Home > Panicky Bush slinks away from Chavez
Governments USA South/Latin America
by Mike Whitney
The easiest way to understand the institutional bias of western media is to analyze reporting from the developing world. The economic summit in Mar Del Plata, Argentina, provides an excellent opportunity to evaluate the coverage and decide whether such partiality exists.
Although tens of thousands of working people came to protest George Bush and his suspiciously-named “free trade” economic policies; they were invariably smeared by the corporate media as “Leftists” or “radicals”; eliminating the possibility that they were simply concerned citizens participating in the democratic process. This is the familiar tactic of the media to marginalize ordinary people whose interests don’t correspond to those of the ruling elite.
“Latin America’s radical leftists took to the streets on Friday,” Jack Chang breathlessly reported for Knight Ridder, but all the other news outlets invoked the same disparaging language.
The main target at the event was Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, a leader who is invariably slandered by the media with the monikers “leftist firebrand”, “radical president” (Financial Times) or fiery, populist president (NY Times). At some point in every article, Chavez is lumped together with Fidel Castro or Che Guevara in a conspicuous attempt to dismiss him as an anti-American troublemaker. In fact, Chavez was among the first countries to come to America’s aid following Hurricane Katrina, offering doctors, medicine and oil to the devastated region. No major media source publicly credited him for his charitable contributions.
Chavez, of course, is guilty of redistributing some of Venezuela’s prodigious oil wealth to the poor and needy of his country. This has made him an imminent threat to the entrenched oligarchy and their teammates in the media.
“We are creating a great political body in the south, and not only geographically,” Chavez opined. “This is the great task of our region, to create a consensus of ‘the south’ that will bring better lives to all our people.”
Chavez’s innocuous comments were vilified in most of the reports as inciting anti-Americanism or, worse still, “subverting democracy in his country”. (Knight Ridder) In fact, it is the rising tide of democracy in South America that has Washington so concerned. Chavez has captured the imagination of the common man and is pointing to a way out of the neoliberal policies that have kept Washington’s boot placed firmly on neck of southern hemisphere economies for 20 years.
“We’ve come to bury FTAA,” Chavez roared to the capacity crowd. “I even brought a shovel”.
The Venezuelan president’s remarks were enthusiastically applauded by the thousands in the crowd who chanted back, “Fascist Bush, You are the terrorist”.
Chavez was flanked by antiwar activist Cindy Sheehan and former footballer Diego Maradona. Maradona added to Chavez’s stinging repudiation of free trade by calling Bush, “human rubbish.” (This was only reported in one outlet; the Australian based News.com) Like many Argentines, Maradono believes that the US policies precipitated Argentina’s economic meltdown which left 40% of the population living in poverty.
Most of the articles failed to report this crucial fact which contextualizes the negative sentiment that many in the south feel for America. It has nothing to do with the “fiery oratory” of Chavez, but a clear grasp of the devastating effects of US free trade policies.
The majority of Latin Americans are now opposed to the creation of a free trade region in the Americas. They are also against the repayment of the foreign debt and the growing threat of US militarization. They are increasingly frustrated with the increasing disparity of wealth between rich and poor as well as with rising unemployment.
Again, none of these factors has anything to do with Chavez who is mistakenly held responsible for inciting hatred of America.
Chavez has, however, been a unifying figure who has shared his oil wealth with other countries in the region and created an alternate economic model, Mercosur, which challenges the US’s dominance in the hemisphere. It was a stunning blow to the Bush team when free trade loyalist Vicente Fox announced at the summit that Mexico would be joining Mercosur.
Chavez’s comments only added insult to injury:
“The planet is being destroyed under our own noses by the capitalist model, the destructive engine of development. Every day there is more hunger, more misery, thanks to the neo-liberal, capitalist model.”
The rejection of FTAA is a mainstream position emerging from the political awakening of the people themselves. Simply put, the methods applied by the Washington Consensus have been tried and have failed rather spectacularly. The new majority doesn’t want to “destroy local industry, roll back social safety nets and labor protections”, destroy the environment, or prolong America’s supremacy in the region.
“We have come to bury FTAA because it’s an old project of the imperial eagle that from the beginning planned to sink its claws into Latin America,” said Chavez.
The media coverage of the summit obscured the details that would have provided the necessary background for understanding the rage at Bush’s appearance. The event was framed as a “showdown” between Chavez and Bush. Even on this superficial level the corporate media demonstrated its deftness at tip-toeing around what really took place. As Reuters pointed out, the strutting Texan, who exudes confidence and courage behind a phalanx of security guards and concertina wire, “carefully avoided” Chavez while the world waited with baited-breath.
“Carefully avoided”!?!
