Bush-Lula Meeting - A Study in Hypocrisy

I watched the Bush-Lula joint statement in Brasília this morning. If anything it showed how hidebound the US president's thinking is and how words do not match deeds. A few cases in point:

• Bush wants to press forward with the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA). Lula wants the Doha round of trade talks by the WTO to be completed first. Why? My guess is that there will be calls in Doha by the less rich nations for further loosening of farm subsisides by richer countries (i.e. Japan, the EU and USA), possibly some loosening of intellectual property restrictions and other things that will balance the playing field a little more. I think that the WTO will go along with some of it.
• As Boz notes, Bush's promise to end farm subsidies is truly hollow because it's predicated on the EU's doing the same and I'm certain he knows the likelihood of that happening. This isn't leadership; it's excuse-making and political covering of one's ass. When given the opportunity to be bold and possibly to gain a small measure of credibility with Latin America - and even a small measure would help - Bush opts for political cover that he believes is opaque, but is certainly transparent - in all the negative contexts of that word -to the rest of us.
• Finally, Bush praises Lula and Brazil's work on treating HIV/AIDS, arguably a model for the developing world, but denies funding for successful programs that don't pass muster with his right-wing religious base.

He just doesn't get it and the odds of him ever getting it are slim.

Comments

[charles]

I do agree there is massive hypocrisy at work here but, I think that the socolists and commies are the ones being the hypocrises. In my opinion over 85% of the world is hearing only one voice,that of France and the courrupt UN. What they want is total control, I will fight that. Please reconsider!

[quixote]

"the odds of [Bush] ever getting it are slim"

You are too kind.

[Randy Paul]

I do agree there is massive hypocrisy at work here but, I think that the socolists and commies are the ones being the hypocrises. In my opinion over 85% of the world is hearing only one voice,that of France and the courrupt UN. What they want is total control, I will fight that. Please reconsider!

?????