"Protesting" the President

The Mainstream Media in the US has made wide play of the supposed massive protests President Bush has encountered during his trip in Latin America. They trumpet the 6,000 who came out to protest his arrival in Sao Paulo, a city of over 11 million people. Not a word is mentioned of the nature of Brazilian politics, where protests are a common part of everyday politics. During a brief visit last summer I was in the capital, Brasilia, when an unhappy mob descended upon the Federal Government and crashed an SUV into the Capital Lobby. In fact the protests have been smaller than expected by the MSM, who none the less will stick to their story!

President Bush has been accused of "ignoring" our Western neighbors, when in fact this is his eighth trip to the region, more than any other President. His welcome has been mostly positive despite what we are being told in our newspapers and the evening news, especially in his meetings during the first half of his trip with leaders who come from the left.