“This summit is not about Hugo Chavez,” one Bush advisor said defensively. “This is not news.”
But, of course, it is news. And, when the word gets out that the boastful Bush slinked out of Argentina rather than face his arch-rival, it will be very big news indeed.
Mike lives in Washington State with his charming wife Joan and two spoiled and overfed dogs, Cocoa and Pat-Fergie.
Forum posts
8 December 2005, 11:50
Isn’t this history?
Ah, but the anti-Bush people are only good at repeat cataloging of entries.
How ’bout some answers and direction for a change?
8 December 2005, 12:59
That’s a mantra that bears repeating, "Fascist Bush, you are the terrorist", ’Fascist Bush, you are the terrorist", "Fascist Bush, you are the terrorist". I think the South Americans have it right.
And as for Mr. ’answers and direction for a change’ , you Bush lovers are only good at repeating propaganda and lies. Talk about change, you Bush lovers all about maintaining the status quo, ’Stay the course’, even while your ship of state is sinking. And don’t tell me it’s not, for that would reveal your overwhelming ignorance of current global economics to all. You Bush lovers are the greatest pack of fools ever to rule an empire. The sooner you ignorant, boot snoveling neo-fascists are finally gone from America, the better the whole world will be.
8 December 2005, 23:35
Why is it that you Americans always view any issue in binary terms. "You are with us or against us", appears to be your mantra as well as the administration’.
How about the fact that I am neither a Bush backer nor anti-Bush?
Please re-read my post with this in mind. It is quite neutral. It merely points out the observed fact that the anti-Bush folks endlessly repeat their bulleted items. How about taking one of the items and think of changing or defeating it, if you like.
I did not say anything about "staying the course" or anything that would support the administration’s policies.
Cataloging these same events/items over and over again is useless. The people who do this appear not to be able to move away from the gromet. All the while the administration, I suspect, understanding this about the anti-Bush camps moves forward with their agenda. They have nothing to fear from the mere echos.
9 December 2005, 00:48
We can’t afford being neutral, Mr. Foreigner. Our future is on the line. And so is yours, since the entire world’s economy is tied with the US Federal Treasury. I never see these events you speak of being broadcasted with any veracity by our mass media, so they bear repeating. Cataloguing of these events is necessary for a general public whose collective memory never goes back further than 8 months. Our mass media, if you haven’t noticed, is controlled, indirectly and sometimes directly, by our federal government. Keeping the American public informed of major events in their totality, with the truth intact, is not on the agenda of the majority of the news outlets in the US. This why most aware Americans, young and old, rely on the Net for the real news. And sometimes, if the events described are criminal and immoral, they bear repeating. So, I’m afraid you’re very wrong on this issue.
OK so let’s take one of these ’items’ you speak of. What do you mean ’items’, are events items in your newspeak? How can anyone in their right mind defeat an ’item’ or an ’event’, especially if it’s already occurred? How does one change an event when it has already happened? All one can do is report on an event as faithfully and as honestly as one can, so, if the event has negative or catastrophic consequences we can all learn from it. These reports are then broadcasted so more of us can learn.
It seems that you are asking for the moon, or a time machine, ’defeating events’.
Speak plainly, Mr. Wizard, for you make very little sense to me.
9 December 2005, 07:52
Well, I’ll reply to some of your angered concerns. But beyond that, at the moment, I do not have the time nor the space it would require to delve into to resolve an issue.
BTW, I’ve indented some text here, I do not know what the formatter will do — it may not appear as cleanly deleanated as the original. Apologies in advance.
So, with that, let me begin.
We can’t afford being neutral, Mr. Foreigner.
First you are wrong on two counts; I am neither a "Mr." nor a "Foreigner". You may call me Jamie, if you must.
You immediately then jump to an argument outside the scope of the original post, by saying:
Our future is on the line
And so is yours, since the entire world’s economy is tied with
the US Federal Treasury. I never see these events you speak of
being broadcasted with any veracity by our mass media, so they
bear repeating.
Please re-read my post. The events and items are cited in the original post. I only reference them as "events" and "items" to push forward the discussion.
Yes, endless repeating is all that is being transpired by the anti-Bush camp. Through out the time of this war, (limiting the timeframe for the sake of argument) events that occured have been endlessly repeat. What has that resolved? What has been added to the collective understanding by this chant?
Cataloguing of these events is necessary for a general public
whose collective memory never goes back further than 8 months.
First, the general public does not normally access this blog and second, the general public’s memory is actuall more like 30 second and not 8 months.
Our mass media, if you haven’t noticed, is controlled, indirectly and
sometimes directly, by our federal government. Keeping the American
public informed of major events in their totality, with the truth intact,
is not on the agenda of the majority of the news outlets in the US.
