘truth’ for the Taliban
‘truth’ for Americans
‘truth’ for N. Koreans
‘truth’ for Iraqis
‘truth’ for Palestinians
I could go on, but to which ‘absolute truth’ are you referring to?

Marx observed that the southern hemisphere went to the more capable.
Posted by: Mary Jo
Was that Harpo or Goucho?

“Seeryer:
you are correct with your analysis, but you assume that many here actually read the documents they rant about, which of course they do not. They get their info from Rush, Hannity etc,, the proof is that they recite the same lines of attack they hear, they are unable to think for themselves, which is why you see so much ‘us & them’ and violent imagery from them.
careful analysis and thought takes a much greater effort and education than simply believing in a manufactured mythology about America to feel better about one’s self…….
On the extremes of political discourse, and religious zealotry, rational thought is absent,”
Mr. Tony … I have read the document; every single page (I’ve also read every single page of the “torture memos”, which clearly indicate that Bush did NOT torture – but I digress). If you’re read them, take a look at the top and bottom of each page, and the letters in front of each paragraph: It says FOUO or FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY (the “torture memos” are TOP SECRET, and intentionally declassified by Obama, something the ACLU suit could not have forced – but I digress). The point is, DHS should never have released those reports, regardless of who commissioned them or what they contained. Now, before you lamely attempt to attack me for being an ignorant conservative that only gets my info from Rush or Hannity (neither of which I’ve ever listened to), know that I work for DHS and I know what our protocols are for FOUO documents. It’s marked FOUO so that it doesn’t end up in the public domain, but rather that it ends up in the hands of the officials that need it in order to do their jobs. It’s not a Republican/Democrat thing … be careful getting off your high horse (or high jackass as the case may be).

When do you think the light will go on and Obama will realize he is being played like a 3 string Banjo?

Disgusting butt-kissing between the two. I loathe Chavez, he’s scum on the bottom of a smeared gum in the bottom of a barrel.

Chavez should have given Obama an IPod containing the best of his (and of Fidel’s) speeches.

“Disgusting butt-kissing between the two. I loathe Chavez, he’s scum on the bottom of a smeared gum in the bottom of a barrel.”
A common sentiment in Latin America … except in Venezuela where that sort of thinking is not permissible.

We need Obama. He is just what we need after eight years of Texas. Thank you Mr. President for making foreign policy and relations a priority. I want to travel freely in South America and around the world without being subject to Bush hate.

MrBatman
I am reluctant to assume that you are DHS, merely on your say so in a public blog.
re: “clearly indicate that Bush did NOT torture”
‘clearly’, there are a great many who disagree legally with your obviously slanted analysis.
re: designations of ‘classified’ or ‘top secret’:
anything can be tagged with those terms whether they are secret and necessary for national security or not.
your point seems to be that Bush is clear of any torture charge because a document is labeled ‘FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY’… exactly how do you know for sure that Bush had nothing to do with policies for ‘torture’?

Interesting. A book like that, from Chavez, to Obama, and Chavez was integral, in the mass exodus of rich, and middle class from Venezuela. Integral in the control over the once free press. Integral in the massive poverty that now enslaves the people of Venezuela, to the government. The government decides who gets what, and how much? Where have I heard this before???

obama already read it.

Mr. Tony … I thought conspiracy theories were the sole province of the right, LOL? As for whether or not your believe I’m DHS is of no relevance to me. I’m not going to educate you on the policies of classification, declassification and protection of documents either – you can look it up and read it for yourself. But, those “torture memos” were LEGAL INTERPRETATIONS FROM DOJ. Just because someone doesn’t agree with it does not change that fact. The Bush administration sought out the proper legal channels for making a determination on whether or not those interrogation techniques violated US law or international treaty – the LEGAL INTERPRETATION is that they did not. They make be offensive to your soft sensibilities, but that does not change the LEGAL INTERPRETATION from the DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. I can type in all caps all day, but people with BDS will never open their eyes or minds to anything that isn’t anti-Bush, pro-Obama. But that’s OK, we have a Constitution and Bill of Rights that protect your right to your opinion – and I love that about this country.

President Obama did the right thing in reaching out to Latin American leaders and being prepared to work for a better relations. He is also right in not rebuffing Hugo Chavez. The important question for us is: why are so many Latin American countries going leftist? This is what we want to stop! However, we must try to understand why—not in a politically astute way, but objectively. If not, we will be making a wrong problem diagnosis. On that, I recommend to President Obama and his Latin American specialist team a New York Times bestseller written by John Perkins titled The Secret History of the American Empire (Penguin Books, 2007). Perkins knows intimately what he is writing about and has an insider’s knowledge. He knows these countries well, have met with their leaders and peoples and have been very involved with many aspects of the US foreign policy and multinational corporations throughout the world. He had also served as a peace corps volunteer, later business leader and Chief Economist. President Obama is saying in effect, there is a better way than the hard policies of the past! Think of COUNTRIES in Latin America that have gone or leaning (or leaned in the past) leftist. They include Bolivia, Ecuador, Brazil, Cuba, Guatemala, Venezuela, Chile, Panama (under Gen. Torrijos), and most recently El Salvador. There is a better way to approach Latin America—one that will be a win-win for all–and that is what Obama is doing. Dwight Eisenhower, in his final address to the nation (Jan. 17/1961), spoke about the “military-industrial complex” and the use of American power to defend and foster America’s corporatocracy (often expoitative) abroad. It continues today as evidenced by massive arms dealings that fuel conflicts and crisis throughout the world, including “big gun” battles in Mexico. Military contractors and arm dealers work in concert with the NRA. Eisenhower had warned us, saying that “Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together.” Why did he say that? This we must try to understand especially with respect to its impact on the American foreign policy. Are there lessons for Latin America? Plenty! I say all these not as a socialist, but a capitalist who fiercely believes in the American system as well peace and prosperity in all corners of the earth.

Mr. Tony … and just so you know: Nobody classifies a document without a very good reason. For example, go read the report about us right-wing loonies – notice that every paragraph starts with U/FOUO or some other combination of letters. When you classify a document, you must determine the classification level of each and every paragraph. It’s this level of effort and the security requirements that preclude an arbitrary classification of a document.

your point seems to be that Bush is clear of any torture charge because a document is labeled ‘FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY’… exactly how do you know for sure that Bush had nothing to do with policies for ‘torture’?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Per a story on the Washington Times…
“President Obama’s executive order closing CIA “black sites” contains a little-noticed exception that allows the spy agency to continue to operate temporary detention facilities abroad. ”
Can we be so certain that interrogations aren’t still going on, under Obama?
I find it irresponsible of Obama to have made public the memos. It puts our military, and CIA in a very vulnerable position. Which begs the question…just whose side is Obama on? He did say he’d stand with the Muslims if it came to that, in his book.

Sacramento Conservative, ah yes, of course…Obama wants to turn the whole world into a socialist banana republic. Pretty soon we’ll all be working in a gulag. Good Lord, what is wrong with the school system in Sacramento? I know there are budget cuts across the state now but that can’t excuse your education. And don’t forget, better go buy 100 guns today because Obama’s gonna change the law tomorrow.

good day to all

“I find it irresponsible of Obama to have made public the memos. It puts our military, and CIA in a very vulnerable position. Which begs the question…just whose side is Obama on? He did say he’d stand with the Muslims if it came to that, in his book.”
Jeanie … Very good point. It also begs the question: when America is involved in 2 wars (sorry, OCOs), and the ACLU lawsuit could not have forced the declassification of those memos, why did Obama release them? It only limits our options in dealing with an enemy that has no limits.

Perhaps Sarkozy will give him a sock in the jaw? It is sad when we need to rely on France for distributing international justice.

Sacramento Conservative, pas de tout, they helped us out in the Revolutionary War with LaFayette

Reality Check … What mess? Please put some “Reality” in your statements. What mess did Bush create that Obama has to correct by shaking hands and taking a book from a dictator that is despised around the world? Or is it something else? I seriously doubt that you will be doing any “cleaning up” of Bush’s mess (whatever that is). I blame Bush for being at the helm when the economic crisis hit (a real leader shoulders all responsibility, and does not blame others for failings), but he didn’t cause it (I’m sure you’ll disagree, so prove it). Really, I’m just trying to understand reality as you see it … so please, some examples based in reality?

Mr. Batman:
Thanks for your note. Just try to think outside of the box for a minute.
Again, thanks.

Research people: BO(acronym pun intended)
coauthored this book

Sac Conservative: you can’t possibly believe that had Bush wanted to regulate the housing markets (and more importantly the derivatives markets), that little Barney Frank and Chris Dodd would have stood in the way. Come on. What you’re saying is that little Barney and silly Chris had Bush in check? Oh my sides are hurting from the laughter. The Oakland school system couldn’t have failed you that badly. You do realize that (1) Republicans controlled Congress until the beginning of 2007 and that (2) even at the beginning of 2007 and beyond, the margin was so slim in the Senate that nothing could happen w/out Bush’s approval. Further, you have got to be engaging in some fantastical trip of creativity to forget that Bush got through Congress whatever he wanted to get through Congress until 2006. I know Sean and Rush tell you to blame Frank and Dodd, but come on. Think for yourself. Have more pride than that.

Dr. Sam … Just out of curiosity, do you have any actual experience working with the Governments in Latin America? Have you been to all those countries you mentioned and seen their histories first-hand? Or, are you just quoting your Perkin’s book? (consider this a loaded question)

Correction: But they can’t, because their very currency in the market of ideas..

Enough is enough, let’stop the hate and become real brothers.

Is everyone kidding me right now? What do you mean “if they don’t use what they have in their backyard they are stupid”???? It’s not that simple. Educate yourself. I’m in a hurry right now so I don’t want to get into details. This deserves more attention indeed. But come on…! I repeat, educate yourself. Yuck.

