Brazil inaugurates first leftist president

CNN ^ | January 2, 2003 | AP

[Norman Arbuthnot]

Brazilian President-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva waves as he rides in an open car on his way to the National Congress to be sworn in Wednesday. ------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Norman Arbuthnot]

Of course, it goes unmentioned in this article that Lula is intent upon developing a nuclear weapons program for Brazil and has stated that publicly. I'm sure he is keeping a close eye on events in Korea. If we accept blackmail from the NKs it does not send a good message (for us) to the Lula's of the world.

[Libertarianize the GOP]

http://www.freerepublic.com/perl/bump-list

[buffyt]

I visited Brazil, spent some time in Sao Paolo, man that is the smoggiest place on earth! And I am from Los Angeles! A Leftist president? That should pretty much spell their doom. The people are forced to vote in Brazil. They had elections while I was there. Our house boy had to go vote. We all gave him money to cover his bus trip to his home town to vote. He was three days late getting back and we all worried. He was carrying cash, and that alone spells disater there.

[inkling]

South American politics are so depressing. That continent has SO MUCH POTENTIAL and they remain mired in corruption, violence and poverty. Such a shame.

[bimbo]

Our house boy had to go vote.

Don't worry ... that will be the last time he has to vote.

[MetalHeadConservative35]

As Silva traveled to Congress in the back of a convertible Rolls-Royce, a sea people of chanted "Lula! Lula!" and raised red flags bearing the color his party in the air.

red flags? uh oh...yall know what that means....commies just took brazil.....

[MetalHeadConservative35]

speaking of corruption, transparency international rates lula's party as the cleanest in brazil

they probably said the same thing about X42's admin as well

[inkling]

speaking of corruption, transparency international rates lula's party as the cleanest in brazil.

That's good to hear, but the phrase "the cleanest political party in Brazil" is like calling Lawrence Welk's birthplace "the biggest tourist attraction in North Dakota." It's probably true, but it ain't saying much.

Brazil is replete with problems and a hard left turn will multiply the crises. And if Lula continues his love affair with Castro and Chavez it will cause trouble for Washington as well as Brasilia.

The atrocious behavior of corrupt, clueless elites throughout Latin America have led many to the false hope of socialism. This is a completely understandable development, but I'm afraid it will lead the region to even greater depths of despair. It illustrates how incredibly fortunate the U.S. was to have a fairly selfless band of founding fathers instead of the inconsistent egotists that liberated our neighbors to the south.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Cuban President Fidel Castro, left, speaks with his counterpart from Venezuela, Hugo Chavez when their attend the inauguration ceremony of the new Brazilian president Luis Inacio Lula da Silva, Brasilia, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2002. (AP Photo/Eladio Farines)

Transcript of House Western Hemipshere Subcommittee Hearing, October 10, 2001***(J. Curtis Struble, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, U.S. Department of State)…………….. Further south, in what is known as the tri-border area, where Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay converge, we see the longstanding presence of Islamic extremist organizations, primarily Hizballah and, to a lesser extent, the Sunni extremists group of al Gamaat, IG, and Hamas. These organizations are involved in fundraising activities and proselytizing among the large expatriate population from the Middle East that lives in the tri-border area and also on Venezuela's Margarita Island. These organizations engage in document forgery, money laundering, contraband smuggling, and weapons and drug trafficking. Hizballah is the prime suspect behind the 1992 bombing of the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires and the 1994 bombing of the Argentine Israel Mutual Association community center. These attacks were characterized by the same faceless cowardice that we saw on September 11, and they remain unsolved to this day, although I am pleased that the trial in the 1994 bombing is now underway in Buenos Aires. We hope the perpetrators will at last be brought to justice.

……………..In the tri-border area of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay, Middle East terrorist organizations such as Hamas and Hizballah train terrorists and conduct fundraising activities in an area which has a growing population of Middle Eastern and South Asian immigrants. Funds raised in the tri-border area are sent directly to the Middle East to support the operation of these organization, possibly even the planning and execution of terrorist acts. I have no doubt that funds raised in the tri-border area have made it to the pockets of Al Qaeda and Osama Bin Laden. Afghanistan produces 75 percent of the world's heroin. The Taliban reaps tremendous profits from such trade and use them to sponsor Osama Bin Laden and other terrorists. As Americans, we must recognize that fighting the war on drugs is tantamount to fighting the war on terrorism. Every time an American boy buys cocaine or heroin, they are directly funding the terrorists who are responsible for the deaths of over 6,000 innocent Americans.