Your focus diverges here and your argument does a 180 and confronts itself. To deconstruct such vague and angered expression would take much to much space and time... I apologize for now; perhaps, we can take this up in E-mail and thrash a resolution.
This why most aware Americans, young and old, rely on the
Net for the real news. And sometimes, if the events described are
criminal and immoral, they bear repeating.
Ah, here we go with the "repeating" again. I would also disagree with you that most aware Americans turn to the ’Net to get "real news" (your words).
So, I’m afraid you’re very wrong on this issue.
I am not sure you understood what I said — as your above statement seems disconnected. Please re-read my reply.
(I’ve deleted a portion of your reply... It made no sense. Perhaps, later
we may pick this up...)
But then you leave the planet (let alone the topic with the following):
It seems that you are asking for the moon, or a time machine,
’defeating events’.
Please, do re-read my post. You have no concentration and an absolute wild imagination. Wow!
Speak plainly, Mr. Wizard, for you make very little sense to me.
I did speak plainly. And again, it is not "Mr." — And again, you may call me Jamie.
If I make little sense to you, then it is your own inability to reason and think. Please, do re-read my reply.
9 December 2005, 15:25
I’m afraid it’s your inability to think or reason that’s in debate, not mine. You failed to answer or rebut any of my comments. You still don’t know what you yourself mean by events or items. You mention defeating ’items’ and changing ’events’. I merely stated what are talking about when you mention items, what do you mean by defeating them? And as for changing events that have already happened, you indeed need a time machine, sir.
If you don’t see how dire the world’s future has become, than I’m sorry that you prefer to continue to stick your head in the sand, [it is so much more comforting than actually confronting reality, isn’t it?] and instead of learning you’d rather debate silly, ulitimately useless debates on semantics with an anonymous person who merely is trying to wake up.
You are wrong when say that the majority of aware Americans get their perspective in world events from the mass media, and not the Net. The Net is what is saving us.
You’re just dead wrong about this issue, the only issue you seem to articulate well, and I’m going to repeat this truism until it’s sinks in your head.
So let’s just call you ’Neutered Neutral’ alright, and end it. If your looking for some kind of agenda from me, forget it. It’s your responsibilty to educate yourself, not mine.
You’re right about one thing, Mr. Wizard was too awesome a title for you. And as for my wild imagination, I’m proud of it. Better than being some witless automaton, which is apparently what you are.
9 December 2005, 19:32
Pay no mind to the provocataur behing the curtain... I agree the world’s economy and spirit are bankrupt and ready to explode. The Fed Reserve is evil, making taxing the citizens a necessity (our involuntary servitude, slave state a reality) and corruption starting with killing JFK and proceeding to CIA drug runnning and assassinations here and abroad, leading into an IRAN-CONTRA criminal cabal still existing today headed by the BUSH_CLINTON crime syndicate. Maybe the solution is a nationwide prayer to rid the world of evil. PEACE ...zorro
10 December 2005, 03:01
You are funny, calling me a "provocataur".
If it is provoking you to think and try to jump beyond the useless repeating of past events to gain additional understanding, then I think I like the title.
But I just get the feeling that I am being labelled and tossed into the Bush’s camp because I did not repat the slogans that you and the other poster used.
Please re-read my original post with neutral sight and try to see what I am saying.
And also consider what you have said in your non-focused, scatter-shot reply about iran-contra, JFK, etc., etc. You are endlessly repeating (and in a highly and densely fragmented way) past events. You, yourself cannot reason youeself to move in a personal way to an action.
Yes, prayers are nice but they are only an agumentation to human effort. God only helps those who make effort. In this light, when the effort is to recatalogue the lies and absues of the leadership — then that is what He will help you with.
10 December 2005, 03:11
My dear chap,
I told you I am not a man, yet you continue to refer to me with a masculine title. I ask you to re-read my post, which, clearly you have not done. And if you have you are still not understanding the few sentences in my first post.
It is funny that you want to focus on my "inability to think and reason" when you cannot even move away from calling me a man when I told you that I am a woman.
I might ask you to re-read my reply regarding the information of the people who are "aware" — Where did I say that MSM is their source? You seem to think that the ’Net is their source. But there are many other venues for people to become enlightened.
Please re-read what I said in that reply.
Ah, and the personal attacks. Yes, it is the last refuge of the imbecile. Hehehe... You seem to ejoy your frustration.
11 December 2005, 05:32
Despite the machinations of the western media’s "spindoctors", it is refreshing and inspiring that the masses in South America, led by Hugo Chavez, are relentlessly rejecting US-led neoliberalism and FTAA.