Daily Archives: March 3, 2004

5 posts

Why Would the U.S. Facilitate Ousters in Haiti and Venezuela?

[ Here I propose a possible explanation as to why the U.S. might have supported coups in Haiti and Venezuela — an explanation of which I hope scrutinizing readers will disabuse me if I am off-base. –doclalor ] by Brendan Lalor, thereitis.org If democratically elected Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide was kidnapped by the U.S., it’s worth asking, Why little Haiti? I propose a two-part explanation here, as to why the U.S. supported or pandered to the anti-government forces in Haiti, and pressured Aristide out — an explanation which will, in turn, be extended to cover Venezuela, too: The minor component […]

U.S. Papers Hail Venezuelan Coup as Pro-Democracy Move

FAIR (Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting) April 18, 2002 When elements of the Venezuelan military forced president Hugo Chávez from office last week, the editorial boards of several major U.S. newspapers followed the U.S. government’s lead and greeted the news with enthusiasm. In an April 13 editorial, the New York Times triumphantly declared that Chavez’s “resignation” meant that “Venezuelan democracy is no longer threatened by a would-be dictator.” Conspicuously avoiding the word “coup,” the Times explained that Chavez “stepped down after the military intervened and handed power to a respected business leader.” Calling Chavez “a ruinous demagogue,” the Times offered […]

Venezuela coup linked to Bush team

[ The article below explains the connections between Bush Administration figures and the 2002 coup in Venezuela. They include: Otto Reich — who met with the plotters of the coup beforehand — Elliot Abrams, and John Negroponte. –doclalor ] Specialists in the ‘dirty wars’ of the Eighties encouraged the plotters who tried to topple President Chavez Ed Vulliamy in New York Sunday April 21, 2002 The Observer The failed coup in Venezuela was closely tied to senior officials in the US government, The Observer has established. They have long histories in the ‘dirty wars’ of the 1980s, and links to […]

Venezuelan Leader, Battling a Recall, Mocks Bush

[ It’s not just Aristide the Bush Administration has been working to oust, but socialist President Chavez in Venezuela, too. From the article: “Sumate, an opposition group that helped plan the recall effort, received $53,000 from the United States government. The money came from the National Endowment for Democracy, which had funneled hundreds of thousands of dollars to groups opposed to Mr. Chavez.” –doclalor ] March 1, 2004, New York Times By JUAN FORERO ARACAS, Venezuela, Feb. 29 — President Hugo Chávez railed against the Bush administration on Sunday in a speech before tens of thousands of supporters, accusing it […]

Peter, Paul, Mary . . . and God

[ Word on the street in some quarters is that Mel Gibson’s The Passion is noteworthy for its historical accuracy. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Anti-Defamation League commissioned a report that debunks that claim. Nearly as interesting are the uncanonized narratives contemplated below that supply different points of view of the person, Jesus. –doclalor ] February 28, 2004, New York Times By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF For a provocative look at the emergence of Christianity two millenniums ago, skip Mel Gibson’s “Passion of the Christ” and examine instead some of the fascinating recent scholarship on the early church. Interest in […]