. November 20, 2009 SouthAmerica: The headline on The Wall Street Journal of today âBrazil's New Standing Threatened by Ahmadinejad Visitâ at best it is a laughable piece of news. As the article said: "Giving Ahmadinejad credibility by welcoming him is a terrible mistake," said Congressman Eliot Engel (D., N.Y.), a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee who follows Brazil closely. "It makes you wonder if Brazil is really ready for the new era of global relations it envisions." A more accurate conclusion by the mainstream media of the rest of the world is that this event it is just another example of how irrelevant the United States influence has become regarding the South American countries. (With the exception of Colombia a country that decided to give up its sovereignty and become a country under foreign military occupation â under US military occupation - I guess the Colombians are taking to much drugs and they are becoming Brain Dead.) Brazil should use the Ahmadinejad visit to clarify to the world that uranium enrichment in Iran is a matter between the Iranian government and the Iranian people, since Iran is an independent country with Sovereignty rights. And it is nobodyâs business if Iran decided to develop nuclear weapons to be able to defend Iran against any foreign military attack. Article such as this one on The Wall Street Journal only highlights how fast the United States is losing its influence and prestige around the world including on its own backyard. Brazil's New Standing Is Not What is Being Threatened â But the Decline in Influence and Prestige of the United States Is Becoming Obvious to Everybody. The article also said: "Brazil hosted Israeli leader Shimon Peres last week." And that is another sign that shows that the "Jewish Lobby" is becoming interested in Brazil since they recognize that the US is losing its clout and prestige and is becoming irrelevant in global affairs. ****** âBrazil's New Standing Threatened by Ahmadinejad Visitâ By JOHN LYONS The Wall Street Journal November 20, 2009 SÃO PAULO, Brazil -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's coming trip to Brazil is spurring criticism of the country in Washington, souring a budding U.S.-Brazilian relationship that appeared to promise a period of unprecedented cooperation in Latin America. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's planned reception of Mr. Ahmadinejad on Monday undercuts U.S. and European efforts to pressure Iran to curtail its nuclear program, boosting his stature at a critical moment in the talks, experts say. Mr. Ahmadinejad's denial of the Holocaust, calls for Israel's destruction and repression of post-electoral protests have isolated him from the world's major economies -- with Brazil as a big exception. "Giving Ahmadinejad credibility by welcoming him is a terrible mistake," said Congressman Eliot Engel (D., N.Y.), a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee who follows Brazil closely. "It makes you wonder if Brazil is really ready for the new era of global relations it envisions." While Mr. Ahmadinejad has visited other Latin American nations, such as Venezuela, his trip to Brazil is more important. The increasingly global reach of Brazil's economy, now the world's eighth largest, has won the nation increasing clout in global affairs. Brazil has taken a leading role in international groups such as the World Trade Organization. Expectations that Brazil would occupy an important new global role soared in April when U.S. President Barack Obama hailed Mr. da Silva as the "world's most popular politician." U.S. executives held out hopes for closer trade ties. U.S. officials sounded out Brazil as an emerging ally capable of refereeing regional disputes as well as cool off anti-U.S. leaders in the region such as Venezuela's Hugo Chávez. Some of the expectation has started to fizzle. To the consternation of U.S. diplomats, observers say, Brazil has badgered the U.S. over a deal to use Colombian military bases amid the closure of a U.S. base in Ecuador. Though earlier appearing to accept the plan, Mr. da Silva reversed course and has requested that Mr. Obama travel to the region to provide additional explanations to regional leaders. Such a meeting hasn't happened. After efforts led by the Organization of American States to mediate talks between ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya and the country's de facto government failed, Brazil has said it won't recognize elections set for Nov. 29, which the U.S. sees as a way out of the crisis. But Brazil's cultivation of Iran may prove the biggest sticking point. Brazil, Iran's biggest Western trade partner, supports what it says is Iran's bid to develop nuclear power for peaceful uses. U.S. and European officials believe that Iran's true intention is to obtain a nuclear weapon, and are seeking to limit its program. Brazil's Foreign Minister Celso Amorim has said that Brazil seeks to maintain good relations with all nations, including international pariahs like Mr. Ahmadinejad. The reasoning is that disputes must be solved through dialogue, and no nation should be isolated. Brazil hosted Israeli leader Shimon Peres last week. The Foreign Ministry didn't respond to requests for comment. Brazil's economic growth has fueled its diplomatic ambitions. It is pushing for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council. Messrs. Amorim and da Silva say Brazil can help engineer peace in the Middle East. It's an attitude that some former Brazilian diplomats say reflects a naive view of the world. "If the U.S., Russia and China can't solve a very serious, very complex issue like the Middle East, Brazil is not going to have an impact," said Rubens Barbosa, a former Brazilian ambassador to the U.S. To be sure, Brazil could win international plaudits by using the Ahmadinejad visit to urge him to comply with uranium enrichment controls sought by the U.S. and Europe. But failing that, some observers say, courting Iran at such a critical moment risks squandering Brazil's newly acquired weight in international circles. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125867454290856575.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_sections_world .
