Wednesday, May 11, 2005

"New Axis of Evil" Update : Lula Says Free Trade Must Aid Poor

HoustonChronicle.com - Leader says free trade must aid poor:

This is why the US thinks that Lula, Chavez, Kirchner and the like are a threat to its security. They are, because they stand for their people rather than for global, unregulated, laissez faire, "free market" capitalism:

South American and Arab nations must band together to ensure that free trade improves the lives of the world's poor instead of benefiting only rich countries and major corporations, Brazil's president said Tuesday at the opening of a summit.

The Arab and Latin American nations seek to forge stronger bonds--political and economic--and to attenuate the dominance of American military and economic power.

In a draft of the declaration, the leaders pledge to support sweeping political and economic efforts to tighten links between their regions...They see stronger ties as a way to counter U.S. dominance in the political and economic affairs, a key goal of Silva, who proposed the summit during a 2003 trip to the Middle East.

That all sounds pretty tame and pretty wise for any left-leaning government these days. But I haven't been calling Brazil, and Venezuela, and Argentina, and Uruguay a "new axis of evil" for nothing. There will be (or is already) a move afoot to portray these countries as aiding and abetting terror and terrorists.

But the (Brazilia) declaration came under fire from leading Jewish groups. "It leaves the door open for terrorists groups to interpret it as a support for their criminal activities," said Sergio Widder, Simon Wiesenthal Center representative for South America.

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