The Handshake In Tobago That Sent Shock Waves
by Jerry Gordon, The Iconoclast, April 19, 2009
Obama's hand shake with Hugo Chavez in Tobago
The handshakes at the Americas Summit in Trinidad/Tobago between Obama and President for Life Hugo Chavez of Venezuela and Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega bespeaks of appeasement, anti-Americanism and anti-Semitism, given Chavez continuing drum roll of propaganda against the US and actions against the small Venezuelan Jewish community depriving them of liberty and worse. Chavez called Obama an ‘ignoramus’ in late March:
“He goes and accuses me of exporting terrorism: the least I can say is that he’s a poor ignoramus; he should read and study a little to understand reality,” said Chavez, who heads a group of left-wing Latin American leaders opposed to the U.S. influence in the region.
–Los Angeles Times, March 23, 2009.
And note this comment from a pro-Chavez Venezuelan supporters just before the recent Israeli Operatiion Cast Lead in Gaza:
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One week before the invasion, a Chavista columnist named Emilio Silva posted a call to action on Aporrea, a pro-government Web site, describing Jews as “squalid” _ a term Chavez often uses to describe his opponents as weak _ and exhorting Venezuelans to confront them as anti-government conspirators.
“Publicly challenge every Jew that you find in the street, shopping center or park,” he wrote, “shouting slogans in favor of Palestine and against that abortion: Israel.”
Moreover, Chavez is an integral part of Iran’s ‘double lasso’ strategy against America in the Western hemisphere that features diplomatic relations and economic development assistance to Marxist countries. It also includes supporting the blocs of Sh’ia Hezbollah and Hamas supporters in the triangle area of Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina and engaging in training of terrorists for possible actions against US interests in the hemisphere. After all, Iran and Hezbollah undertook actions in Panama and Argentina in1992 and 1994 killing and injuring hundreds of Panamanian and Argentinian Jews and Israelis. (Continue Reading this Article)
So BO shakes the hand of a banana republic leader, as though we are peers with Venezuela; but he bows low to the leader of Saudi Arabia. I think I can see the picture.
Comment by BlandOatmeal — April 19, 2009 @ 6:41 am
The last time we had really smart people in charge, they screwed up in Vietnam. Read Halberstam’s “The Best and the Brightest”. And will no one remember Long Term Capital Management–a bunch of Nobel-class economists who lost hundreds of millions for their investors.
What’s needed in Middle East policy now isn’t brilliance; it’s “tachlis” aka common sense or street smarts.
“When will the war against the Jews be over?”
“Well, it’s been going on for 2000 years; it should be over soon.”
Comment by Economist — April 23, 2009 @ 1:54 am