. November 20, 2009 SouthAmerica: I stopped reading The Wall Street Journal at least 15 years ago. The Financial Times (UK) is a superior newspaper in every way with a better set of writers on their staff with a better grasp of business and economics than the WSJ. I wonder what would be the suggestion of The Wall Street Journal to Brazil? Should Brazil follow the United States model regarding international affairs? The United States did a superb job when they installed the government of Kabul. They placed an incompetent corrupt crook in charge of things in Kabul. And even recognized his re-election in a completely fraudulent election in that city â as the rest of Afghanistan is run by warlords and their tribes. Maybe Iraq is a better model of how not to handle things. As the above article said: Expectations that Brazil would occupy an important new global role soared in April when U.S. President Barack Obama hailed Mr. da Silva as the "world's most popular politician." On the other hand; on its current trip to China the general perception has been that the Chinese are not a bit impressed with the U.S. President Barack Obama, and they let the Americans know it. By the way, a few days ago when Barack Obama visited Japan we can see how things have changed for the United States. Quoting from a Japanese website: http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2912727 âIn the picture, MacArthur, who is a head taller than the emperor, overwhelms the Japanese ruler with his large build. The posture of MacArthur, who poses with slightly bent legs, his hands in the pockets of his plain clothes without a tie, nevertheless gives a dignified impression, while the emperor bears an expression of humiliation. He had probably rarely had his photo taken, and his discomfort is palpable. There were three shots altogether, but in the first the Japanese leader had his eyes closed and in the second one, his mouth was open. The Japanese press refused to carry the photo because carrying photos of their leader was thought to be disrespectful to him, but they had to obey the orders of the office of the occupation. The Japanese people who worshiped their leader unconditionally as a living god were shocked to see that their emperor cut such a dwarfish figure. The shock was followed by the painful awareness that Japan was a defeated nation and the fear that âon top of the god is MacArthur.â That was exactly what MacArthur intended to instill in the minds of the Japanese. Now, 60 years later, another photo has decorated the world media. This time it is a photo of U.S. President Barack Obama bowing to the Japanese emperor, bending his upper body almost 90 degrees.â *** Yesterday I was talking with some friends of mine â they are both Republicans and very conservative â both of them were upset that Barack Obama bowed to the Japanese Emperor. I told them I agree with you on that one, he should not have bowed to the Japanese Emperor â he bowed to the wrong guy â he should have bowed instead to the President of China Hu Jintao, since China is the country that is keeping the US economy afloat. .
. Novemeber 20, 2009 SouthAmerica: Look how quickly this thread was moved from the Wall Street News forum to chit chat. The second choice for this thread I would say was the "Politics and Religion" forum, but... But because of todays' Pathetic state of the United States foreign policy this thread has been moved to the chit chat forum with the jokes. As I said in the beggining of the thread The Wall Street Journal article is laughable and belong here with the jokes. I am sorry for Hillary Clinton, she had to stop in Afghanistan for the United States give its blessing to another big joke - the completely corrupt and fraudulent presidential election of Kabul. I am sad to say, but the truth is: Yes, the United States foreign policy has been reduced to nothing more than just a bad joke and the Elite Trader Forum moderator made the right choice since American foreign policy does not belong in the politics forum, it belongs with the jokes. Now that this article from The Wall Street Journal and the thread is where it belongs with the jokes, then I am going to connect this location with many other international newspapers and thousands of new readers. And we all be able to laugh about The Wall Street Journal article and how impotent the United States has become regarding its foreign policy. .
. November 20, 2009 SouthAmerica: Brazil should show its clout by voting "YES" to Venezuela's entry into Mercosur. *** âLula Is About to Fulfill His Wish of Getting His Good Friend Chavez in Mercosurâ Written by Thomaz Alvares de Azevedo e Almeida Brazzil magazine Friday, 20 November 2009 http://www.brazzil.com/component/co...good-friend-chavez-in-mercosur-.html#comments .