Latin American Blowhard Watch

Former Nicaraguan dictator/current Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega addressed the United Nations yesterday, shedding his much-vaunted new, "moderate" image. The AP reports:

Ortega had started off addressing the central theme of this year's General Assembly meeting - climate change - but he quickly launched into a tirade against global capitalism, meandering from his notes and speaking well beyond his allotted 15 minutes.

The world is under "the most impressive, huge dictatorship that has existed - the empire of North America," he said. An "imperialist minority is imposing global capitalism to impoverish us all and impose apartheid against Latin American immigrants and against African immigrants."

Elsewhere in Latin American, Venezuela's megalomaniacal leader Hugo Chavez, who skipped* the UN climate confab to meet with K-Pax star Kevin Spacey, set a new record on his Sunday gabfest Alo Presidente. The Guardian's Rory Carroll reports from Caracas:

The clock showed it was just after 7pm. The Venezuelan president had started at 11am, more than eight hours earlier - a new record. He looked into the camera and grinned: "The first time in history."

Welcome to Aló Presidente!, a television chatshow like no other. Sunday's edition, No 295, was the longest yet, a marathon of politics and showmanship, and for many proof that Venezuela has become a country governed largely through television.

* Venezuela's government-run news agency, Agencia Bolivariana de Noticias, said that despite Chavez's UN snub, the government "has a lot to say about the [climate change] issue and to (sic) clearly show the significant responsibility the capitalist system has in environmental decline."

Comments

[NP]

8 hours?! I don't think even Castro can top that one (though in pure redundancy the Comandante probably still stands alone).

[Episiarch]

who skipped* the UN climate confab to meet with K-Pax star Kevin Spacey

Wait...Latin Americans, meeting with aliens? This is very disturbing...haven't you seen The Arrival?

[JasonC]

the empire of North America
Damn Canadians

[Pro Libertate]

We're a dictatorship? What is it these days, just use words randomly?

[ChrisO]

Authoritarian thugs do like to listen to themselves talk, don't they?

[tarran]

Hmm, I think that the worst pollution seems to happen on land that the government owns.

Is there some new meaning of capitalism that I am not familiar with?

[VM]

Epi -

actually, not to worry. Keyser Soze will be at the meeting, too.

ProGLib:

it's inspired by Koko!

[not sage]

hillary clinton in a dress suit

[JasonL]

"Venezuela's government-run news agency, Agencia Bolivariana de Noticias, said that despite Chavez's UN snub, the government "has a lot to say about the [climate change] issue and to (sic) clearly show the significant responsibility the capitalist system has in environmental decline.""

Sez the oil baron ...

[J sub D]

Wow, Ortega is still a true believer. I an SOOOO surprised.

Goddam, he's an idiot.

[sixstring]

One look at the picture and all I can think is, "Gay Pride! Gay Pride!"

You know when the Persian midget said there were no homosexuals in Iran, he may have been telling the truth. He may have flirted with Ground Zero but he thought The Village was fabulous!

[Pro Libertate]

VM,

Koko the Signing Gorilla may not exactly make sense, but her words aren't entirely random, either. These jokers watched Bananas and thought it was a documentary. "From now on, the official language is Swedish."

We may be far from perfect, but we're no dictatorship or even a real hegemony. We're just rich, powerful, influential, and damned good looking.

[Troll]

The world is under "the most impressive, huge dictatorship that has existed - the empire of North America," he said. An "imperialist minority is imposing global capitalism to impoverish us all and impose apartheid against Latin American immigrants and against African immigrants."

Sounds good but then he is pro-life just like Ron Paul!

[Marcvs]

If only we could emulate such Latin American visionaries like Hugo Chavez instead!

And what's up with the "empire of North America"? Mexico and Canada won't do any of our empire building for us. They just tag a long and reap the benefits of our world dictatorship.

[Slugger]

Does this mean that Chavez is the subject of today's two minute hate? Good, I was tired of hating that guy from Iran. Good thing that the world is so full of potential candidates.

[J sub D]

We may be far from perfect, but we're no dictatorship or even a real hegemony. We're just rich, powerful, influential, and damned good looking.

Pro Libertate, speak for yoursef. I'm not that good looking.

[J sub D]

Re: Troll | September 26, 2007, 2:18pm

I don't respond to the muttering bag lady, either.

[Pro Libertate]

You know, the 1984 analogy isn't apt. We're not at war or going to war with anyone in South America. It's perfectly valid for us to dislike people with dictatorial records or dictatorial ambitions. "Cause, you see, we're still mostly free and still mostly like freedom.

Not to say that I like the pre-war demonization propaganda that we've seen in the past--Hussein = Hitler? I'm having trouble with that one still.

J sub D,

I meant collectively. We're the Hollywood to the rest of the world.

[VM]

ProGLib - and your team is 3x defending champion!

[JBinMO]

"speak for yoursef. I'm not that good looking."

I am.

[theOneState]

Latin American Blowhard Watch: Jon Stewart Edition

For those of you who boycotting Jon Stewart, you might have missed it - this was interesting (if awkward).

[prolefeed]

An "imperialist minority is imposing global capitalism to impoverish us all ..."

Do they even teach economics in his country?

[Lamar]

"Imperialist minority is imposing global capitalism to impoverish us all"

When you're a have-not, this makes sense.

[Kate]

Ortega is a punk, a washed-up dictator who is pissed off that he can't be center-stage anymore like he was in the 80s; for now, he has to defer to Ch?vez. However, I would be much more cautious of his wife Rosario Murillo; she's the brains behind the operation in Managua.

[Syloson of Samos]

Pro Libertate,

While I'm no fan of Noriega, I've always thought that the rhetoric about him prior to the invasion of Panama was way over the top.

[J sub D]

When you're a have-not, this makes sense.

When you're stupid, as well.

[Syloson of Samos]

What exactly was the cassus belli for our invasion? Was it the indictment?

[J sub D]

What exactly was the cassus belli for our invasion? Was it the indictment?

War on Drugs, I think.

[Syloson of Samos]

J sub D,

Well, the indictment concerned drug trafficing. I do remember the invasion being a rather quickly called affair - something like a forty-eight hour time window

[Syloson of Samos]

Ahh, here is the justification by President Bush (the first one obviously): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_invasion_of_Panama#Background

[Pro Libertate]

S of S,

Indeed, that is one example of overdoing it. As was invading Grenada to save Christmas. I'd have been perfectly happy with invading Grenada to stop the Cubans.

VM,

When the Gators win it all, America wins it all.

[Art-P.O.G.]

If that was supposed to be convincing propaganda, I just feel bad for Ortega.

It seems as if I've now heard both Ortega and Ahmadenijad pay lip service to Africans, although I'm fairly certain that neither Nicaragua nor Iran has done any more for Black people than the "North American Empire".

[BakedPenguin]

When the Gators win it all, America wins it all.

Cool. Let's ship them to Iraq.

[Doctor Duck]

What is it these days, just use words randomly?

Yes! I mean, booties!