Well, I thought the Demi-Dems said that Hillary or Barrack (as prez or sos) were just going to be SO Good as international politicians & diplomats that all our problems would just ‘melt away’ as soon as they were on the scene. President Bush was just such an ‘Evil Doer’ that none of his approaches or assessments could possibly be correct. You know, Bush was just ‘SO Mean & Hateful’ and that was why there were Bad People in the world…………..You mean to tell me that some Bad Guys are just So Bad that they will not listen to kind words, Liberalistic Humanitarianism, and behind the scenes Political Niceties…………..
You mean to tell me that these Bad Guy World Leaders just could not feel the ‘Warm Glow’ coming off of Obama as he spoke……….. The world just loved Obum SO much (prior to the election), and now they just seem to be turning on him — Well Imagine That.
You don’t think that some of those countries Favored him because they thought that he was so Inexperienced and Nice (Nice in his Naiveté) that he would just be too Slow and Nice in his approach that the situation would be over before he knew what hit him. You don’t think that some of those countries wanted a US Prez that promoted diplomacy so much that he would be easily Run Over, as Iran’ plays’ with him and Russia & China are up to their usual tricks (including toying with our ships at sea); and now Chavez talks behind his back, makes faces at him and ‘hand delivers’ pieces of propaganda right under his nose.
(welcome to the ‘real world’ libbies)

It is also the presidents duty to ensure the hiring and firing of corporate executives and ensure that they carry out the responsibilities of the corporation in a “Green” way.

Do all the Challenges to the US (at the moment – & now Chavez’s attitude toward Obama and more from N. Korea) mean that the world does not respect Obama. They didn’t challenge Bush to this degree ever, and when they did challenge him he let them know he would not put up with it – Showing what it means to have a strong leader.
At least so far (and maybe in reality) Obum is a weakling. Will he let the world run over us (is that why the world favored him SO much)………………… You see you Infantile Liberals; Bush was rising to the occasion (and McCain would have also) more than you would have ever known, ‘Otherwise’. Now we have a wimp (giving in to the world on so many different fronts).
Lets see if he can develop a backbone???????????
So far the answer is basically NO.

Hey Stormin1961, I wonder if you were so kindhearted to our former president? I wonder if you railed against all your liberal buddies when they were calling President Bush a Nazi and equating him to Hitler? Somehow, I doubt it!
I can tell that your understanding of International Politics is as strong as your hypocrisy. As a leader of a nation, from WHOM you accept gifts is just as important as the gifts themselves. The message Chaves was giving Obama with the gift of that book was that he (as well as Americans in general) were ignorant of Latin American History. AND the fact that he gave him an edition printed entirely in Spanish was another little slap that he should learn more.
International Politics are full of subtext and innuendos.

I’m guessing Chavez just wants the anointed one’s autograph on the book.

If Brazil doesn’t want to produce Orange Juice concentrate and Argentina doesn’t want to produce beef then they are free not to. Who is forcing them to supply us with a thing?

Mr Reality,
I wouldn’t equate world leaders challenging of Obama with a lack of respect for him. Perhaps they never engaged Bush in such dialogue because a relevant and organized response requires intelligence, critical and complex thinking ability.

If everyone was honest… They’d have to admit that Republicans who had congress and the white house locked up made some serious mistakes.
Now that the Dems have everything locked up, they are skyrocketing into socialism.
This is why our founding fathers worked so hard to create a balance of power. Our government was never meant to be enrun by any one political party.
It doesn’t work that way… it falls apart.
It’s vital that we get back to balance, let the discourse calm down and then undo the spending legislation that hasn’t taken place yet.
We need to reset things and get back to gridlock in 2012..
Do things get done in congress as quickly? Absolutely not.
But this forces congress to have a full and complete debate on a subject before rushing into legislation on ANY matter.
.

Lori, it also requires an “inhalator”.

Reality Check wrote:”The Executive Branch is responsible for regulating the markets.”
In a fascist nation, yes. In the socialist dream world of Obama and the Democrat buffoons in Congress, potentially. But not in the Constitutional Republic described by our Constitution.

MrBatman
-your faith in the term ‘LEGAL INTERPRETATION’ as a defacto ‘get out of jail free’ card for Bush with regard to ordering torture is somewhat disheartening, one only needs to review recent and past American history to see that ‘LEGAL INTERPRETATION’ as you put it makes slavery, segregation and repression of other minorities possible… indeed, one can examine history and find ‘LEGAL INTERPRETATION’ used for much of the carnage throughout history.
But, Bush is your guy so he has to be right.
BTW: your knowledge of the minutiae of classification terminology is almost overwhelming..
..I’m certainly glad that all those WMD’s were found by Bush & Rumsfeld, and that after 3 1/2 years into the Iraq war and sacrificing thousands of Americans, Bush changed his faith/oil oriented war to a more tactical military campaign run by the military.
and now.. good day once again…..

The difference between Obama and Chavez is: Obama thins he rode a donkey into town (Biblical reference) and Chavez just thinks he owns everyones donkey.

America definitely has a dark side that needs to be exposed:
Nancy, Harry, Barney, Chris, Barry, Hillary & Waxman. Their political intentions are truly nefarious.

Mr. Tony -Constantly looking back at what Bush did, to justify Obama’s destructive behavior is unproductive.
Bush gave us Tarp 1. It was the first installment in the disrobing of our constitution and government.
Obama, unhappy with disrobing a little, went into a full burlesque of our country’s constitution – Blasting our country into socialism and attacking Americans instead of the enemy.
No need to sing the song, dude. We know how the song is sung.

Made me nauseous to see Obama shaking Chavez’ hand.
Are we going to put money into these America-hating countries to use against us?
I’m worried.

Danny Vice, you do remember that Obamessiah gallantly strode into the white house and brokered the bail-out agreement? He is as much to blame for the first as he is for all the rest. Seeing as how Turbo Tax Cheat Tiny-Tim Gerbals help him negotiate it and was installed by Obama, Obama gets all the blame.

How do you rob a country? You do it with the assistance of 68 million people. Gratz ACORN!

It’s kinda funny. One minute my comments were on the board, now they are missing. I truly do not understand how the supposedly open minded people in this country, especially a supposed objective press.

are ready to shut down free speech.

It is just because of race that republicans hate Obama. It has nothing to do with him wanting to socialize our country, shut down the coal industry, fire CEOs of private corporations, criminalize conservatism and shake hands with terrorists and dictators.

Republicans are marginalizing themselves. I know you can see it Jake Tapper. Did you see all those racist signs at those Tea Parties…it was more like an anti-Obama movement sponsored by Fox news or more like a KKK rally. The republican party is destroying itself. I see Chavez and Obama’s meeting as good for America. All those individuals who were at the Tea Parties would have rather have Bush be President…now what does that say about them?? Jake Tapper….I know you know what I’m talking about!!

Shelley … Please explain why you think the Obama-Chavez relationship is good for America.

JAKE TAPPER:: THE REPUBLICAN PARTY IS JEALOUS OF OBAMA…PLAIN AND SIMPLE!!! I CALL IT HOW I SEE IT! OBAMA HAS DONE MORE IN EIGHTY SOMETHING DAYS THAT BUSH HAS 8 YEARS….THEY ARE SOO AFRAID THAT OBAMA WILL BECOME ONE OF THE GREATEST U.S. PRESIDENTS AND THEY ARE IRATE ABOUT IT B/C HE IS BLACK. I AM A WHITE WORKING CLASS INDIVIDUAL AND CAN SEE RIGHT THROUGH THESE STUPID REPUBLICANS WHO HATE OBAMA B/C HE IS BLACK….PLAIN AND FRIKKIN SIMPLE.

For me personally, race has nothing to do with why I dislike obamamessiah so much, it is his agenda that I can’t take. I wonder if we are looking at the antichrist?

BTW Batman, I was a lifelong Republican until the past few years when I could no longer blindly salute while Bush went off the rails. My disgust of Bush has just as much to do with what he’s done to the Republican Party as to what he’s done to the country.

“Republicans are marginalizing themselves. I know you can see it Jake Tapper. Did you see all those racist signs at those Tea Parties…it was more like an anti-Obama movement sponsored by Fox news or more like a KKK rally. The republican party is destroying itself. I see Chavez and Obama’s meeting as good for America. All those individuals who were at the Tea Parties would have rather have Bush be President…now what does that say about them?? Jake Tapper….I know you know what I’m talking about!!”
I totally agree. “Fixed Noise” refused to show the racists sign but thanks to other news outlets I seen exactly what those tea partiers were…RACIST!! The ones Sarah Palin calls “Real Americans.” Jake I know you seen it too!!

Reality Check … It’s just crazy for anyone to blame the economic crisis on any one individual … except that Bush is accountable because it started on his watch. But that means that Obama is accountable now that he’s responsible … and any decent leader doesn’t blame others (as he’s doing) for what their accountable for. Can you name one time when Bush blamed Clinton for anything, or denigrated the United States on the world stage? I pose the same challenge about the regulation of the markets – I’d be happy to admit that I’m wrong if you can show me a passage in the Constitution that delegates the direct regulation of the markets to the President. If it doesn’t, he doesn’t have that authority and shouldn’t be exercising it (firing the CEO of GM?).

That was full of typos!
Reality Check … It’s just crazy for anyone to blame the economic crisis on any one individual, except that Bush is accountable because it started on his watch. But that means that Obama is accountable now that he’s the President. A decent leader never blames others (as he’s doing) for what they’re accountable for. Can you name one time when Bush blamed Clinton for anything, or denigrated the United States on the world stage?
I pose the same challenge about the regulation of the markets – I’d be happy to admit that I’m wrong if you can show me a passage in the Constitution that delegates the direct regulation of the markets to the President. If it doesn’t, he doesn’t have that authority and shouldn’t be exercising it (firing the CEO of GM?).

republicans are destroying the party b/c now all that independents see from them are racist (see tea party) and un-american remarks (see, gov perry from TX). they wont control the white house or congress for a while. the only republican i hear who makes sense is not even a public official…megan mccain. its true!

