Chavez Gifts Obama With Book That Assails U.S. for Exploiting Latin America

After an expensive and lengthy trip to Europe,Turkey,Saudi Arabia and Latin Amemerica our President came back with "a book".The only cunning one was Castro, who will be laughing his way to the bank smoking his cuban cigar.

I wonder how many of u people posting comments here have acually lived in 3rd world contries, or maybe u have just gone there to visit. which is not the same, have u acually been there long enough to see the effect american companies have on them, how they pay them a poverty rate enough to live on hunger. When u live hungry every day and you have children you cant feed, or a bed to put them to bed in. Thats when people start joing revolutions wanting to become socialists, prehaps under false promises of a better life. Who cares about the book its history. Our history, it does not lie. I read this book 10 years ago, it didnt make me hate anyone as has any other history book. It just made me relize how after all we are all human come from one. How possibly we are all american,arab,hispanic,,euorpean, maybe even human..: )

After reading several coments it seems like here in the usa the word america is specific to only united states. after so many decades you all fail to realize that the people of canada central and south america are americans we are still educated in the rest of the contenent that we are americans and by the way spanish is a european language.

As a latinamerican I have to say that we don't have to blame anything to the US, actually, we have to bless it. America has been home to millions of latinamerican people that had to run from their countries because of people like Chavez, Correa or Morales, who are there to get rich at the cost of making their people poor.

The past is the past. America has made its mistakes, but also has had its share of triumphs and has given alot to the world. Hugo Chavez is an ass clown. Obama is not a fool for accepting the book. Anyone would have done that including both the bushs reagan carter and clinton. Obama is a fool for thinking that Hugo Chavaz, Kim Jong Il and others just hated George Bush. They hate America and guess what Pres Obama you are America. Stand up to these idiots, because they are our greatest threat, and will be for a long time.

Impressive. It is a given that L.A. corrupt governments have much to do with its present economic state but do not deny the US role as an important factor as well. Most US lack information of their own history let alone other countries and so base their opinions on heartless, free market ideas, and so called democracy. It is amazing how even after being affected (loss of homes, IRA's, etc)US people still take the blame for their losses, instead of seeing how the system creates avariciousness and an amoral system where health is a commodity and not a basic human right, where somebody can billions at the expense of cheap labor somewhere else and that is conisdered savvy business practices.

The only reason for the problems some of these Latin American countries have, is that their politicians there are thiefs, and these countries have a history of economis rip-off at the hands of the politicians they elected.

Another problem after that one is that some of them keep blaming other countries for what happened 600 years ago, instead of assuming responsibility,and stop whining.

On top of that, many of these countries have been penetrated by the ideology of the government of Castro, now Chavez, etc., which use opportunism to exacerbate the situation described above.

It's like a psychologically disturbed person: cannot let go, and focus on the present, blame others for their problems, and keep electing the wrong people, like an abused woman keeps chosing abusive men.

That's what's really happening in Latin Ametica in a nutshell.

What Hugo Chavez reads or recommends is his business. What President Obama reads is his business, also. But when an America-hating dictator uses a naive politician to advance his destructive agenda and in so doing elevates obscure, leftist political propaganda to the top of Amazon.com....that is the business of the American people. And we are paying rapt attention. Here's the kicker. Make no assumptions about where I'm coming from. I've been a Democrat my entire life and I'm appalled by President Obama's lack of awareness.

The US has meddled in Latin America. Whooo, that's good. For a second, I thought Chavez might not have a reason to make all dissent and criticism of him illegal. I thought he mignt not be justified in seizing private property by force, jailing his opponents and rigging elections. I thought there might not be a rationale behind funding a terrorist organization, FARC, and becoming pals with a state, Iran, that funds Hamas and Hezbollah. But since we have meddled in Latin American affairs, all this is reasonable, and Obama looks great palling around with this paragon of virtue. And for a second I thought it might look like he was chummy with a brutal totalitarian thug. Boy am I relieved.

Tell me again how allowing a commander to give the orders to kill three pirates is supposed to redeem this President when it comes to foreign policy. Seriously is there any dictator, tyrant, human-rights abuser or mass murderer that he will actually castigate instead of blaimg the US for their actions? This is beoming a cavalcade of appeasement for some of the most brutal thugs in the world. The
handshake he gave Chavez was an absolute disgrace, as he was all smiles and laughter, like he had just met a childhood hero or something.

And please, don't tell me "well Bush did this, or Bush did that", because the man is no longer president and he no longer formulates American foreign policy. Obama may actually be worse than Carter. At least Carter boycotted the Olympics, instead of giving tin pot dictators propaganda-rich photo-ops. This president is an absolute embarrassment, and he offers no solace at all to those who have to suffer under the tyranny of the men he is busy patting on the back.

