Appeasing Chavez....

Barack Obama's regrettable act of sucking up to the Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez at the Summit of the Americas over the weekend has more implications than the president's rather feeble foreign policy mind can begin to comprehend. Chavez is a dictator that gained control of the country via a military coup d'etat in the 1990s and has ruled the Venezuelan people with an iron fist since then.

I have had several liberal friends who have praised Obama's efforts to cure the image of the United States abroad...I mean let's not forget, this is the same man that blasted the very citizens of the United States that elected him president by telling his European elitist pals that we were an arrogant country. I have also heard the wonderful phrase "Keep your friends close and enemies closer" bandied about quite a bit. Here's the problem: Obama doesn't view Chavez as an enemy.

Chavez has been outspokingly anti-American for years now, and he openly hates this country (liberals, please do not blame Bush for this too...I apologize if Bush didn't bend over backwards to kiss the ass of a military dictator). However, the one thing that Chavez and Obama DO agree on is economic policy; Chavez controls all facets of the Venezuelan economy, and Obama is rapidly trying to accomplish the same perspective. If you don't believe me, refer to my previous post regarding Obama's refusal to accept repayment of the TARP funds that went out with the first bailout.

There is a difference between "repairing our image in the world" and making yourself look like a complete pushover that will befriend anyone that is willing to talk. Fidel Castro said that he would do anything to help out the Obama administration after they reached out a couple weeks back. Now, while liberals would like you to believe that Fidel is a kindly old grandpa who is enjoying his retirement, let's not forget the thousands of political prisoners he has executed over the last 50 years. In three months, this president has managed to tear down almost every single value the United States has represented for decades.

Lest we forget the secondary effects of his frat-like meeting with Chavez. Hugo's virulently anti-American book has skyrocketed towards the top of the NYT Bestsellers list...by portraying Chavez as a "cool" guy, he encouraged thousands of Americans to go out and buy anti-American hate speech. Our president needs to realize that he was not elected to become a celebrity. He was elected to be a leader...and sometimes that means you CAN'T be friends with everyone.