The argument over whether the various nations of North and South America should be forced together under the auspices of global capitalism or global socialism came to an ugly head today at the Summit of the Americas in Mar del Plata, Argentina as anti-capitalist provocateurs, of the professional and amateur varieties, decided to do their best to destroy the effective use of peaceful protests against state power.
Originally, there was a peaceful march of tens of thousands in opposition to the terribly misnamed Free Trade Area of the Americas, and the Iraq war. Then, according to the CNN, after Hugo Chavez gave his soccer stadium speech denouncing Bush and the FTAA, the “anarchists” showed up and started smashing windows and setting fires. There was massive rioting throughout the city, and some of the violence even spread to neighboring Uruguay.
How to fight injustice and poverty? Break anything that looks like someone was able to save up for it. Smart.
Here comes another round of letters equating us with them…
It should be to the everlasting shame of all Americans that a Communist demagogue like Chavez has even the slightest bit of credibility in contrast to George W. Bush. It takes a real loser in the role of “leader of the free world” who not only can’t convince people of the benefits of open markets, but instead provokes massive destruction simply by showing up.
Update: Okay, okay, Chavez is a “socialist” not a “communist.” Government is government. Geez.
Update II: “I have been a Maoist since I entered military school.” From the speech “Capitalism is Savagery” by Hugo Chavez.
Update III: Attention Leftists! Before you write me some inchoherent speil about how I am the world’s biggest supporter of American Empire and all its interventions in South America, scroll up and copy to your clipboard the part where I even came near implying any such thing. Even better, read this. Thank you for your careful attention.