Peter. point to news article showing unaltered, unfaked picture of anything racist that went on at said tea party. Prove it or step down.

I feel we can have a great country with Obama’s leadership. The paranoid, uneducated clowns can move out of the U.S. if they don’t like it. Sound familiar?

“The paranoid, uneducated clowns can move out of the U.S. if they don’t like it.”
Well sure. But since that’s your base, it will adversely effect your winning future elections. Not to mention most other countries want their emigrants to be productive, tax paying citizens.

The magic will come in about 3 years, 3 months when we vote this dolt out of office.

THIS MESSAGE IS FOR—>Danny Vice. YOU WANTED TO SEE THE RACISTS SIGNS…go to huffpost b/c i tried posting the exact link here but it wouldn’t let me…when you get on the sight look to the right under “most popular on huff post” the subject is “ten most offensive signs” <–click on that. THEN YOU'LL SEE THE HATRED AND THE RIGHT WING RADICALS!
THIS MESSAGE IS ALSO FOR ALL THOSE FOLKS WHO WATCHED FIXED NOISE AND WEREN'T SHOWN THE RACIST SIGNS…

Reality Check … It may surprise you to know that I’ve always been, and will always be, an Independent. I don’t allow myself to become polarized over party lines. I will take a side on each issue, but I don’t side with a party.
I’m not a Bush loyalist, but I can’t justify the thrashing that he’s taken from the Left. What’s ironic is that now Obama is taking the same thrashing from the Right, and the Left thinks it’s unfair!
This country was united after 9/11, but look where we are now. The war in Iraq is polarizing to be sure, but that’s truly another case of shared responsibility between the Left and the Right – but Bush shoulders the accountability (rightfully). I just don’t think he should shoulders all the blame.
I truly dislike Obama’s policies, not only the excessive spending, but also his foreign policy of appeasement (which it truly is). I’m not a racist (I’m in a mixed marriage), or unpatriotic (I’ve served and defended this country for over 20 years now), because I dislike his policies – I’m simply exercising my freedom to have my own thoughts (which I wish so many Obamatrons would do too).

There was nothing “Unamerican” about what Governor Perry said. In fact, though I’m a Republican and support the War in Iraq, I believe that those opposing the war had every right to openly do so. The labeling of our fellow Americans as “Unamerican” unless they are someone like Bill Ayers who actively sought to murder police men or the unibomber. Political views are ideas and the openness of ideas from the beginning of the renaissance in England through the enlightenment brought us the blessings of our God-given rights to self-government and freedom of religion that we enjoy today.
If in fact our government were to behave like that of Hugo Chavez or were to continue or intensify illegitimate actions of both the Bush and the Obama Administrations with Congress failing to rein the Executive in and the Executive trampling over our political rights, than the government is acting illegitimately and must be brought down.
Our framers crafted our Constitution to have a diffesed – not a Unitary – central government with much left open to the states and the people themselves. We as Americans reject true “Unamerican” concepts like central economic planning and divine right of kings. Our God-given or “natural rights” are under attack by people who believe our Constitutional and Federal Republic is “antiquated” to govern effectively in the modern world. This is a lie and we should reject it.

” When Bush refused to sign the Kyoto protocol, banned federal funding for stem cell research, and altered scientific studies to meet his own agenda he denigrated America in front of the world. Bush spent 8 years denigrating America in front of the world.”
Oh give me a freaking break. Clinton also refused to present Kyoto to the Congress (never got to the not-signing point for either president), Bush never banned federal funding for stem cell research, in fact there was zero funding for stem cell research previous to Bush. You really need to read those talking points a bit better. Clearly you have no idea what you are talking about on anything.

joe bobos … Just for your information, the reason that “Drink the Kook-Aid” reminds you of Jim Jones is because that’s where the expression came from. Perhaps you should drink less of it learn more about it.

Most of you only have an argument because fox news and conservative media told you how to think.
Posted by: joe bobos | Apr 18, 2009 3:52:40 PM
bobos the clown telling us how to think!

I like Annie. And I have to say, the media commented often during the RNC/DNC conventions how much classier and prettier the conservative women were. That’s because they respect and care for themselves. Libs – enjoy your Rosie O’Donnell and Rosanne Barr

“I feel we can have a great country with Obama’s leadership. ” — Sir, are you serious. Some, unlike Michlle Obama and yourself, apparently, have always seen our country — and especially its ideals of limited government — as great. I guess it depends on what you mean by “great”.

bobos the clown, ever heard of:”Caviat emptor”??? No, didn’t think so

This photo of Presidents Obama and Chavez can be viewed as a new beginning, rather than with derision or fear. President Obama hinted during his campaign that the USA needs new and different perspectives in dealing with the world from those who did not have the advantages of wealth and privilege as those did before him.
What strongly works in our favor as Americans and as a Nation is we have a person of color as our President. Accordingly, an African American (or a woman had Hillary Clinton won) would set entirely new dynamics for discourse and diplomacy with other nations. I strongly feel that the people of many countries will relate and feel far more kinship in dealing with President Obama than not. In essence, a person of color as the leader of the free world can take us to new unexplored heights if we allow the concepts to flourish.
Remember, the majority of the world”s people are either racially or ethnically black, brown, red or yellow. As such, people of color far outnumber Caucasians worldwide. Wouldn’t it be in our best interests to have a person of color as our leader with the intellect, personality, political finesse, financial reach and military strength to justly deal with other nations? To accomplish what President Obama has says so much about Americans and gives hope to those who had no reason. Can we not see this for what it is and use it effectively to better our country and the world? someone gave this too me I thought it ws very good and thought I would share

Danny Vice, elementary school, high school, college, graduate school, my parents, my own observations have all formed my thinking. Not fake news channels.

Dang, those were some good pictures… it is funny how none of them were racist.

How can any intelligent American defend Obama palling around with Chavez?
If your love for Obama, or kneejerk hatred of anyone who criticizes him, blinds you to the point where you can’t acknowledge an error in judgement like this, then it shows you are just a liberal tool – and a bigot.

Ariana Stassinopoulos, not Ariana Huffington. That’s why she has that funny accent. Import

Peter, the GOP were ready to elect Colin Powell president as far back as 1996. This type of name calling from the Democrats has done nothing but encourage minorities to stay in their own segregated communities since the civil rights movement 40 years ago. It has been encouraged by community leaders who have used inflamed rhetoric to fester mistrust and division between races in this country.
It was understandable at a time when segregation was an accepted practice in this country. It never did make sense for many of us who demonstrated for civil rights back in the 60s to see the movement continue as a segregated, self interested movement, separating us into our own communities, continuing to blame whites for oppression rather than recognizing that the problem was as much about mistrust and segregation as it was about oppression.
If Democrats do not get past this name calling soon, this nation is finished. We are coming closer and closer to Latin American style populist movements based on the same type of mischaracterizations.
We are not a class based or race based nation. At one time blacks were slaves in this country. They had their birthright stolen a second time when deed restrictions and business restrictions kept them from buying land or starting a business or even shopping freely. Those impediments are gone, rightfully.
Unfortunately, it has opened the door for the kind of reverse racism that you now shout, the kind of reverse racism that people like Lula and Obama embrace with a belief that white people with blue eyes are the world’s problem. It is that mentality that has fueled the socialism and communism in Latin America.
Obama seems clueless, continually apologizing for capitalism instead of defending it as the system that will finally rid the world of poverty and despair, equalizing people according to hard work, perseverance, and ability rather than class, race, and ethnicity.

I looked at all the pictures, I am sure you haven’t. I especially loved the one with a black teenager holding a sign that says, “Blacks against Obama” HOW RACIST!!!

“Let’s follow the govt lead and borrow all the money you can from anyone who will lend it to you, friends family bookies whatever. Pack on debt to outragous levels. See if that helps your individual plight.”
Ryan … you’re on to something here! But you’re missing the true meaning of your own statement. Obama’s policies encourage this – lead by example right? If we all pile on debt that we can’t repay, it will actually help us because Obama will pass some “Bookie Relief Act” that relieves us of responsibility for our personal stupidity and passes it on to some other American that plays by the rules and is accountable for their actions. I mean, if I knew that I could’ve bought a huge home at an outrageous price with a stupid interest-only loan, and then Obama would have come along and given me a government-backed ultra-low interest loan at taxpayer expense … I would have bought 2 houses! Surely he’ll “stimulate” my gambling debt away! I like this welfare stuff – I get everything I want, and YOU have to work for it!

MrBatman…blacks always voted in high numbers for democrats so how is that racists?? if hillary would have won…i gurantee you she would have gotten the same percentage. a lot of white voters voted for mccain…does that make them racist??

Mr Batman,
Do you know the history of the U.S. invasion of Iraq? It began with a lie!

L. Moore … I’ve been to events like this and nobody approaches a head of state (much less the President of the United States) unless it’s allowed. If Obama didn’t want to have this encounter, he didn’t have to.

bobos the clown, “he inherited the debt” who compelled BO to run for office?

Lori … Feel free to enlighten me.

attention liberals; I saw a bunch of signs at the “tea parties” using the term fascist for Obama. So what on earth are you talking about?

Now come on the president of the US running from someone because of a insult, Grown men do not avoid each other no matter their like or dislikes. Men face each other and hold civil discourse

Hey J | Apr 18, 2009 3:55:36 PM. The one sign about Jewels was a little much, but nothing compared to what you hear on CNN. Those signs were great. It is funny that you can not handle Conservatives who actually stand up and protest. Those signs are childsplay compared to what the Left throws out there. You are just frightened because liberals are not used to people actually doing what is right and standing up :-)

Lori, this history of the Iraq war began with 12 broken resolutions in the UN. It also began with democrats signing off on intelligence. It also began with Clinton declaring Saddam had WMD….and dozens of other Democrat politicians…. and they were right, because Saddam did have them at one time… and we had no evidence to prove he destroyed them.
So what’s your point?

