[Tailgunner Joe]

Anti-American Axis

[E Rocc]

It's not suprising that Brazil feels the need to have a neo-totalitarian law against "showing disrespect for authorities" when it gives such disrespectable forms of coup-bait authority.

Brazil has the potential to be a real economic power if it would ever embrace free enterprise. Ironically, its held back from doing so by socialists who hate America. As a result, we have one less competitor.

-Eric

[DoctorMichael]

While Bush and company focus attention (....and rightly so) on the War on Terror, gay marriages, etc. South America is quietly accumulating quite a few knuckleheads that will have to be dealt with at some future date.

[telebob]

Sounds like amatuer night in the Sountern Hemisphere. Lula is hooking up with a bunch of characters on the downside of the historical trend.

I can understand the intuitive attraction of one wannabe Castro to the thugocracies; lefties always support the dictator and tyrant against the people. But I can't understand how Lula and gang have arrived at the conclusion that they have the political muscle, diplomatic clout and economic power to form any competitive commercial alliance with the Middle East. Especially if the US and the EU say "Uh-uh".

In the end, it looks like Lula will just be another in a long line of failed South American leaders who promise the poor the world and only take them farther down into poverty.

[Maimonides]

The goal of the Brazilian president is actually to increase exports of Brazilian goods. Arab countries have always bought Brazilian agricultural products and Brazilian weapons. Brazil also wants a permanent seat in the security council. To obtain that Brazil needs to become a voice for other 3rd world countries and particularly needs to be respect accross the board. The dislike the Latin American left has for America is understandable. It goes back to the US policy of overthrowing democratically elect governments and replacing them with military non elected dictatorships. Lula however has developed good friendly relations with George w bush. The US president meets with friendly dictators all the time. Consider Uzbekistan for instance...a place much like Iraq used to be. A dictator that places statues and pictures of himself everywhere. He is ruthless...and imprisons people for handing out literature. He is an ally of America on the war on terror...ironic since he himself is a leader of a terrorist state. It is so hard to talk about morality in foreign relations when all countries ultimately act guided by selfish reasons...including us.