Letter to Obama: Latin America Policy

[magbana]

From a friend of mine:

Today I posted the following on a Barack Obama campaign blog, both in a
section about a town hall he held in Reading, PA and on his "issues" web
page.

This speaks to the issue of presidential candidates being reduced to
falling back on stereotypical approaches when it comes to foreign policy.
Of course, it is clear that we are not better off with HRC or McCain.
None of us are overly optimistic about major policy changes if Senator
Obama is elected President but I suppose, as we always do, we should at
least try to influence the debate and the policies that are adopted.

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http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/caitlinharvey/gGCgsv/commentary#comment-gGjl5Z

Latin America Policy
By Gunnar Gundersen 5 seconds ago
As a concerned supporter, I was very disappointed to see Senator Obama
today (Reading, PA) make a major foreign policy mistake by calling
President Chavez of Venezuela a dictator, a label taken right from the
Bush playbook, the government that violently overthrew the democratically
elected president of Venezuela and installed a dictatorship that suspended
the constitution, disbanded the national assembly and the supreme court
and was settling in to re-take the country for the Euro-centric oligarchy
that has ruled Latin America for more than 500 years.

To see a person with the background of Senator Obama stoop to this kind of
lazy labeling is disconcerting and problematic. Such lazy talk will not
help the USA re-build its destroyed relationship with Latin America.
President Chavez has been elected on multiple occasions in free and fair
elections with international observers. For Senator Obama to follow the
talking points of the wealthy right-wingers who want to undermine
democracy in Latin America is very disturbing.

I have consistently supported Senator Obama, with hard earned dollars. I
have written and have had published numerous letters-to-the-editor
supporting him and defending him against unfair attacks from the Clintons.
But, now, I wonder if he represents real change. I don't want to think
this is the case but his own words betray the fact that he intends to
follow the same failed policies of the past with regard to Latin America.
I assume he has not bothered to learn much about the region and he is
over-dependent on the advice of "experts;" however, as President, he
cannot blame his advisors when he insults an entire nation.

Senator Obama, please re-consider your rhetoric regarding Venezuela. You
may not like the words President Chavez uses sometimes to criticize
President Bush but, then again, you have never had your life threatened by
President Bush. President Chavez has never uttered an "anti-American"
statement. He has rightly complained about the aggressive anti-Venezuelan
policies of President Bush. There is a big difference between the two.

Senator Obama please stick to the facts and don't allow yourself to be
manipulated into parroting Bush's stereotypes that only damage the USA and
do nothing to help bring positive change. Please reflect on this and
please try to learn some firsthand knowledge about our neighbors (not our
"backyard" as you once called it) in Latin America.

[JohnnyCougar]

1. Just a reminder that once we get Democrats elected, the fight is not over.

We have to hold our own party accountable.