Mr Batman,
Do you know the history of the U.S. invasion of Iraq? It began with a lie!
IT SURE DID…WHERE ARE THE WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION!!!!

Well, if tea parties were being held when Bush was in office, why didn’t Fox News, Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh etc. promote them? Why show huge support for it now when Obama is in office? Most of the people who attended these “tea parties” obviously had no clue about them before. Also, why wasn’t Rick Perry talking succession when Bush was in office?

I remember The inspectors leaving Iraq because we assail them for not finding WMD’s, Just before we invaded, I also remember how we knew that these alleged WMD’s were be transported around and this is the reason the inspectors could not find the at all the regular sight you would look. And after we invaded it became a joke around the world when no WMD’s existed and we invaded on a LIE.

Hannity the Manatee … You’re correct, blacks traditionally do vote in larger numbers for Democrats – but not at 96% (Bill Clinton won 82%). That implies some racial bias (for both of them) because the other demographic groups did not fall out at those extremes. I’d just like us to get away from selective racism – the idea that if we don’t agree, or do agree with something, then it must be because of race.

Chavez has nothing to brag about. If it weren’t for oil to export, his government would be in the gutter.

Well, if tea parties were being held when Bush was in office, why didn’t Fox News, Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh etc. promote them? Why show huge support for it now when Obama is in office? Most of the people who attended these “tea parties” obviously had no clue about them before. Also, why wasn’t Rick Perry talking succession when Bush was in office?
THIS IS PROOF FOX NEWS PROMOTED THE TEA PARTY EVENTS LAST WEEK!!

I would hope our president is not afraid of the truth. The book tells of our way of treating latin american countries like vampires at a blood bank.The truth will set you free!!

“Well, if tea parties were being held when Bush was in office, why didn’t Fox News, Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh etc. promote them? Why show huge support for it now when Obama is in office? Most of the people who attended these “tea parties” obviously had no clue about them before. Also, why wasn’t Rick Perry talking succession when Bush was in office?
THIS IS PROOF FOX NEWS PROMOTED THE TEA PARTY EVENTS LAST WEEK!!”
OMG YOU GOT THE PROOF!!! STOP THE PRESSES!!!

Send ‘em both out in a speed boat off the shores of Somalia.

“Also, why wasn’t Rick Perry talking succession when Bush was in office?”
Succession comes one person at a time… LOL!
YOU = FAIL

So then, this is what Conservatives do. Screw up the economy, then blame the next President (if he’s Democrat).

No one has done more damage to South and Central America than the citizens of those countries. Blaming others for your own problems solves nothing, it actually makes it worse.

The lefties sure are good at repeating the Democratic talking points….

Again, Sacrament “Conservative.” You have no argument. WHY WOULD THE GOVERNOR OF TEXAS WAIT UNTIL NOW TO TALK OF SECEDING.” Was he not angry before fox news decided to sponsor a “tea party.”

We Conservatives cling to our Guns & Religion,but according to the Nazi in Homeland Security…NOT FOR LONG!

Bobo, do you know what a sponsor is or what a sponsor does?
The tea parties were being formed in late January and were in full swing in Feb. Long before Fox ever announced where one would be, you dolt.
No tea party anywhere accepted sponsorship by any news outlet. Political leaders who asked to speak were refused – for good reason. Now can we have a fact based conversation or do you wish to keep spewing unsubstantiated nonsense?

i wonder if the libertarian party is gearing up for 2012?? republicans should have never endorsed the tea party events. their party is gonna split. a 3rd party in 2012 will take their votes away….

Peter … Get real, are you really suggesting that because something wasn’t found it could not possibly have existed? Saddam Hussein used chemical weapons (which are WMD’s) to kill the Kurds. And how about the fact that the US armed Iraq with WMDs? Also, there were 18 UN Resolutions (under Clinton and Bush) that threatened military action against Iraq. So you are suggesting that Bush told ONE lie SO convincingly that a large majority of Congress voted to go to war? Simplistic world views are effective for sustaining paranoia, but they aren’t always accurate. I’d suggest you try and find the positives – like a democracy in Iraq instead of an oppressive and murdering dictator.
And by the way, as of 2005 they had found over 500 chemical weapons (sarin and mustard gas) in Iraq. Sure the nuclear bomb intelligence turned out to be faulty, but we get a lot of faulty intelligence – and inaction can kill.

Joe Bobos, read his books. Read his mentor Saul Alinsky. Follow the data and the logic to a conclusion.

Again, Danny Vice. Why were they not in full swing when Bush was in office, before January? Aren’t you a bit late? I didn’t any conservatives crying about socialism when Bush was pushing for bailouts.

I am surprised, as I would have thought that a book blasting America would have been the President’s gift to Chavez. And, from the photos, I wouldn’t say your assessment that the President “posed politely with Chavez”, they looked very friendly. Do you think Chavez, giving Obama a book that was in Spanish, which the President doesn’t speak, was a snide take off on the DVD’s Obama gave Brown….or a suggestion that Obama, and the rest of us had better learn Spanish?

Obama. worst. president. ever.
2012

EVERYBODY IN HERE THAT IS COMPLAINING THAT FOX NEWS SPONSORED THE TEA PARTIES SHOULD NOT BE SURPRISED… FOX NEWS VICE PRESIDENT SAID IT HIMSELF THAT FOX NEWS IS THE “VOICE AND OPPOSITION TO THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION.” BUT YET THOSE BUSH LOVERS CLAIM THAT JOURNALISM HAS DIED. THE IRONY I TELL YA….REPUBLICANS GET THEIR TALKING POINTS FROM FIXED NOISE. RIGHT WING RADICALS WHO HATE AMERICA!!

I know enough that many if not all Latin Americans distrust the US. You know nothing and yet say so much. How many people do you know from Latin America, and do you eat with them,Know their culture have them as family members? What do you know of Latin American History, If you don’t acknowledge , OurGreed, Murder, Land and resource grabbing. How we rape there land and people. what do you know, Nothing! do some research open your mind be some one who know what the are saying , not someone the spouts off ans sound as if saying something makes it so.

Danny Vice,
The difference with Clinton was he didn’t invade Iraq without evidence of WMDs? He didn’t manufacture intelligence for the purposes of going to war.

you all can say what you want about Obama…JUST DON’T TOUCH HIM….YOU WILL SEE RIOTS AND REVOLUTIONS THAT YOU’VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE….TRUST ME!!

While I agree that European and American abortionists have done Latin America a disservice, the buying of raw materials has hardly been one of exploitation by the West as much as it is exploitation by Latin American rulers. Latin American rulers have a long & tarnished history of neglect and corruption. They could have invested in higher education but did not. They could have invested in infrastructure and free market economics but largely did not. Chavez own moronic mismanagement and greed for power have effectively guaranteed the ignorant and poor masses more ignorance and a lower standard of living beyond his own lifespan.

Worst President ever! How did you come to that conclusion? Please explain with spout fox news verbatim. show your grasp of current events and you economic knowledge. overwhelm us with your best rendition of you knowledge. I know that you don’t like knowledge or education. So Obama must be stupid and you are the bright one.

“WHERE ARE THE WEAPONS – in Saddam Hussein’s Lies !!!!!!!
(respond if you have the capacity)”
Mr Reality … are you suggesting I don’t have the capacity to respond, or Lori and Peter don’t?

What happens when Obama doesn’t have a teleprompter? Uhhh… uhh… breathalizer… uhh… hold on… uhhh… inhalator… uhh…

Be nice to Lori. She’s the first person who’s offered a legitimate debate without relying on DNC talking points.
I don’t agree with her. But at least she’s thinking for herself, and I can respect that.

Joe, whatever you do, don’t use the word “cute” if you point a statement at me. I am NOT shaving my legs for anyone.

If something is said in a forum and a liberal refuses to acknowledge it, was it ever really typed?

“When you gun loving idiots say violent things and show your racism proudly and will and have killed for your hate. Why in the hell would anyone turn a blind eye on you. your got history partner and it glaring obvious that you that you should be watched. ”
Spoken like a true genius.

My argument is that so called “Conservatives” are now bashing Obama when they were silent the whole time the “Conservative” Bush was making poor fiscal decisions. Now they are speaking out against a President who hasn’t even been in office for 4 months and can’t even rationally explain why his “future” policies will affect them. Most of the people throwing around the terms “fascist” and “socialist” have no idea what they mean.

Chavez has no class. Too much cocaine maybe. What an insult gift to give to any leader of a country. Almost as insulting as giving DVD’s,an IPOD loaded with videos of yourself. Always the US fault for everything in the world. I am so sick of it. If you don’t blame the US, then it is Europe’s fault. Always, the white race is at fault. Seems more like jealousy to me than anything else.

Also, why is it that anyone who now supports the President is “worshiping him” or has to refer to him as the “savior.” You people are really showing your immaturity by saying this all the time. Do any of you remember when Bush was in office and anyone who dare speak out against his policy was labeled un-patriotic? How hypocritical can you be? Remember, this was a democratic election, and Obama won. Not Mcain.

Also Bobos… if you need someone to explain why his irresponsible printing of a trillion dollars and spending 12 trillion and counting is bad for our future, then perhaps you should stop discussing this and pick up a book called “Economics for Dummies”.

Danny Vice,
There are other ways of addressing human rights violations without going to war. I would NOT however rule it out, but the issues (of whether to go to war or not) have to be weighed carefully. I am not convinced that war necessarily makes things better. Look at history, including the Iraq debacle. The U.S. cannot invade every country with human rights violations. If it did, we wouldn’t have a country.

“But one of the symptoms of liberalism is a complete lack of fact-finding capabilities, so its not really their fault.”
One of the symptoms of conservatism is a complete lack repetition of facts without distortion.

