PANICKY BUSH S AWAY FROM CHAVEZ

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Original Article at

http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_mike_whi_051105_panicky_bush_s

links_.htm

 

 

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November 5, 2005

 

Panicky Bush slinks away from Chavez

 

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.