Today, the Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere will hear from a distinguished panel of official witnesses who will provide us with important testimony about the type of terrorist organizations operating in our hemisphere, the links between international terror and drug trafficking, and the efforts of the OAS and its member states to help our nation win the war on terrorism. While I have no doubt that these panelists will provide the Subcommittee with excellent testimony, I am profoundly troubled that Otto Reich has yet to be confirmed as the Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs. At this time, the President needs to have his nominee confirmed and in place to fight both drug trafficking and terrorism in Latin America.

……………..Mr. STRUBLE. There are large expatriate populations in a number of areas in Latin America. The tri-border region has been mentioned before. There is also Santa Margarita Island in Venezuela, the Colon Free Trade Zone in Panama, and then a number of others throughout the hemisphere. We are quite concerned about the possibility or in some instances the certainty of financial transactions from these areas supporting terrorist groups in the Middle East. Mr. Mack alluded before to the efforts of INL over a number of years to give countries the tools, help them develop the tools, and work multilaterally in this hemisphere to control money laundering through more effective sharing of financial transaction information.****

[Cincinatus' Wife]

A woman protests against Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, in Caracas December 4, 2002. Thousands of anti-government protesters rallied for the third day of a national strike against Chavez as international mediators scrambled to revive stalled peace talks in the world's fifth largest oil exporter. Sign reads 'Strike Now, No To Marxism-Chavism, Castro-Communism.' REUTERS/Chico Sanchez

Castro, Chavez Attending Brazilian Inauguration - "Jan. 1 is no longer a Cuban monopoly"

[rmmcdaniell]

Yeah, sure, a terrible doom awaits them. As opposed to the glorious riches and comforts they enjoy now following a series of "pro-business" leaders. Given their current standard of living, most Brasilians may just find "doom" a pleasant change of pace worthy of going for.

So-called capitalist leaders sometimes fail, however the track record for communism is 100% failure. BTW-- I've read your other posts on other threads and you don't fit in here. I suggest going over to DU. Crap like the following from you doesn't belong here:

Tax cuts = Less government spending = Fewer jobs ?

The government is more efficient in "creating jobs" than any business. And well paying jobs at that.

[rightwing2]

Of course, it goes unmentioned in this article that Lula is intent upon developing a nuclear weapons program for Brazil and has stated that publicly. I'm sure he is keeping a close eye on events in Korea. If we accept blackmail from the NKs it does not send a good message (for us) to the Lula's of the world.

Of course once Lula develops nukes, that will just mean one more nuclear-armed Marxist dictatorship for us to appease with hundreds of millions of dollars in foreign aid a year just like North Korea. Here we are confronted with a potential new Cuban Missile Crisis in our own hemisphere and the Administration is reacting as if it were the inaugeration of just another democratically elected leftist president. They had better wake-up now and react to this dangerous situation before events overtake them.

[rightwing2]

As Silva traveled to Congress in the back of a convertible Rolls-Royce, a sea people of chanted "Lula! Lula!" and raised red flags bearing the color his party in the air. red flags? uh oh...yall know what that means....commies just took brazil.....

This is no exaggeration. Lula was backed by the same two Brazilian Communist parties that have backed him in all four of his presidential runs even against the presidential candidate of a Communist party spinoff. What do they know that most Americans don't?

[rightwing2]

Cuban President Fidel Castro, left, speaks with his counterpart from Venezuela, Hugo Chavez when their attend the inauguration ceremony of the new Brazilian president Luis Inacio Lula da Silva, Brasilia, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2002. (AP Photo/Eladio Farines)

Regarding the picture on your post #13, did you see the picture in today's Washington Times? It has a picture of the leaders of Sweden, Cuba, South Africa and Chile all lined up in a row applauding Lula on a balcony. The leaders of Sweden and Chile are socialist party members while Castro of Cuba and Mbeki of South Africa are official members of their nations' respective Communist parties. Reminds me of a May Day military parade with Communist leaders cheering on their imperious leader. Very distressing...