You know nothing about Chavez or his country or you would nor portray him as a dictator, because he’s not, and because he did not play ball will Dubya and the oil Company they made a bad man in the press in the American press. You neeed to enlighten your self read something other the news. or the FOX

The book was a nice present…
I hope CT school curriculum planners miss this article…
Obama and Chavez are both seen in the same place. I was sure Chavez had an Obama mask and was doing double duty.

That’s true Lori. We can’t invade every country. But if action isn’t taken at some point, you end up with a Rwanda on your hands – and Saddam had conducted a few Rwanda’s of his own. 12 UN resolutions later, it was pretty apparent that he wouldn’t bend. Libya, on the other hand was an example of a success story (as far as we know). But I think Saddam proved that he wasn’t about to follow Libya’s example.

Well, Fox reported on the shutting down of the phone system in congress due to CONSERVATIVES who opposed Bush’s amnesty bill. Conservatives didn’t have rallies on education and Bush’s socialist medicare bill but they were outraged none the less… Bush pissed us off a lot and even called Conservatives names. Fox isn’t perfect but they are a far cry from being a propaganda machine like MSNBC and CNN.

L. Moore. When Bush started spending money like a drunken sailor, no, he wasn’t popular with me. The way Bush initially went into Iraq did NOT make him popular with me. Rumsfeld was a bad advisor. The war took an immediate turn for the better when he stepped aside. When Bush pushed TARP 1, no, he was not popular with me.

Just don’t be mean :) Use big, nice-sounding words to gently remind the crazy libs how lost they are. It’s a technique I learned from Obama ;)

Wa t a minute wasn’t Bush the president? how does bad adviser s?ave him, and get Hundred of thousand of people killed and Obama a Terrible President in Lest than a Hundred days? when you just disagree with his policy!1 Something wrong with this picture ya THINK!

How do you go 8 years under Bush and never say a word and the Black is the worst President ever. Now you know why you are 20 per cent of the electorate?

No one laughing, you people have a problem, and what terrible about it you will never see it, hate is a bad thing it rots you perception and your soul

Just saying you voted for McCain Knowing Palin would be the Vice President speaks volumes of your judgment. Go ahead tell me how she’s and Mac are geniuses!

L. Moore, Obama won 54% of the vote, not 80%. And that was BEFORE he began his socialist regime.
As far as the last 8 years go. I’ve stated many things I didn’t agree with. You have stated nothing you disagree with.
Why is that? Why would anyone embrace an ideology without questioning any of it’s components?

Its wonderful to be everyones friend but sadly that is not the world in which we live in. Has everyone forgotten that 19 muslim men killed themselves on 9/11/01 with the express purpose of killing as many American Citizens as they could. How do you counter an enemy that would do that, does not recognize peace and only wants you dead? These muslims extremists born of the same blame America and hate America crowd as the author of that book that Chavez gave Obama. The correct response would have been to burn the book right in front of Chavez or he could have politely refused it but no, no, no, not God bless America as his old Reverend would say.

This president is friendlier with America’s enemies than he is with half the country (Republicans, Conservatives, 3rd party voters etc etc). This is frightening.
I dont think you people have any idea who you voted for. And PS – the issue isnt Bush – it is Obama.

Who cares what the rest of the world thinks about the USA? I mean didn’t we claim our independence from the world in 1776? Aren’t we a unique Republic in all the world? What good does it do for us to conform to what the World wants?
Being an American used to mean something, lets keep it that way.

Skip … I’ll agree with you to a point, but it’s the differences that separate Americans from say, the French or the Thais or Australians. We have a cultural identity that comes from those differences that frankly I don’t want to concede. The problem is, the differences which define us also separate us – often with anger and hate. Focusing on the similarities is a fine idea, and every President has done that (some more than others). But some differences should not be resolved. I don’t think that the President of the United States should be conceding to, and legitimizing, the dictators of this world without a concession on their part. That’s what Obama is doing – lowering our guard under the premise of shared ideologies, when in fact their are few.

Anyone else wonder what “pearls” are in Mr. Obama’s library? Probably ‘See Spot Run.’ Perhaps Marx’ Manifesto? Too funny. I am confident their taste in literature will be similar.

Chavez keeps getting re-elected, so he must be doing something correctly. He was dead right about Bush too, whom he called a ‘devil.’ There can be absolutely no denial that both Europeans long ago, rapidly followed by the US exploited Latin America, so what’s the beef?

Bobo, it’s because Congress is passing legislation right now that will require a substantial tax increase later. Also, taxes are high on businesses which drives jobs overseas. My home’s property tax just went up even though it’s value dropped.
Obama has vowed to repeal Bush tax cuts. Right now I get two big child tax credits that will be cut in half once Obama allows it to expire.
This spending is going to have very real consequences for my family’s future. Consequences I didn’t sign up for.
The last election is proof that no one party Democrat or Republican should EVER lock up the entire government. When they do, we run into serious problems and legislation is passed without carefully weighing out the risks that come with it.

Nocommonsense said <> LOL..did your mother tell you that? OMG get in the 21st century.

Socialism: A political movement advocating public ownership of means of production,distribution, and exchange.
mmmmmmmm-does that sound familiar? Does the public of the USof A (me and you) now own a few banks? How about the some of the other Financial institutions? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? This is going to be a long road and the government is in charge, until we vote them out of office and take our country back. We might own the banks, but we have no voice in how the money is distributed anymore because the government owns us. We voted them in, now lets just vote them out.

To bad Obama did not accept the book, look at it and hand it back saying “already read it unfortunately not very accurate”. From the reviews I have read of it the praise it heaps on Cuba alone discredits it.
However he did the gracious thing. A word that has never been used to describe Hugo Chavez.
Maybe it’s just me but I find it incredibly arrogant of Chavez to present any head of state a history book in public on the eve of telling the same leader 2 weeks ago…”go read a book” and “I do not think he is intelligent”
But you need to understand these Latin American’s….last week Brazil’s Lula claimed the financial crisis was a result “of whites with blue eye’s”.
They have a law in Brazil against this type of speech but of course it is not enforced when the prez does it.

Couldn’t agree with Danny Vice more. Why does Obama apologize for everything the US do to the world and try to be friendly with dictators like Chavez? What he has done just make the US stand weaken nothing more?

Couldn’t agree with Danny Vice more. Why does Obama apologize for everything the US do to the world and try to be friendly with dictators like Chavez? What he has done just makes the US stand weaken nothing more?

It seems to me that right-wingers are always more focused on peoples differences than on their similarities. Even George Will was saying last weekend that the people of the world just don’t get along. While I would agree to a healthy amount of caution when dealing with other countries who we have marked differences with, we cannot allow the hard-liners of the world to hold us all hostage in a perpetual state of diametric opposition. I would bet, and this is opinion only, that if you polled the people of the world you would find that a substantial majority of them have the very same values; To get married, have a home and raise children in peace and safety. That is a very solid foundation to build on.

It seems to me that whenever a liberal says, “It seems to me that conservatives…” it is usually followed with a big fat lie or something completely stupid.

Being an American used to mean something, lets keep it that way.
hmm.. what does it mean ?? care to answer?

build a more harmonious and compassionate nation and be better qualified to be not just the military leaders of the world but the moral leaders of the world.
This position is totally contradictory, you can be eiher one or the other but not both.

Bobo, Taxes come by way of both the Fed and the state.
That is why I don’t agree with the Fed pushing the stimulus on the states. What do you suppose the states will have to do to balance it’s budget down the road? Raise tax. There is no free lunch. There is no guy behind the curtain that has to pay these trillions of dollars. It’s just you and me, neighbor.

President Obama conducted himself with dignity abroad. What did you right wingers expect? For Obama to spit in the face of Chavez? Obama conducted himself as a statesman. It should be obvious to even the dimmest of wit that 8 years of mad cowboy disease got the U.S. nowhere.

Mark, since when was groveling, pacifying and degrading your solidarity before a dictator thug the definition of dignity?
If a woman lets herself be raped, and doesn’t put up a fight… how is THAT dignity?
Dignity is when you DO stand up and fight for what’s right. Pacifying dictators has nothing to do with dignity

What I’m disgusted with is the look on Obama’s face as he gives a palm-up (a sign of subservience) “brothers” handshake to Chavez – just look at Obama’s face. His body language is easy to read – and terrifying.

Steve saidK “you would know that, in comparison to Chavez, Bush was an angel.”
————
You are so right.
If Bush were like Chavez, he would have suspended term limits and he’d still be the president!!!
I think Chavez and Obama got a hot bro-mance going.

This book also exists in an English language translation. Obama needs to read it.

Larry: “Chavez isn’t someone we just have disagreements with. He is a sworn enemy of the U.S.”
Could somebody please tell me what Chavez has done to our country? If I’m not mistaken doesn’t he supply heating oil to poor Americans? And I could be wrong here, but wasn’t he elected?
He has oil that Dubya and the Texas crime syndicate couldn’t manage to steal, and I think that’s why they tell us he’s bad.
If I’m wrong then somebody please provide some evidence to the contrary.

boogienights1:
You seem not to have a clue about Venezuela and how Chavez has worked over the last 10 years to erode his country’s democratic institutions. I recommend you learn to read and understand Spanish. Yes, he get’s elected, but the PRI in Mexico won every “election” in Mexico over a period of 70 years. Winning elections is a shoe in when you’ve got control of all of the levers of government.

Just to give you a quick idea of what you are dealing with in Hugo Chavez: he is one of Robert Mugabe’s biggest supporters among international leaders.

Why doesn’t Obama speak Spanish ? He stood before a LaRaza conference when he was pandering–I mean campaigning–and talked about embarrassing and illiterate Americans were for not speaking the languages of other countries. Of course, he began by saying “not speaking Spanish” but caught himself before quite completing the word.
So, why isn’t the person who says it’s wrong for Americans not to learn Spanish when he doesn’t bother to nor any of his family.
I know. It’s “do as I say, not as I do”.
WTG, Obama. You just gave Chavez an opportunity make a fool out of you. Your “overtures” of peace are perceived as weakness. Don’t you have a diplomat with experience who could advise you ?

