Hugo Feels The Love

IBD Editorials ^ | January 3, 2010 | Staff

[Kaslin]

Diplomacy: If insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result, how is one to characterize Hillary Clinton's latest grip-and-grin encounter with Venezuela's Hugo Chavez in Brazil on Saturday?

Less than two years ago, the Secretary of State made what might have been dismissed as a beginner's mistake at a summit in Trinidad, going out of her way to shake hands and share laughs with the thuggish tyrant of Caracas.

The idea then was to turn a new leaf in troubled U.S.-Venezuelan relations on the premise the only obstacle had been President Bush.

In two years, it brought the U.S. nothing. Chavez remains the same hostile thug he's always been, intimidating neighbors, expropriating American business, succoring terrorists and drug lords, persecuting opposition, and ruling by decree.

He remains an undeclared state sponsor of terrorism with big plans to point medium-range Iranian missiles at the U.S.

Incredibly, Hillary Clinton is doing the same handshake routine she did in Trinidad, again.

Clinton spent at least five minutes shaking hands, smiling and laughing with Chavez at the inauguration of Brazil's new president, Dilma Rousseff, on Saturday, sending out a crazy mixed message to friend and foe alike that the U.S. doesn't know what it's doing.

[Tzimisce]

The US doesn't know what its doing.

It is amateur hour in DC and it's costing us big time.

The US government is getting tougher with its own citizens than it is with people trying to kill us and tear down our government.

What are we left to think?

[griswold3]

There’s nothing wrong with being nice at such an event, but Clinton’s encounter with Chavez went way above that line for two nations that just kicked each other’s ambassadors out a few days ago.

This is bizzaro world for sure.

[DesertRhino]

Maybe we should make a reset button. that worked great for Russia. Other countries know we mean business now!!

[Truth29]

"What are we left to think?"

That our own government is a greater threat to us than Hugo Chavez.

[tet68]

I certainly don’t understand what the “U.S.” is doing.

[WesternPacific]

This admin (Big Sister) will work to help secure the borders of a foreign terrorist state but will not secure our own borders.

[onedoug]

Fellow communists.

[ETL]

President Obama and Venezuela dictator Hugo
Chavez at the 2009 Summit of the Americas in Trinidad.
Note the "soul bro" handshake. (my caption)

Obama, Chavez shake hands at Americas Summit:
http://www.newsvine.com/_news/2009/04/17/2698451-obama-chavez-shake-hands-at-americas-summit
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From the Russian News and Information Agency:
July 27, 2006
"'I am determined to expand relations with Russia,' Chavez, known as an outspoken critic of what he calls the United States' unilateralism, told the Russian leader, adding that his determination stemmed from their shared vision of the global order.":
http://en.rian.ru/russia/20060727/51913498.html
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“We are creating a new world, a balanced world. A new world order, a multipolar world,” Chavez told reporters during a visit to Communist China, one of many. His “new world order” includes [RUSSIA], China, Iran,... and a significantly weakened United States, he explained.

Resurgent Communism in Latin America
by Alex Newman, March 16, 2010:

http://www.thenewamerican.com/index.php/world-mainmenu-26/south-america-mainmenu-37/3122-resurgent-communism-in-latin-america?tmpl=component&print=1&layout=default&page=

[Paladin2]

Why isn’t H! moving to Caracas ASAP?

[mo]

our Oligarchs...their Oligarchs...united against the peons and peasants...of the world.