EFerrari (1000+ posts) Thu Dec-10-09 03:47 PM
Original message
"America has never fought a war against a democracy"
"America has never fought a war against a democracy, and our closest friends are governments that protect the rights of their citizens." --- President Barack Obama, December 10, 2009
I set out to listen to the president's speech today after only catching bits of it here at work. And to read the text, too, after all, as the Rude Pundit said, this is Obama talking to History. The occasion requires careful attention.
Clearly, Americans listen to Obama differently than the rest of the world listens. But for the people of Latin America, this claim of his is a stomach punch. The window of hope and goodwill and support Barack Obama inspired among progressive Latin American leaders and even among the peoples of Latin America during his campaign just slammed shut.
(I have to wonder, considering that Latinos are the fastest growing demographic in the United States, what Obama is thinking just at the political level. Forget all that talk about listening and partnership. What about all these new young Latino voters?)
The United States has waged war against democracy in Latin America by other means relentlessly from the 1954 overthrow in Guatemala to the latest crime against the Honduran people -- a president's kidnapping fueled at our base, the coupster's mouthpiece a Clinton veteran, Negroponte advising both the coup and the Secretary of State. Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Venezuela, Honduras, Chile, and Haiti -- yes, I know that's a different region but we are connected with our brothers and sisters in Haiti by the motive, means and opportunity of the aggressors.
Our "closest friend" in Latin America is Uribe's murderous regime in Colombia -- one that kills civilians with impunity and dresses the bodies in FARC uniforms to cover their murders, that builds crematoria in the jungle to dispose of the evidence, that at last count has killed over 150 school teachers just this year and that leads the world in the murder of union organizers.
I am stunned that an American president could make such a claim even as Mel Zelaya is being denied safe passage out of Honduras. And in particular, I am stunned that this president could make such a claim given his experience in "third world" nations and what I hope is his knowledge of the long history of the United States aiding and abetting dictators and turning a blind eye to the slaughter of people demanding democracy, from East Timor to Tegucigalpa.
And while Barack Obama is certainly not responsible for the war on Latin American democracy that the United States has waged for decades, I hold him responsible for giving a truthful accounting of that history and I hold him accountable for what is today happening under his governance.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7197679 typical DUmbassery.
ShortnFiery (1000+ posts) Thu Dec-10-09 03:51 PM
Response to Original message
1. Yes, those trained at the "School of Americas" during the 80s were not up to anything GOOD.
freddie mertz (1000+ posts) Thu Dec-10-09 03:52 PM
Response to Original message
3. Chile, anyone? nt.
arcadian (1000+ posts) Thu Dec-10-09 03:57 PM
Response to Original message
6. The U.S. President needs a history lesson.
Octafish (1000+ posts) Thu Dec-10-09 04:10 PM
Response to Original message
12. Wish I could rec this a million times.
I love my country, right or wrong. When she's wrong, I work to put her right. That's hard to do when CIA -- or whoever runs the spookworld that is America's secret government -- calls the shots.
President Obama needs to brush up on his history. Same goes especially for his speechwriters.
Thank you very much, EFerrari. Outstanding. KR&B.
I was wondering about how the DUmp would respond to Barry in Oslo...
Another thread...from Norway?
trigz (675 posts) Thu Dec-10-09 03:33 PM
Original message http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x49408
A thanks from Norway...
...to the American people for electing this fantastic man as your president. The speech he gave in my hometown today is the best political speech I have ever heard, bar none.
You're bloody lucky to have Barack Obama - and so are we. History is in the making with Obama at the helm.
Is this really Gibbs?
avaistheone1 (1000+ posts) Thu Dec-10-09 03:38 PM
Response to Original message
3. He will be available in 2012. You can have him.
Edited on Thu Dec-10-09 03:39 PM by avaistheone1
not tombstoned yet...
After some back and forth on the Afghanistan war, which avaistheone claims he voted for Barry to end...
jenmito (1000+ posts) Thu Dec-10-09 04:21 PM
Response to Reply #20
22. Not true. Afghanistan was considered a "just" war by the majority. If you felt so strongly about
his position on the Afghan war, you should've voted 3rd party or something.
treestar (1000+ posts) Thu Dec-10-09 04:14 PM
Response to Reply #3
18. OMG
Then why are you here on DU? I cannot believe I am reduced to freeper talking points, but why not find a country that is good enough for you? At least try.
irony! it's soooooooo pretty!
Clio the Leo (1000+ posts) Thu Dec-10-09 03:44 PM
Response to Original message
6. He belongs to the world....
..... after taking our share of Ghandi, Mandela, Mother Theresa and the Beatles, it's high time we return the favor again.
I can't tell if it's sarcasm.
