Bush In South America

Has anyone reading this blog seen the footage of Bush in South America? Some of it is classic.

For instance, I saw a press confrence where Bush had his nose SO FAR up the President of Argentina's ass that I am surprised he could still breathe. I do not know if it was funny or embarassing.

Of course, he has to kiss someone's ass. His image in South America is pretty bad. For some reason, people in South America seem to think that the USA would see the whole region in poverty, and then build a tall wall to close off our borders. Of course, they also think that the USA would just love to rape all the natural resources in the process. All the oil in Venezuela, all the trees in the Amazon, the gold and other shiny metals and pretty rocks - all that stuff.

Now why would they think this? It is not like the USA has exported any wars to Central and South America. It is not like American demand for cocaine, and the government's "war on drugs" has not ruined Colombia. It is not like the USA never armed a bunch of rebels so they could overthrow some government we did not like - just to have to arm some other rebels when the first band of rebels set up a government we did not like either.

Oh wait, all those things did happen? OOPS! Forget I said anything. The truth is that OUTSIDE Miami Floirda, where I live, nobody gives a rats ass about anything south of Texas. That is the American way. Screw up things overseas, then pretend that everything is OK. The history of US policy towards Central and South America is pretty clear.

And what would that policy be? Just ask any redneck what they think about Central and South America. Once they stop yelping about how the Confederate States will rise again and realize that South America does NOT mean "the south", but actually means everything south of Panama - you get the answer. "There ain't nothin down there but beaners and wetbacks, we ought to wall off the border to protect jobs!". That, in a nutshell, sums up the problem. For at least 200 years, the USA saw Mexico and everything south of Mexico as beaner land. Our playground to do with as we want, without having to worry about it. Do not like the government of some small Central American nation? Arm rebels! Start a civil war! Problem solved!

But not exactly. It is our problem. This might shock many Americans, but people in Latin America are NOT dumb. They can do things like read and write. They can follow politics. They can see what is going on in the nations they live in.

Bush has done little, if anything, to improve America's image down south. In all the time he has been president, this is his FIRST trip to South America. Yet he claims now that good relations with Latin America is "important". So important he can go to Texas, but not to Mexico. And certianly not to Argentina or Brazil.

So now, at this Free Trade Confrence, he has to do overtime ass kissing. Super mega extra heavy-duty ass kissing. My guess is that it will not work.

Meanwhile, Chavez can always be counted on to clown things up a bit. He is pretty much pulling a carbon copy of what Castro did in Cuba. Of course he would not have been able to pull this off if there was NOT a huge disparity between the rich and the poor - but that is another issue. The guy is a clown. Bush makes a speech, Chavez holds a rally. It is like he is in some sort of competition or something.

And the best part of all this - the part that proves what I am saying is correct - the USA press. Bush will make a speech about the free trade thing and what does his own press ask? "Can you comment about Scooter Libby". All that premium ass kissing, with the President of Argentina standing right there, and the American Press ignores it all.

This did not really surprise me. I told you that the majority of America does not care about anything south of the tall wall that people in the USA think will instantly solve all our problems. As if all the problems in America are caused by people that do not speak english.