Hard to tell who is lying or who is just plan ignorant. Chavez is not a dictator, Obama is not a socialist. President Chavez was just heard loudest in his critism of Bush, most people in Latin America thought worse, the evil duo of Bush & Cheney are gone, time to move on. Obama gets it.

OBAMA ALREADY READ IT.

Re: “Subsequent to doing that, they are quite expert at pointing the finger at the US. I used to believe the liberal blame the US crap, until I saw and experienced with my own eyes what happens on the ground in these places.”
Our government funds the dictators and governments in Latin America that exploit their people for corporate gain. We fund the Mexican ruling class. (The Merida Plan/Plan Mexico) When Latin American countries elect somebody who will not exploit their people or give away their resources, we demonize them, as in the case of Bolivia’s Morales. When Mexico almost elected a liberal (Obrador) the global elite freaked out. Now their boy President Calderon is rewriting Mexico’s constitution and turning it into a police state. Look up The School of the Americas.
Read some books because you will never see this on TV or learn it in school. Latin America is ignored. Our country’s wealth comes in part through exploitation of Mexico and the rest of Latin America.
Don’t freak out just because somebody told the truth.

Puleez. I have lived in Brazil for 11 years and if there has been vast exploitation it has been done by 500 years of Portuguese corruption.

sunnyday:
I did my master’s degree at the Getulio Vargas Foundation in Brazil. I work for a Mexican company now. I know the history, and I know, as I said in an earlier post, your rhetoric is dated. Raul Prebisch’s Dependency Theory was formulated in the 50s. You need to update your knowledge.

Obama already read the book Chavez gave him? Hellz bellz. Obama already wrote two books just like it.

president Obama speaks spanish

I think the book that Chavez gave Obama is a good look at why South America is such a failure. They play the blame game victim probably better than any leftist in the world. I would counter the book with Fabricantes de Miseria written by 3 one time leftist journalist from south of our borders. South America should be a continent of wealth, instead it is a disaster, and it’s leaders are just plain interested in power.

Re: “Raul Prebisch’s Dependency Theory was formulated in the 50s. You need to update your knowledge.”
I don’t know what that theory is. But NAFTA, CAFTA and all of those “free trade” agreements keep the people of those countries poor and exploited.
Butlet me ask you this: What happened when it looked like Obrador was going to be the next president of Mexico? The op-ed pages in all the major newspapers went nuts. You see, a liberal like Obrador would change the system and not let Mexicans be exploited by the ruling class and the global elite. Can’t have that!
So the Mexican Supreme court selected Calderon, who is the current conservative president of Mexico. Since he took office, violence has increased and Mexico is on the way to becoming a police state, under the guise of the War on Drugs. Drugs don’t even come from Mexico. They come through Mexico, from among other places, Afghanistan. Our government supports Calderon and just gave his government billions of dollars. (Plan Mexico/ The Merida Plan)
So please don’t tell me that our government has no control, or influence in Latin America. Give me a break.

Oh Chavez is so great he doesn’t exploit his people only those big bad oil companies do.
/sarc

“president Obama speaks spanish”
Posted by: pmoffa08 | Apr 18, 2009 9:31:13 PM
Really, his Spanish is so bad I wish he wouldn’t

Will Fletcher, so you want to move to Bravil?

plainsm :
Genius, Chavez is in Venezuela, not “Bravil”.
Moron.

Re: “Boy, those ‘natural resources’ from South America sure kick ***!”
Yeah, like gold, silver and oil from Mexico. Silver from Argentina (argent means silver). Oil from Venezuela, natural gas from Bolivia, and copper from Chile.
And what about food? Corn, chocolate, vanilla, squash, chile, pumpkin, tomatoes and domesticated turkey were all first cultivated/domesticated in Mexico thousands of years ago. When you eat your turkey, corn and pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving, you are eating indigenous Mexican food. Potatoes originally come from Peru. Peanuts originally come from Brazil.
Some of the comments here are incredibly ill informed. Latin America is rich in natural resources.

Problem is the world thinks Obama is a joke an appeaser. I agree education is good, and listening to both sides not just your own is important. Though most importantly Obama doesn’t have any credibility yet, nothing was accomplished in the G20. I do think if he doesn’t just back his words with action our safety is at stake. So next test, how about getting that American journalist out of Iran. When Carter was pres. and the hostages were taken and held for years their was a reason they let them go when Reagan became president and it wasn’t because they agreed with him or liked him.

This book really got the right panties in a bunch it’s a book you read them they don’t brainwash you unless you’re a poorly educated person easily influence by anything you read. books are not scary, they contain thoughts, not kyptonite, get a grip. read everything you can get your hands on, From James Joyce to jesus, LEARN !!!

Steve, huh? I’m on your side!

Here here Ron! Well put!

lions, well said! bravo!

Conservatives don’t like to admit it when there is exploitation. Latin Americans aren’t “whining.” Our foreign policy considers Latin America “our backyard” where we can do whatever we want. NAFTA, CAFTA are harmful to American workers and Latin American workers.
Wake up conservatives. Your policies have FAILED.
I am going to buy this book. I hope it goes to number one.
hehehheh

attn sunshine you act as if copper/gold/tin/corn/peanuts etc…
are “given to us” by these latin american countries. if i eat a turkey it was purchased in a store the same with the copper untensils ! you said these products were indigenous to mexico thousands of years ago. i didnt think “mexico” as a country has been around that long… lol
latin america has also given us millions of poor, retards and gangbangers and a pain in the butt for the past 50 years in havana. btw hey fidel if your system is so superior why do you need the embargo lifted?? what if communism had won and there no longer existed a usa what would your excuse be then??

“I am going to buy this book.”
I guess the economy’s not that bad after all.
“Look how freaked out conservatives are over a BOOK. They fear knowledge. Education to a conservative is like garlic to a vampire.”
No, it’s just the idiots that pretend that 1. they’re actually going to read it and 2. actually understand it.
“As Americans we are not proud of all the evil and the historical mistakes committed by us with regard to the native Americans, or Latin Americans…”
Once again the arrogant Leftist attitude that dozens of other countries with hundreds of millions of people are somehow too stupid or weak to solve their own problems, or treat them as children who can’t be blamed for them.

Typical socialist reading. The message of the book is to trust a dictator to care and provide for the people. Nothing new or even insightful. This template of disillusionment can be applied to any group of people in the world. Most of the socialist dictators in Latin America are clueless in economics and recite Marxist lines in their speeches. What’s sad is that many liberal Americans buy this crap as being “educated”. This sick indoctrination occurs daily in the halls of our colleges with little questioning. It creates a group of ignorant, disillusioned youths with the arrogance of the educated elite each year.

YES, I’M A MAD AMERICAN
I Am the Liberal-Progressives Worst Nightmare.
I am an American.
I am a Master Mason and believe in God.
I ride Harley Davidson Motorcycles and believe in American products.
I believe the money I make belongs to me and my family, not some Liberal governmental functionary be it Democratic or Republican!
I’m in touch with my feelings and I like it that way!
I think owning a gun doesn’t make you a killer, it makes you a smart American.
Think being a minority does not make you noble or victimized,
and does not entitle you to anything. Get over it!
I believe that if you are selling me a Big Mac, do it in English.
I believe everyone has a right to pray to his or her God
when and where they want to..
My heroes are John Wayne, Babe Ruth, Roy Rogers, and Willie G. Davidson that makes the Awesome Harley Davidson Motorcycles.
I don’t hate the rich. I don’t pity the poor.
I know wrestling is fake and I don’t waste my time watching or arguing about it.
I’ve never owned a slave, or was a slave, I haven’t burned any witches or been persecuted by the Turks and neither have you!
So, shut up already.
I believe if you don’t like the way things are here,
go back to where you came from and change your own country!
This is AMERICA …We like it the way it is!
If you were born here and don’t like it you are free to move to any Socialist country that will have you.
I want to know which church is it exactly where the Reverend Jesse Jackson preaches, where he gets his money, and why he is always part of the problem and not the solution.
Can I get an AMEN on that one?
I also think the cops have the right to pull you over if you’re breaking the law, regardless of what color you are.
And, no, I don’t mind having my face shown on my drivers license.
I think it’s good…. And I’m proud that ‘God’ is written on my money.
I think if you are too stupid to know how a ballot works, I don’t want you deciding who should be running the most powerful nation in the world for the next four years.
I dislike those people standing in the intersections trying to sell me stuff or trying to guilt me into making ‘donations’ to their cause.
Get a Job and do your part!
I believe that it doesn’t take a village to raise a child, it takes two parents.
I believe ‘illegal’ is illegal no matter what the lawyers think.
I believe the American flag should be the only one allowed in AMERICA !
If this makes me a BAD American, then yes, I’m a BAD American.
If you are a BAD American too, please forward this to everyone you know.
We want our country back!
image 1109928554-0

“The point is that all the resources in the world won’t make you wealthy.”
Well, not if somebody invades your country and steals them, which is what has happened to Latin America. Gold and silver from Mexico and the rest of Latin America funded the Industrial Revolution. Part of the Heasrt Family fortune came from Mexican silver from the San Potosi mine.
We are still intervening in Latin America through the War on Drugs and through “free trade” agreements that nobody got to vote on. Some of those countries are barely sovereign.
You need to get an education because you are very ignorant of what our government does in Latin America. It’s never in the media, as the liberal media tends to ignore Latin America.
I am glad that people will be reading Galeano’s book.

The book “Socialism for Dummies” already exists. It is called “From the Good Savage to the Good Revolutionary” and it was written by a close friend to Eduardo Galeano. However, there is a parody of BOTH books written by 3 Latin American authors, including the son of famed Peruvian writer Vargas Llosa. The book basically discredits Galeano’s statements for being mostly false or imprecise, and is a tirade of Latin America’s love affair with a halucinating Left.