I'm a little confused. I sent Senator Obama a criminal indictment, in the form of a book, and it was returned with a letter stating "Senator Obama wants to lead by example. Instituting a clear cut, no-gift policy should eliminate any appearance of an individual or organization attempting to influence him." Then I resent the indictment to President Obama this year and it was returned again. How is it I can't get the highest Executive officer in my country to accept a criminal indictment of a number of officials posing as law-enforcement and he can accept a GIFT, in the form of a book, from a foreign dignitary?

Brian Kilcullen ~ Enemies in War

Has the U.S. meddled in Latin America? Sure it has but let's put things in perspective - the major source of trouble in Latin America is its consistent losers parade of leaders and constant flirtation with socialism.

Argentina was the 6th largest world economy in the 1930s (larger than Canada) and was poised to be a world economic power. Alas, it will never be thanks to Peronists, socialists and others who have controlled it's economy for the last 80 years. Oh, and the the government just confiscated all private pensions and 401K type assets from individuals to help meet its massive spending obligations. Nice!

Contrast that experience with Chile, which adopted free market principles in the mid-1970s and today is, without a doubt, the most healty economy in the region. Where did they get the expertise to pull this off? Why, from Milton Freedman and economists from the University of Chicago (the "Chicago Boys"), that's where!

After an expensive and lengthy trip to Europe,Turkey,Saudi Arabia and Latin Amemerica our President came back with "a book".The only cunning one was Castro, who will be laughing his way to the bank smoking his cuban cigar.

Obama will come home, Chavez will call him an idiot as he has done before and that will be that!

I don't get it. The Latins complain about the U.S. exploiting them, all but Cuba that complains about our staying away.

In return for the book Obama gave Chavez a boxed set of John Wayne movie DVD's.

They don't complain to Spain, France, or England because the U.S. is the country with the checkbook and liberal white guilt. This was nothing more than the guilt trip that preludes the begging se$$ion. They should be focusing on population control from Mexico to Argentina to stabilize their economy.

The copy of the book Chavez gave Obama appears to be in Spanish, a language Obama does not speak.

“when Europeans come over here, they all speak English, they speak French, they speak German, but when we go over there, all we can say is ‘merci beaucoup.’”

"Instead of worrying about whether immigrants will learn English, you need to make sure your child can speak Spanish."

So Obama doesn't speak Spanish, but expects our kids to? More of his do as I say, not as I do policy.

This guy is an embarrassment to the American people. He is consistently showing his inexperience and lack of skills. Someone get him an earpiece and talk for him before he does something even more stupid. -If that is possible.

The book, first published in Spanish in 1971, offers a critique of the consequences of 500 years of European and U.S. colonization of Latin America.

The last I knew, the US was only 233 years old. I must ask, how many Latin American countries has the US colonized in the past 233 years? I know we were instrumental in Panama and the resultant canal (we don't own or operate it anymore and look at how that country is thriving).

Wake up America! I must agree with IC Atlanta

| Apr 18, 2009 9:50:28 AM

Chavez and Obama are really not that much different from one another. In the Venezuelan election of 1998, Chavez told all the Venezuelans what they wanted to hear. He presented himself as a moderate. The political center of the Venezuelan populace that was feed up with the status quo was wooed into voting for him. Over the last 11 years, however, he has revealed his true authoritarian colors. He has constantly maneuvered to centralize the powers of government into his hands, he has nationalized key industries and extended the largesse of the government to make an ever increasing number of Venezuelans dependent upon government hand outs, he has nationalized key industries and expanded the ranks of those employed by the government so that millions more depend upon government for their livelihoods. Additionally, he has polarized his country like never before. While the left and right bicker, he quietly steals the freedom of both sides.

Obama is turning this once great nation into a nation that will be mocked and taken advantage of. When we show weakness, the dictators use that to increase their power and influence. The one thing that this has shown is that we shouldn't elect someone to high office without looking at their background first.

Anybody notice that in South America, they speak Spanish and not English as we do in the United States? If the people of South America want to be mad at anyone, be mad at Spain for taking all the gold not the United States. The fact of the matter is, it doesn't matter who you are, where you are from, how much you make for a living or how much you already have, and might I mention this is also the reason why socialism may never work. Almost nobody in this world ever wakes up in the morning and says to themselves, I think I have to much or make to much so I think I'm going to give away part of my income or tell the boss at work that I think I'm being payed more than I am worth so I'll be glad to take a pay cut.

It is human nature to always want more than we already have. This does not only pertain to the monetary system but also knowledge, this is why most of us are not still swinging in trees and eating each other. We always want the simplest least expensive answer that we can find, this will most likely never change, or at least we may never live to see it. When will it change? It will change when we all place more value on others than we do ourselves. We all need to learn that our friends, family coworkers and, everyone in our lives and around us are just as important as we are to ourselves. Everything that we do affects everyone and everything around us, until we all learn that the world will never change. This is why I fear for our future as a whole.

I don't think Chavez can teach Obama anything about bashing America.

He seems to be doing just fine himself every opportunity he gets overseas.

I am sure he will love the book from his new friend. Maybe Michelle will invite the warm & fuzzy Chavez in for a stay in the Lincoln Bedroom.

Be just like the good ole Clinton days...