Does the entry of Venezuela into Mercosur mean that FTAA is a lost cause?

Yes	8 votes - 88 %
No	1 vote - 11 %

9 Total Votes

Latin American integration: Venezuela joins Mercosur | 11 comments (11 topical, editorial, 0 hidden)

Tip jar (4.00 / 6)

Current event in South America are perhaps the mostly sadly overlooked piece of news in todays world. The intergration of South America could be one of the greatest stories of out times, or one of the worst. The Bush administration has already tried to trip off a proxy war between Columbia and Venezuela earlier this year, and they seem damn intent on taking sr Chavez out.

And I'll give my consent to any government that does not deny a man a living wage-Billy Bragg

by ManfromMiddletown (manfrommiddletown at lycos dot com) on Sat Dec 10th, 2005 at 12:36:24 AM EST

Re: Tip jar (4.00 / 2)

The US attitude to the Central/South American sphere remains very troubling. Democracy's imperfections are tolerated in right wing govts, but in the case of the left the US is all too prepared to abandon democracy. I really think it is time people addressed this attitude. It comes out of American Exceptionalism and is the father of not only South American wars but also the torture issues of today.

by Metatone (metatone [a|t] gmail (dot) com) on Sat Dec 10th, 2005 at 04:22:35 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Tip jar (4.00 / 3)

Let me recognize that the US since Bush father has improved great miles in the treatment towards SouthAmerica and central America. It is not perfect but at least it is well within the borders of what an empire is suppose to do... Death squads and right-wing dictatures killing people are no longer directly supported.

A pleasure

I therefore claim to show, not how men think in myths, but how myths operate in men's minds without their being aware of the fact. Levi-Strauss, Claude

by kcurie on Sat Dec 10th, 2005 at 05:26:33 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Tip jar (4.00 / 2)

Death squads are no longer directly supported. Such A high standard my country has set for itself. And let's be honest death squads are no longer supported openly in latin america, but iraq, that's a different story.

And I'll give my consent to any government that does not deny a man a living wage-Billy Bragg

by ManfromMiddletown (manfrommiddletown at lycos dot com) on Sat Dec 10th, 2005 at 08:45:55 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Tip jar (none / 0)

I am trying to be positive... but yes this is a good standard for an Empire... Unfortunately in Iraq they did not follow this standard as you say.

A pleasure

I therefore claim to show, not how men think in myths, but how myths operate in men's minds without their being aware of the fact. Levi-Strauss, Claude

by kcurie on Sat Dec 10th, 2005 at 10:04:06 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Latin American integration: Venezuela joins Me (none / 1)

Thanks for this excellent post. I've also been working on a diary about the leftward shift in Latin America. Today I came across this article in the New York Times: Elections Could Tilt Latin America Further to the Left. It's well worth reading.

Do not feel safe. The poet remembers.
Czeslaw Milosz

by Chris Kulczycki on Sat Dec 10th, 2005 at 11:12:55 AM EST

Re: Latin American integration: Venezuela joins Me (none / 1)

South America is a continent now dominated by the left, with the strong likelihood that the wave of leftist victory will soon bring socialists to power in both Chile and Bolivia.

Actually, victory in Chile would be a keeper for the Left!

Only Paraguay and Colombia remain. And if in Mesoamerica, Mexico is lost for the US too, the reaction might be stronger activity - striking down on and emanating from Columbia. Poor Columbia, as it it hadn't enough problems already.

_{*Lunatic*, n.

One whose delusions are out of fashion.}

by DoDo on Sat Dec 10th, 2005 at 02:26:09 PM EST

Re: Latin American integration: Venezuela joins Me (none / 1)

Oops! You're right. Chile is a really conservative country. If you realize the extent that they were a weird sandbox for neoliberal economists, you can understand how deeply to the Right they are.

And my European friends, plenty of European corporations have done nasty things in Latin america as well.

I think on the the right wing candidates is related to Jose Pinera, the arhitect of Chile's pension privatization, and for the last few years resident at Washington's Cato instiute trying to sell the idea of pension privatization in the world's largest economy.

And I'll give my consent to any government that does not deny a man a living wage-Billy Bragg

by ManfromMiddletown (manfrommiddletown at lycos dot com) on Sat Dec 10th, 2005 at 08:54:24 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Latin American integration (none / 0)

An interesting tidbit: Mercosur already trades more with Europe than with the USA. Venezuela joining might change that somewhat.

In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes

by Jerome a Paris (etg@eurotrib.com) on Sat Dec 10th, 2005 at 03:47:02 PM EST

Re: Latin American integration: Venezuela joins... (none / 0)

Very good diary. Thanks a lot. Another thing to watch is the election in Bolivia next week. And of course, there is Chile tomorrow.

It looks like South America is not trying to please the big dude up North but to do its own thing without asking anybody's permission. Very encouraging.

by Francois in Paris on Sat Dec 10th, 2005 at 05:52:16 PM EST

Re: Latin American integration: Venezuela joins... (none / 0)

Oh, duh [slap forehead hard]. So, to sum up:

Bolivia -> Evo Morales -> Sunday 18th
Chile -> Michelle Bachelet -> Sunday 11th (this Sunday)

by Francois in Paris on Sat Dec 10th, 2005 at 06:35:42 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Latin American integration: Venezuela joins Mercosur | 11 comments (11 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

Does the entry of Venezuela into Mercosur mean that FTAA is a lost cause?

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