Well said, RR GOP/MAD AMERICAN!

Americans, WAKE UP! Can’t you all see we’re slowly turning into a socialistic society. Chaves just openly suggested to this pres. O that our country is a total loser and we are not to be trusted. AND this pres. accepted this book? WOW!!! Think about your children and their future, America. Read between the lines, please!

Why is this newsworthy at all? Is Mr. Tapper going to spend the next four years detailing all of the gifts that President Obama is given by foreign heads of state?
I guess it’s just food for the rabble who are going to hate Obama no matter what he does.
And really, there sure are a lot of them here, aren’t there?

Brilliant. Say what you will about Chavez but his gift to Obama of “Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent” by Uruguayan author Eduardo Galeano will ensure that it will be one of the most read books of all time around the world.

The majority of Latin America’s problems are their own. Period. Corrupt governments and corrupt dictators do not typically create prosperous nations.
If you think about it, there is absolutely no reason for Mexico to be less economically powerful than the United States since it has an abundance of resources, rich soil, beautiful coastlines, and a temperate climate. The fact that it is practically a third-world country is a testament to its corrupt government and mobsters. It is such a tragedy. But it will rise in the next 50 years or so once the fat, disgusting, mobsters and their families are eliminated as its children increasingly grow up in a “connected” world that teaches them how disgusting and cowardly the drug/narco-trafficking world is.
Chavez continues to be a thug and literally a pig-faced dictator. Obama played it smooth. At least that’s what I’m hoping he did.

Everyone saying “the unstable and corrupt governments are Latin America’s problem”, or “the Latin American countries don’t have a base to build on”, you’re right. Now look at the source of that instability.
In Mexico, the United States continually put its own economic interests above the stability or well being of the country. We supported whoever would help us earn a quick buck, which usually meant decreasing the rights of Mexican’s citizens and weakening Mexico’s own economy and infrastructure.
The Banana Republics are another great example of this; the toppling of governments for the profit of United Fruit. US intervention in Panama was similar, landing troops a dozen times to ensure the canal was built, and instituting a favorable government.
The United States overthrew the government of Ecuador in 1961.
The United States overthrew elected social democrat Juan Bosch in the Dominican Republic in 1963.
The obvious case of Nicaragua and the Contras starting in 1983.
We put mines in the Honduran Harbors, a clearly illegal act, and were found guilty of that in international court.
Further reading on the topic, if anyone cares to learn:
The Cambridge History of American Foreign Relations: The American Search for Opportunity, 1865-1913, vol. 2
Inevitable Revolutions: The United States in Central America

Chavez has just suceeded in sending a message to USA through its #1 citizen OBAMA. “You people have long exploited us and now we are letting you know that we know” that is chjavez’s message so USA beware

some peoples win, some lose.
be a winner, not a whiner.

Dictators have to have a boogy man to demonize and help them get away with what they do to their own people. When they say it’s all for the revolution what they really mean is I have to have an excuse for completely controlling you in all that you think and do so I can have complete power. I know better what is best for you, now and forever. I know what’s fair and you don’t really care as much as I do. Wait, that sounds like the Progressive,Liberals in OUR country.

E.Hutchinson
No it sounds like Bush and Osama Ben laden. He was Bush’s bogey man, right ? Very much like Emmanuel Goldstein in 1984.
An excellent excuse to keep those military industries churning out expensive junk, thus fattening the wallets of the Bush family and their cronies with bumper dividends, at the expense of the US taxpayer, who is today footing the bill.
No wonder Osama’s so elusive – catching him would have put an end to the “War on Terror” – and then how would we keep those lucrative Raytheon, Boeing and General Dynamics assembly lines turning ?

This book is remarkable! Powerful yet poetic. We have to take into consideration years before colonialism took place in these once rich, presently undevelop places such as ‘Latin America’ and ‘Africa’- until we face our truths, we can keep avoiding all the questions. With great honor this gift is truly an enlighten one.

Jo:
“Mandatory” is a subtext. The bill states, “…that includes mandatory…” Thus the bill ALSO prohibits voluntary religious expression as well. Read the entire portion on prohibited activities. It also prohibits the right of the those serving under this act “peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
Jo:
“Mandatory” is a subtext. The bill states, “…that includes mandatory…” Thus the bill ALSO prohibits voluntary religious expression as well. Read the entire portion on prohibited activities. It also prohibits the right of the those serving under this act “peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
Anyone serving under this bill will have to surrender ALL of their First Amendment Rights.

I am sure that the appeaser in chief is in full agreement with how bad our great country is. He has not once stood up to our enemies, his friends, who are condemning our country. He most probably hates America and its values more than our enemies, his friends. I hope the obambtons are happy now that he daemons our country and is hopping into bed with all our enemies while condemning our friends, his enemies.

What I find so infuriating is that liberals keep prefacing their comments with the words “you right wingers”. Hey wake up! I’m no right winger! I just can’t stand to see my president go to foriegn shores and constantly apologize for the USA. You “left wingers” love Barry Co. I don’t! I don’t like the spending that he is inflicting upon future generations of Americans. He gets along alittle too well with far left dictators for my tastes, yet you “left wingers” find a way of excusing this. You people make me sick, frankly.

Strange that in the title of this book that “five centuries” is in there…the only problem is, the United States has been around only 200 years…so, what about the preceding 300 years?
No mention of that from the Marxists…just more bashing of the U.S.
For maybe just the last 100 years the U.S. has had anything like the power to ‘exploit’ LA?
Obviously, they have not read it despite their claims.

“Chavez keeps getting re-elected, so he must be doing something correctly.”
But, that logic, of course, does not apply to President Bush now does it?

I doubt that few of you have actually visited South America, much less lived there. I lived in Guadalajara for 5 years and saw first hand the corruption that stops their economy from growing. Property rights don’t exist, just ask the folks in Puerto de Hierro, one of the richest and most exclusive enclaves. Out of nowhere somebody decides to build a high rise condos right in the middle of their nice residential development. Traffic was already a nightmare and now it’s worth. The governments of South America are open to the highest bidder, much like the US. But at least we respect property rights and the people has some say in local planning.
Have traveled to Brazil 2x on business and they are very different than Mexico. Much more European influence with a well developed economy. Spent 2 weeks in Chile and Argentina on honeymoon and Chile is also very advanced compared to the rest of Central and South America.
If you really want to know the root cause of Latin America’s problems, just check the Swiss bank accounts of their leaders. How much money do you think Chavez, Castro and others are stealing from their own people? Follow the money, just like here in the good old USA.

Great culture and book.
For whiners, failures and cowards, that is.
In essence, it simply does its best to blame others for its own
failures, while using anti-white racism in the process, to boot.
And THAT is the similarity to “Hitler,” not anything America did or
tried to do in so-called ‘Latin America.’
Shove it, Chavez, you utterly miserable failure.

“It’s not the actions, obviously, but rather the ideology that counts, eh?”
How’s Iran-contra for action?
-Illegally selling arms to fund terrorists who indiscriminately kill whole villages of men, women and children so argi-conlomerates can maintain control of the the economy of small nations.

“How’s Iran-contra for action?
-Illegally selling arms to fund terrorists who indiscriminately kill whole villages of men, women and children so argi-conlomerates can maintain control of the the economy of small nations.”
Sure, but if Iran-Contra had been for supporting the likes of the Shining Path or FARC, then that would be A-OK, huh?

I love the way Chavez and Ortega dwell in the past. Now with the Bush administration gone they have no one to rail against.

“maybe everybody should just buy this book and read it so they knows what they’re on about before they go a’ spoutin’ off at the mouth again?”
Yes, and The Communist Manifesto, everything written by Dear Leader and Jimmy Carter, too.
That’s along the same lines of ‘well, don’t criticize LSD unless you drop some acid’, or ‘don’t criticize prostitution until you’ve paid for sex.’
That is, one must submerse themselves in trash so that they can no longer criticize it themselves thus removing opposition (‘Well, YOU read/did it!’)
I’m sure you have Mein Kampf, the Protocols of the Elders of Zion and the Turner Diaries sitting on your bookshelf?
And if you aren’t, by the same ‘logic’ Liberals use in their arguments, you are not being open-minded.

“European and American interests killed millions of natives in the Americas. Why is it so difficult to admit to the truth? We know it happened.”
Sure, and how many natives were themselves killed by the Incas, Mayans, and Aztecs in their pursuit of empire? Add to that the many other tribal wars and what do you have?
Simply Man’s inhumanity to Man. Not the White Man as the chief target of all Humankind’s woes.

Re: “Sure, and how many natives were themselves killed by the Incas, Mayans, and Aztecs in their pursuit of empire? Add to that the many other tribal wars and what do you have?”
We have right wing BS. There were millions of indigenous people in the Americas in 1492. Both the Spanish and the English decided to commit genocide and take the land and its resources for themselves. They bragged about it in their own writings. Read “American Holocaust” by David E. Stannard.
Human sacrifice was also a myth created by the Spaniards to justify the Conquest. They took some Indians to Spain and tortured them in The Inquisition until they “admitted” that they committed human scarifice. That is the only “evidence” of it. Yet it is repeated as though it were historical fact.

RR GOP: “I meant to say ‘agri-conglomerates before; the guys who think it’s OK to grow coffee instead of food when the people are starving, so we can have a cheap cup of coffee every morning.”
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Dear RR,
Coffe is food… and medicine. I’ve been drinking coffee every morning for 25 years which is why my last colonoscopy shows that I have the ‘healthiest colon” my doctor has ever seen. Also, coffee cheap? Where? Do I need a coupon for the discount?

Sorry, RR GOP. My last post was for Skip.

