Who Lost Latin America?

The Center for the National Security Interest ^ | December 10, 2002

[rightwing2]

Lula is on the record as describing chavez as too authoritarian and as having made too many enemies. If current trends continue, the most "firebranding" we can expect from lula and his 20 some percent control in congress is basically to craft the consensus for accepting the reforms that have been put in place by cardoso and locked in by the whip of the debt.

Lula's governing grand socialist coalition now controls solid majorities in both houses of Congress, but I guess you must have missed that. They formed a key alliance with the centrist PMDB that put them over the top shortly after the election. You are in for a surprise with the wily and cunning Lula. He's a smart guy and he knows how to get what he wants and it is not by appearing too threatening before he takes control of Brazil.

[wardaddy]

Who Lost Latin America?

Spain and Portugal...Holland and France lost wee bits as well. The culture and form of colonization both of the first two major players brought to South and Central America as well as parts of the Caribbean led precisely to the problems today down south which are mostly insurmountable.

[FITZ]

Reagan didn't see things as insurmountable, he helped the Contras.

[wardaddy]

I'm talking big picture Fitz. Reagan to his credit helped the Contras (some of whom I knew) to stop Sandy marxism from spreading but the overall prospect for South of the Border is gloomy.......for a textbook's worth of reasons which have much to do with culture and the groundworks laid by the first colonizers....etc.

That statement doesn't mean I'm anti-colonialism. Some have just done much better than others.....in particular the Brits...worldwide. They left a helpful footprint almost everywhere they went.

[backhoe]

Locator ^

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Bump! for the flag.

[backhoe]

Cross-link:

-The Fire Down South...( Latin America--)--

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the heads up!

[FITZ]

Yes ---the best places you can live are any of the former British colonies. Colonization per se isn't bad ---the US, Canada, Australia were former colonies, it's the culture of the colonizers that seems to determine the fate of the former colony.