Venezuela President Hugo Chavez is getting a lot of press for a speech at the UN in which he called George W. Bush "the devil" and noted his stench of sulfur. Really, Hugo…the devil? Aren't you giving Dubya a bit too much credit? I mean, call him the Interloper, call him the Wizard, hell, you can even call him a douchebag. But the prince of darkness may be a bit much.
Of course, Republicans are offended. And well they should be; it's not like the GOP throws around hyperbole, right? Uh…guess again.
President Bush, of course, famously labeled Iran, Iraq and North Korea part of the "Axis of Evil" and recently began using the term "Islamic fascists" in campaign speeches to describe America's enemies. Meanwhile, Bush officials and their supporters have been repeatedly invoking the now-standard rhetorical tactic of comparing America's enemies, including other heads of state, to Adolf Hitler and the Nazi threat.
American protests over the improper tone of Chavez's speech were led by U.N. ambassador John Bolton, who decried the "comic book approach to international affairs" and, without any trace of irony, scoffed that nobody above the level of "junior note-taker" was paying attention to what Chavez said. Bolton, of course, was sent to be America's ambassador to the world despite having once contended that "if the U.N. secretary building in New York lost 10 stories, it wouldn't make a bit of difference," and despite almost single-handedly destroying American nuclear weapons negotiations with North Korea by calling Kim Jong Il, on the eve of the talks, a "tyrannical dictator" and the leader of an "evil regime."
Now I get it. Chavez comes off as a world leader light on diplomacy and prone to exaggeration, while the US continues to fall deeper into the pit of hypocrisy. Or maybe it's just the Eighth Circle. I can never tell.
1 comment:
I really don't know what to think about all the rhetoric but the level of its quickly increasing hostility and bluntness is alarming. One can argue if we deserve even a little bit of it but it still doesn't change the degree of it happening. Leaders calling each other (and by proxy their country/citizens) evil at a forum of world leaders isn't something to be brushed aside.
On a side note, I thought it was interesting this evening as I was leaving work to see the Hilton across the street from my building surrounded by police. Apparently Mahmoud Ahmanidejad (or however you spell that freaks name) is hosting a pro-Iran/Iran supporter gala event there tonight. (No alcohol is being served) It seemed funny to me that this guy who I am sure would love to see NYC leveled to the ground is getting police protection to throw a party in heart of Manhattan. I wonder if the cops on duty appreciated their assignment.
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