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| Caribbean-Latin America |
| Chavez hosts World Social Forum as leftist movements unite against Bush |
| 2006-01-23 |
| Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is hosting one of the world's largest anti-globalization, anti-war events starting Tuesday - and the timing couldn't be better. Leftist leaders are increasingly popular across Latin America, while Chavez's own "revolution" for the poor has become an inspiration for like-minded activists everywhere from Canada to Chile. Organizers predict as many as 100,000 people will attend the World Social Forum this week in Caracas, including campaigners against US-style free trade, environmentalists, Indian leaders and human rights activists. Their views span a wide spectrum, but most participants appear united by strong opposition to the US government and the war in Iraq. The forum will begin with an "anti-imperialist" march Tuesday through the streets of Caracas, with protesters likely to aim their chants against US President George W. Bush. "Venezuela has become an epicenter of change on the world level," Chavez said Friday, mentioning the event in a speech. "That's why (US) imperialism wants to sweep us away, of course ... because they say we are a bad example, but they haven't swept us away and they won't." The World Social Forum was first held in Brazil in 2001 and coincides each year with the market-friendly World Economic Forum of national leaders in Davos, Switzerland. Those at the social forum, in contrast, traditionally criticize free trade and the evils of capitalism - stances that closely mirror Chavez's socialist views. "The US government, especially under the Bush administration, has been trying to force its own economic polices on developing countries, and I think all of us here agree that must stop," said Jeff Monahan, a 32-year-old organic farmer from Battle Creek, Michigan. "I'm sure there will be plenty of Bush-bashing when this gets underway," said Monahan, who arrived early and was helping put up canopies in a city park where thousands will camp out in tents. Some 2,000 events - including seminars, speeches, concerts and craft fairs - will be held across Caracas during this week's forum. Others expected to attend include Uruguayan writer Eduardo Galeano, Argentine Nobel Peace Prize winner Adolfo Perez Esquivel and American anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan, whose son was killed in Iraq in 2004 and who set up a protest camp near Bush's ranch in Texas last year. It remained unclear whether other leftist leaders from Latin America would come. Some activists said they hoped to see Presidents Evo Morales of Bolivia or Fidel Castro of Cuba. Brazil's Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva initially was expected, but then said he would not come. |
| Posted by:Seafarious |
| #14 Fall editions of the prestigious publications, Foreign Affairs and National Affairs, both focused on the legitimation of terrorism, through US facilitation of the cynically, strategic participation of Islamofascist groups in sham elections. Ask Fred to affirm or deny this: Islamic doctrine prohibits real democracy and facilitates Shura-dictatorship, because popular sovereignty is said to usurp the sovereignty of the Arab tribal deity "allah." Unless the US subsidized creation of a Hizbollah Corridor from Teheran to Tel Aviv in the name of some Orwellian peversity of "freedom" is halted, the reach of the genocidal Islamofascist juggernaut will be further extended. The enemy must have partied when Bush aligned with hitherto boycotted Pakistan, and the inherently aggressive Saud terrorist entity? The Leftists took cause to join in the bloodletting of the power-retracted' "wounded American animal," as Rafsanjani described Bush's turkey-shoot proffer of America's finest troops. I don't want Islamofascists to vote; I want them to die by the tens of millions. Democraticization worked with Communist Atheists, Hindus, Buddhists, African tribal faiths, but cannot work with mortal enemy Muslims. Let the slaughter begin with the Khomenazis: http://static.flickr.com/36/89610889_1f49967fe2.jpg |
| Posted by: CaziFarkus 2006-01-23 07:02 |
| #13 Quick! Lock the border & turn out the lights. When they want to come back, everybody keep quiet and pretend no-one is home. |
| Posted by: SC88 2006-01-23 22:25 |
| #12 Moderator___ in re: #2. You forgot to mention psychosis..... |
| Posted by: Spomoling Omomons4158 2006-01-23 18:02 |
| #11 American anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan Typo, should read "anti-American war activist". If you're taking a list of who hates the USA, you can't do better than this conference. By "[forcing US] economic polices on developing countries" I imagine that guy is referring to our discouraging drug traffiking. |
| Posted by: KBK 2006-01-23 12:28 |
| #10 I forgot, you may want to read Cindy's latest rant about matriotism. You just can't make this stuff up! |
| Posted by: Cyber Sarge 2006-01-23 11:14 |
| #9 I think Ed is onto something here. Instead of poo-pooing this socialists wankfest, why not promote it? Tell all the Mexicans and Central/South Americans that it seems that Venezuela has it right and we have it wrong. Also we want to help all the illegals here move to that socialist parasite paradise. |
| Posted by: Cyber Sarge 2006-01-23 11:11 |
| #8 Chavez hosts World Social Forum as leftist movements unite against Bush Whatever. |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2006-01-23 11:08 |
| #7 I never understood how these people could without fail find their way back to the capitalistic, exploitive, blood sucking AMerikkka. You would think that a least a few would find Shangri-La in Venezuela, Cuba, and Zimbabwe. |
| Posted by: ed 2006-01-23 10:59 |
| #6 Great, a bunch of hippies bitching about Bush. At least they are doing it in Caracas instead of san diego. As usual they will all stand around and pontificate about how wrong our policies are. And at the end of their pedantic diatribe, not a single suggestion will have been given as to how to correct these horrible imperialistic doctrines. Have fun boys! Don't drink the water. |
| Posted by: bigjim-ky 2006-01-23 10:39 |
| #5 If the US "forces" economic policies on developing countries it's because it has, through the UN, been FINANCiNG those developing countries for years, only to see the dollars disappear down the corruption void. If developing countries want economic independence then that comes with being self-sufficient. So cut off the aid, the donations and the interest-free loans. And the IMF and World Bank loans that then become the target of protests and are never repaid anyway. If they hate the US and free trade, simple: cut them off! hasta la vista baybee enjoy your begging. Come back when you *want* to change into a prosperous society. |
| Posted by: anon1 2006-01-23 09:34 |
| #4 Looks like Canada is so inspired by the World Socialist-Slavery Forum it's gone for a correct wing candidate. |
| Posted by: Bright Pebbles 2006-01-23 08:13 |
| #3 Don;t the Dems send someone to this whackofest? If so, Karl should play it up during the next year. Also does howling Howard have a speaking time at this forum? |
| Posted by: Cyber Sarge 2006-01-23 07:07 |
#2
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| Posted by: CaziFarkus 2006-01-23 07:02 |
| #1 LOL ye puppets. |
| Posted by: Karl 2006-01-23 00:55 |