To Dale Mack: Obama was not “hamming it up” with Chavez. He shook his hand. Big deal.
People make too big a deal over Chavez. He’s not China or the Soviet Union. He doesn’t have WMDs. He has oil that he won’t give away to the multi-national oil companies that that’s why he’s demonized.
What did he give us? A BOOK. That’s a thoughtful and intelligent gift, but in right-wing wacko land , a book that has not been pre-approved by Rush and Fox News is dangerous.

Obama’s book is #2 on Amazon and a very good gift for a Dictator…see all Presidantial gifts at http://leevandenbrink.blogspot.com

Obama’s Presidential book hits # 2 on Amazon…See all the great gifts ideas for Queens or Dictators at

It seems no one has anything to say to the truth I posted below:
Everyone saying “the unstable and corrupt governments are Latin America’s problem”, or “the Latin American countries don’t have a base to build on”, you’re right. Now look at the source of that instability.
In Mexico, the United States continually put its own economic interests above the stability or well being of the country. We supported whoever would help us earn a quick buck, which usually meant decreasing the rights of Mexican’s citizens and weakening Mexico’s own economy and infrastructure.
The Banana Republics are another great example of this; the toppling of governments for the profit of United Fruit. US intervention in Panama was similar, landing troops a dozen times to ensure the canal was built, and instituting a favorable government.
The United States overthrew the government of Ecuador in 1961.
The United States overthrew elected social democrat Juan Bosch in the Dominican Republic in 1963.
The obvious case of Nicaragua and the Contras starting in 1983.
We put mines in the Honduran Harbors, a clearly illegal act, and were found guilty of that in international court.
Further reading on the topic, if anyone cares to learn:
The Cambridge History of American Foreign Relations: The American Search for Opportunity, 1865-1913, vol. 2
Inevitable Revolutions: The United States in Central America

Shawn: “He’s demonized because he’s a thug. Why? Because he uses his power in order to rewrite constitutions in order to retain his power and stay in office as dictator.”
Shawn: America does business with dictators all the time, as long as those dictators are open to giving multi-national corporations access to cheap labor and resources.
If Chavez gave away his country’s oil, labor and resources, our government would have no problem with him, no matter what he did to his people.
Pinochet of Chile is a perfect example. He was installed by the US on Sept. 11, 1973, because the elected President, Allende, wanted to keep Chile’s resources for Chile. So the US put in a right-wing dictator who let multi-national corporations have copper and other natural resources.
Those are the facts, my friend. Why do you think the media never reports on Latin America? Not even the liberal stations? They don’t want this stuff coming up.

There’s no irony in a guy named Chavez giving a book about European exploitation of South America. I mean, for God’s sake, it’s called Latin America because of the exploitation.
He’s a thug. Obama should be embarrassed for giving the thug the time of day and legitimizing him.

The eggplant meets the potato.

He should have given Obama “Confessions
Of A Economic Hit Man”. That way he could have heard it direct from an agent of the
Federal Govt. You might want to read it.
Because, after all…we are next.

Why don’t all you A,erica Haters pack your bags and find some other country you like better. Some other place that will allow you to make a living. Have a home, and most of all spout all of this hatred for the country that is the best in the world. Maybe Hugo will allow you to come to his house. I am sick and tired of seeing all these hateful comments. You all act like you have read some many books and have all the answers. One idiot tells us to go to Wikipedia to get the right answer. What a dolt. So>>>find another country and get yourself out of here, and don’t let the Flag hit you in the behind on the way out. and I do read the Bible and Jesus Christ was about love, but he was also about doing for yourself, not having others do for you. Give a man a fish and you will feed him for the day. Teach a man to fish and he will take care of himself.
Goodby all you Anti-Americans. I wish I could wish you all out of this country.

Someone wrote a book about a whole continent stupid enough to grab their ankles for the world for 500 years. Do you think this whiner is part of the problem or the solution? Obviously a whole lot of slow learners in that neighborhood!

Oh, really…so if the United States had ignored Latin America and refused to do business with them, that would be OK?
There wouldn’t BE any businesses in Latin America if it weren’t for the Americans and the Europeans, just as there’s no way that the Arabs could have figured out how to drill oil on their own…much less figure out a use for it.
People in many parts of Latin America are exploiting THEMSELVES, and without America’s help-crime, corruption, kidnappings, murder, assassinations, bombings, armed thugs, private armies.
It is not the United States’ fault that they chose to stick with semi-feudalism and failed to adopt Jeffersonian Democracy.
I still point to the past and the inane argument that the Communists always make that it is better for the natives to exploit and butcher each other because then it’s ‘revolution’, ‘social evolution’ and ‘self-determination’, and if outsiders do it, it’s ‘exploitation’ and ‘imperialism’.
There is no way on Earth that one can (without lying) say that the United States has done ANYTHING (sorry, no italics here) like the Europeans did originally in the way of imperialism in Latin America…or Africa or Asia for that matter.

Ahhh, how fascinating to see all these armchair experts in world politics! The internet is a breading ground for morons to post comments to fire each other up, 700 some odd comments, nearly all a waste of time…. Seems like Americans sure like to hear themselves talk and have opinions on things they know nothing about.. would not expect anything else.

A gift is a gift, given in good spirit that makes us one – the receiver and the giver. The TAO says we should never question a giver’s purpose, but the gift giver should also never ask us if we ripped the pages from such a book to clean our behind. So says Lao Tsu.

Anybody notice that in South America, they speak Spanish and not English as we do in the United States? If the people of South America want to be mad at anyone, be mad at Spain for taking all the gold not the United States. The fact of the matter is, it doesn’t matter who you are, where you are from, how much you make for a living or how much you already have, and might I mention this is also the reason why socialism may never work. Almost nobody in this world ever wakes up in the morning and says to themselves, I think I have to much or make to much so I think I’m going to give away part of my income or tell the boss at work that I think I’m being payed more than I am worth so I’ll be glad to take a pay cut.
It is human nature to always want more than we already have. This does not only pertain to the monetary system but also knowledge, this is why most of us are not still swinging in trees and eating each other. We always want the simplest least expensive answer that we can find, this will most likely never change, or at least we may never live to see it. When will it change? It will change when we all place more value on others than we do ourselves. We all need to learn that our friends, family coworkers and, everyone in our lives and around us are just as important as we are to ourselves. Everything that we do affects everyone and everything around us, until we all learn that the world will never change. This is why I fear for our future as a whole.

They don’t complain to Spain, France, or England because the U.S. is the country with the checkbook and liberal white guilt. This was nothing more than the guilt trip that preludes the begging se$$ion. They should be focusing on population control from Mexico to Argentina to stabilize their economy.

I don’t get it. The Latins complain about the U.S. exploiting them, all but Cuba that complains about our staying away.

After an expensive and lengthy trip to Europe,Turkey,Saudi Arabia and Latin Amemerica our President came back with “a book”.The only cunning one was Castro, who will be laughing his way to the bank smoking his cuban cigar.

I’m a little confused. I sent Senator Obama a criminal indictment, in the form of a book, and it was returned with a letter stating “Senator Obama wants to lead by example. Instituting a clear cut, no-gift policy should eliminate any appearance of an individual or organization attempting to influence him.” Then I resent the indictment to President Obama this year and it was returned again. How is it I can’t get the highest Executive officer in my country to accept a criminal indictment of a number of officials posing as law-enforcement and he can accept a GIFT, in the form of a book, from a foreign dignitary?
Brian Kilcullen ~ Enemies in War

The US has meddled in Latin America. Whooo, that’s good. For a second, I thought Chavez might not have a reason to make all dissent and criticism of him illegal. I thought he mignt not be justified in seizing private property by force, jailing his opponents and rigging elections. I thought there might not be a rationale behind funding a terrorist organization, FARC, and becoming pals with a state, Iran, that funds Hamas and Hezbollah. But since we have meddled in Latin American affairs, all this is reasonable, and Obama looks great palling around with this paragon of virtue. And for a second I thought it might look like he was chummy with a brutal totalitarian thug. Boy am I relieved.

The only reason for the problems some of these Latin American countries have, is that their politicians there are thiefs, and these countries have a history of economis rip-off at the hands of the politicians they elected.
Another problem after that one is that some of them keep blaming other countries for what happened 600 years ago, instead of assuming responsibility,and stop whining.
On top of that, many of these countries have been penetrated by the ideology of the government of Castro, now Chavez, etc., which use opportunism to exacerbate the situation described above.
It’s like a psychologically disturbed person: cannot let go, and focus on the present, blame others for their problems, and keep electing the wrong people, like an abused woman keeps chosing abusive men.
That’s what’s really happening in Latin Ametica in a nutshell.

The past is the past. America has made its mistakes, but also has had its share of triumphs and has given alot to the world. Hugo Chavez is an ass clown. Obama is not a fool for accepting the book. Anyone would have done that including both the bushs reagan carter and clinton. Obama is a fool for thinking that Hugo Chavaz, Kim Jong Il and others just hated George Bush. They hate America and guess what Pres Obama you are America. Stand up to these idiots, because they are our greatest threat, and will be for a long time.

After reading several coments it seems like here in the usa the word america is specific to only united states. after so many decades you all fail to realize that the people of canada central and south america are americans we are still educated in the rest of the contenent that we are americans and by the way spanish is a european language.

After an expensive and lengthy trip to Europe,Turkey,Saudi Arabia and Latin Amemerica our President came back with “a book”.The only cunning one was Castro, who will be laughing his way to the bank smoking his cuban cigar.

To say that the president is being ‘buddies’ with this US antagonist is ridiculous. He is a respectful statesman, and snubbing Chavez would have accomplished nothing. Chavez can do little to the US and he knows it. We’re still one of their largest trading partners if you can believe that. He’s using us a boogeyman to keep the people on his side.
He knows full well that as much as we dislike him, military action against Venezuela is out of the question, so he likes to pretend when he speaks to the people that a US invasion is right around the corner.

This is why we all need to adopt the Quaker lifestyle.