Obama, Democrats Disrespect Mexico and Brazil--Where Are the Bush Critics?
By Michael Barone, Thomas Jefferson Street blog
They will love us again, Obamaenthusiasts exulted, other countries will love us when we replace Bushchimphitler with a sophisticated, urbane leader who shows respect for other nations.
Well, how's that playing out? Not so well. Barack Obama, as it happens, has never visited Latin America. On the stump and otherwise he has paid little attention to it. So perhaps it's not surprising that in the last few days he has shown disrespect for the two leading nations of Latin America, Brazil and Mexico, two nations which between them have half the population of Latin America. Two nations which have intelligent, constructive presidents, the center-left Lula da Silva of Brazil and the center-right Felipe Calderon on Mexico.
Here's the Associated Press account of Obama's meeting with Lula. Note that the leader of the world's fifth most populous country was slotted in on a Saturday. Here's a live blog that notes that the leader of historically protectionist Brazil did a far better job of pressing for free trade. Lula wants to revive the Doha round talks, in which Brazil has played an important and constructive role. The Obama administration doesn't seem much interested.
And here is Mexico's Ambassador Arturo Sarukhan on Congress's decision to continue to bar Mexican trucks from the United States, in violation of NAFTA. Has the Obama administration lifted a finger to stop the Democrats in Congress from this shameless sellout to their paymasters in the Teamsters Union? Not so far as one can tell.
Cheap shot attacks on the Bush foreign policy as dictatorial and disrespectful of other nations have continued even after Bush has left office, as in this column by the usually sophisticated Fareed Zakaria. Perhaps such gratuitous insults are required for admittance to Manhattan salons. What if anything do Bush critics have to say about the disrespect shown by the Obama administration and the Democratic Congress for Brazil and Mexico?
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Tags: Brazil | Mexico | Barack Obama
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Reader Comments
Can republicans criticize?
I mean, besides the epic failure known as the Bush Administration, how can NeoCons accuse democrats of anything? Your boy Bush wanted to build a wall between US and Mexico. Thats a bit insulting isnt it?
And its funny how neocons were all pro government when wiretaps were going on and Homeland security was being formed. "Well, if you arent doing anything wrong, who cares if the government is listening in on your calls?" Or Eminent domain reared its head again. "Well, you should give up that land for government. Dont be anti american and get in Bushs way!" And Bush invades the wrong country in retaliation for 9/22, "Well, those people need to be liberated too. We need to send them trillions to get their lives back together!" But now Obama talks about giving people an option besides being screwed by private industry and now these same neocons are saying, "Get outta our lives government!! We arent paying to help americans get health care!!" Really? Neocons have taken hypocrisy to a whole new level.
Still Clueless
It's always fun reading the comments because it proves among other things that people don't read carefully what is written or just want to toss insults at each other.
The point of the column is not about ideology. Bush was conservative and Obama is liberal. So what? The issue at hand is competence and bias. Bush was lambasted for being a reckless cowboy who was insensitive to our allies and neighbors. Obama was supposed to heal all that. But simple respect and protocol to foreign dignitaries and honoring agreements that are already in place (such as NAFTA, whether you like it or not) is an issue of competence and respect. I still don't see much of either.
By the way, the "I'm behind Geithner 100%" is Obama's "Brownie, you're doing a hell of job" moment.
Nice.
Hoping for Change ( in a hurry)
President teleprompter can't even meet with a foreign leader without screwing up the most basic details.He can't find anyone but tax cheats and authoritarian crackpots owned by the Saudis to appoint, and every time he opens his mouth the market spirals further downward.Yes this was certainly the change we needed.
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