April 19th, 2009 7:52 pm
Obama is doing the very minimum -- to reverse the serious DAMAGE inflicted for over 60 years, by successive United States Govts., upon world stability and peace, by American:
1) militarist -- from Vietnam to Iraq and then some
2)supremacist/exceptionalist (we-are-the-best-the-greatest blather)
3) punitive (as in the unsuccessful sanctions and embargoes)
4)protectionist (there's nothing better than 'free' unfair trade)
foreign policy. I don't expect Obama to do any anything more than make the most minimal adjustments to longstanding US neo-imperial policy.
But at least it's a shaky and transient start. Republicans like Graham and Ensign show Latin America how difficult and untrustworthy the US will be in any negotiation towards a fair world order.
The govts. of Latin America and the Caribbean would be wise not to make any premature and hasty concessions to this or any other US govt., until the US demonstrates substantive changes on the above.
Chithra KarunaKaran
Ethical Democracy As Lived Practice
http://EthicalDemocracy.blogspot.com
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http://community.nytimes.com/article/comments/2009/04/20/world/americas/20prexy.html
162.
April 19, 2009 7:18 pm
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President Obama should return to Venezuela the terrorist Luis Posada Carriles who blew up a Cubana airliner in 1967 killing all 73 people aboard and whom the United States has been harboring within our borders since he escaped from a Venezuelan prison while he was awaiting trial in 1985.
President Obama should also apologize for the toppling of dozens of democratically elected governments by the United States in Latin America since 1953 and replacing them with murdering, torturing dictators.
President Obama should also close the School of the Americas (now called the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation), in Fort Benning, Georgia, where the United States trained those dictators' murderers and torturers.
— Bill Appledorf, San Francisco
RecommendedRecommended by 4 Readers
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86.
April 19, 2009 8:07 pm
Link
As a Venezuelan-American from and old and honorable Venezuelan family, I am shocked at the overture that President Obama gave to President Chavez.
I will resume like this: I just visited with my family in Caracas and was horrified about the mess that has become that beautiful city.
In case President Obama, who deserve my respect and admiration, doesn't know about Mr. Chavez, I am going to resume his behavior in one phrase:
Mr Chavez Chavez has caused the most unbelievable destruction and division that now exists in my country of origin. All the three powers, Supreme Court, Legislative and Excecutive are in his hands, managed by his close incompetent friends.
Tha last thing I saw before leaving was the assault of a Sinagogue in which a group of "bandoleros" even destroyed the Torah. This was the result of a very agressive rethoric which he uses against his "enemies."
For no reason he broke diplomatic relations with Israel, a country with which we have had excellent relations. There has never been anti-semitism in Venezuela until he came to power.
I expect President Obama to learn more about Mr. Chavez.
— leomill11, Tucson, Arizona 95718
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187.
April 19, 2009 8:07 pm
Link
As a truly democrat venezuelan, who opposes Chàvez and his dictatorship and totalitarian government I liked Obamas approach to Chávez. I thought that the multicultural reference that accounts for Obama made him understand what even many venezuelans have not understood. Chávez claims to be the world liberator of all oppressive regimes of the past. He wants to be the leader of the world. As oil prices have diminished he is not so sure on his feet.So he is bright enough and knows that he and needs to enlargen his scope of relations. One of them is US with multicultural President that happens to be brighter than him. I think Obama behaved politically correct and he has to wait for Chávez reactions in order to ask him his pre conditions to negotiatea after he humilated the US Embassador in Caracas and kick him out in 24 hours. As a truly democrat citizen who adverses Chávez I hope that Obama asks Chávez the minimal pre requirements of Democracies. Cha´vez`s totalitarian regime has strenghten trough the last months and days and we citizens of this country have almost no right to talk.....or propieties are in danger
— elisae, Venezuela
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http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/20/world/americas/20prexy.html?hp
Obama Defends Reaching Out to Chávez
By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG
Published: April 19, 2009
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