tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21674624.post5454307492295524239..comments2024-02-21T05:16:22.788-05:00Comments on Two Weeks Notice: A Latin American Politics Blog: Brazil in the Middle EastGreg Weekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15765114859595124082noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21674624.post-66615771625629298232009-11-24T21:16:16.806-05:002009-11-24T21:16:16.806-05:00Of course, this is the real problem US elites have...<i>Of course, this is the real problem US elites have with the visit. The fear an independent block of States willing to publicly, loudly challenge the US view of things.</i><br /><br />I think the challenge is more modest than that. Brazil doesn't loudly challenge the US. The challenge is not that Brazil will ally itself with Iran --I don't anticipate any such alliance-- but rather that Brazil will humanize Iran. That's what the Washington establishment can't stand. The establishment wants governments like those of Iran and Venezuela to appear quasi-inhuman. The establishment thinks that painting such governments as inhuman maximizes the establishment's options vis-a-vis said governments. So Brazil becomes a problem for the establishment because Brazil humanizes Washington's bogeymen.Justin Delacourhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01343303383195336825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21674624.post-72962088338584334212009-11-24T14:52:10.908-05:002009-11-24T14:52:10.908-05:00I guess folks in Washington are finally realizing ...I guess folks in Washington are finally realizing that Brazil has a different conception of the world than the US. As such, a lot of the usual suspects seem to be souring on Brazil and Lula fast.<br /><br />I would be careful about sauing that this is part of "Lula's desire to project Brazil into the Middle East." As the FM Amorim “It wasn’t Brazil that went looking for the Middle East, it was the Middle East that went looking for Brazil.” <br /><br />The visit shows a deep confidence by Brazil. I think there is real important politics at work here. As Lula said: “The world needs a new economic order. Iran and Brazil have independent positions in relation to the international situation. … The two can work together to help create a new international order."<br /><br />Of course, this is the real problem US elites have with the visit. The fear an independent block of States willing to publicly, loudly challenge the US view of things.leftsidehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00676827005815770066noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21674624.post-37890217485597271702009-11-23T12:58:40.774-05:002009-11-23T12:58:40.774-05:00Lula needs to realize that this whole talk of Braz...Lula needs to realize that this whole talk of Brazil as a world power is not based on reality. Brazil can't even get tiny little Honduras in his own time zone to pay attention to them, yet he thinks the world is looking for Brazilian leadership? And let's not forget the irony of opposing Micheletti but receiving Ahmadinejad.<br /><br />Lula's one contribution to Brazil was showing that the left can win and govern without making a mess of things. Now Brazil needs some real domestic leadership to push up investment and growth. Brazil remains a pretty poor nation, particularly for one that has such global ambitions...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21674624.post-32173225185839678272009-11-23T12:24:20.556-05:002009-11-23T12:24:20.556-05:00I appreciate your open-mindedness with regard to L...I appreciate your open-mindedness with regard to Lula's peace overtures. My apologies for being too harsh in my judgements of you over a previous post.Justin Delacourhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01343303383195336825noreply@blogger.com