Riots continue in Argentina amid summit of Americas

Though the dittoheads will deny it, it does not advance the interests of the United States to have a President who is extraordinarily unpopular around the world. Neither does ruining our image by violating international law with an invasion that was not supported by the UN. Neither does torture or secret torture prisons. By a two to one margin Americans don't think the Iraq War was "worth it". The margin is much higher in the rest of the world.
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From Time Magazine ( I know dittos it isn't Fox News, but give it a try)

.... Far from being the mejor amigo he promised to be, Bush today is arguably more unpopular in Latin America than any U.S. president in history. In Argentina's capital, Buenos Aires, a recent poll showed 64% have a poor or very poor opinion of him. Elsewhere in the region, Bush's approval rating usually falls below 25%. Part of the problem is broad opposition to the Iraq war; another is the perception that Bush is a Monroe Doctrine throwback to heavy-handed U.S. interventionism in the region. That image caught fire after the Bush Administration was widely accused of backing a failed coup against Chavez in 2002 (a charge the White House denies). Fuel was added last summer when conservative televangelist Pat Robertson—a high-profile supporter of President Bush — publicly called for Chavez's assassination. (Robertson has since apologized.) Chavez is a democratically elected president, but his close friendship with Cuba's Fidel Castro, his own flirtations with autocratic government and his recently declared interest in acquiring nuclear technology have Washington bristling. As a result, the fiery Chavez and his growing number of supporters around the region remain vocally convinced that Bush is out to kill him.

But Bush's biggest south-of-the-border PR problem is economic. Even before the start of the November 4-5 Summit, devoted to combating poverty and creating jobs, Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela and other Latin nations banded together to nudge Washington's Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) proposal off the agenda. The move, which has angered the Bush Administration, reflects growing skepticism in Latin America over the virtues of free-market reforms, which many believe have simply widened the chasm between rich and poor in a region that already displays the world's worst disparities in wealth....
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1126425,00.html

 

This is about as interesting as the WTO riots in Seattle. Yawn.

 

The interesting part is that the national media gives them so little coverage, although they frequently involve more people than anything else current in the news except Bush's war. It's not like the sixties - these protestors (maybe not so much in Argentina, but definitely in the U.S. and Western Europe) have access to technology to communicate and organize on a much wider scale. Also, the whole bull**** "peace" ideology - the near total refusal to actively do anything but sit-in protests - that prevented the hippies from accomplishing much isn't nearly as strong with modern day protestors.

In the U.S. and abroad - most of these protestors are younger people. Even though they're being ignored by the interests they threaten, I still think this is a sure sign a change is a' comin'.

 

People in South America are rioting? NO WAY!

 

Yeah, you're unconcerned. Probably just a claim or two that they are socialists before you are up for some more invasions, wars , torture and death squad action-- from your armchair, by others of course.

 

There may be some anger, however I bet Argentina does the right thing and continues to open its economy to trade and competition.

 

Why am I not surprised by your response?

 

I put these riots in the same category at the WTO incidents because they're both at economic summits where publicity is high. You get a hodgepodge collection of people demonstrating for a variety of causes getting rowdier and rowdier and the mob mentality takes hold. Now their destroying local businesses etc. At what summit in this category doesn't this happen?

 

sadly, Hayes is right.

The riots are no longer front page news. Too predictable.

Crazy, isn't it.

 

not sure i understand your point tm:

what's markedly different between these riots and those at Seattle, Genoa or that hotbed of unrest, Sweden (gothenburg riots).

 

damn kids...

http://www.worldcantwait.org/