Thursday, September 15, 2005
What are they smoking?
Its official, the U.S. has "decertified" Venezuela when it comes to drugs. This means that the U.S. government thinks that Venezuela isn't cooperating in the "drug war".
The implications of this are...bascially nothing. The U.S. could cut off aid to Venezuela which amounted to a grand total $500,000. But then it realized most all of that aid was going to organizations trying to undermine the Chavez government and thought better of it. So the prostitutes at SUMATE still get their $107,000.
The U.S. could also have organizations like the I.M.F. cut off funding. But given that Chavez revatilized OPEC and now has plenty of oil money the effect of that would be nil.
So there isn't really anything to this other than the U.S. government again gets to look arrogant and stupid at the same time. They look stupid not only because it is a meaningless gesture but because in their declartation they actually said:
Ok that makes a lot of sense - a country confiscates more drugs than before yet somehow they are not cooperating. It take the Bush Administration craft such an assinine statement.
As to the arrogance - who is the U.S. to certify anyone on anything? Maybe Venezuela should decertify the U.S. in, among other things, the war on poverty, the war against racism (defnitely after what just happened in N.O.), and the quest for international peace.
Last but not least, why can't the U.S. just deal with its own potheads? I mean really, millions of U.S. citizens use drugs that are illegal in that country and who gets blamed, people in South America. Talk about an infantile refusal to accept responsibility for your own actions. Even the Venezuelan opposition isn't THAT bad. So here is an idea Mr. Bush. Maybe you should put the blame right where it belongs - on the American public. Thats what you should really do - decertify yourselves. Let the people who are snorting the cocaine or puffing the weed, and those who look away while others do, take the blame. But I guess that's too rational and makes too much sense - so it will never happen.
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The implications of this are...bascially nothing. The U.S. could cut off aid to Venezuela which amounted to a grand total $500,000. But then it realized most all of that aid was going to organizations trying to undermine the Chavez government and thought better of it. So the prostitutes at SUMATE still get their $107,000.
The U.S. could also have organizations like the I.M.F. cut off funding. But given that Chavez revatilized OPEC and now has plenty of oil money the effect of that would be nil.
So there isn't really anything to this other than the U.S. government again gets to look arrogant and stupid at the same time. They look stupid not only because it is a meaningless gesture but because in their declartation they actually said:
Despite an increase in drug seizures during the past four years, it is our assessment that the government of Venezuela has not addressed the increasing use of Venezuelan territory to transport drugs to the United States
Ok that makes a lot of sense - a country confiscates more drugs than before yet somehow they are not cooperating. It take the Bush Administration craft such an assinine statement.
As to the arrogance - who is the U.S. to certify anyone on anything? Maybe Venezuela should decertify the U.S. in, among other things, the war on poverty, the war against racism (defnitely after what just happened in N.O.), and the quest for international peace.
Last but not least, why can't the U.S. just deal with its own potheads? I mean really, millions of U.S. citizens use drugs that are illegal in that country and who gets blamed, people in South America. Talk about an infantile refusal to accept responsibility for your own actions. Even the Venezuelan opposition isn't THAT bad. So here is an idea Mr. Bush. Maybe you should put the blame right where it belongs - on the American public. Thats what you should really do - decertify yourselves. Let the people who are snorting the cocaine or puffing the weed, and those who look away while others do, take the blame. But I guess that's too rational and makes too much sense - so it will never happen.
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