Political Cortex: Brain Food for the Body Politic

When the junta decided to increase the taxes of the oil companies Duke Haight, President of the largest company, Creole Petroleum, protested the rise.  The government responded to the protest by canceling his visa so he was unable to return to his company.  While the Eisenhower Administration recognized the problem and sided with the government Haight's haughtiness had a decidedly negative impact on the part of Venezuela's citizenry.

When Nixon received his rocky welcome in Caracas America's mainstream media responded predictably.  The Cold War was in full swing and the response was attributed to Communist and far left-leaning segments of the Venezuelan populace.  The aforementioned circumstances were not brought into play in analyzing events.

As one fast-forwards events to the Bush stop in Argentina last week a similar mainstream media pattern reemerged.  On CBS anchorman Bob Schieffer took great pains to link anti-Bush demonstrations to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.  When he spoke to John Roberts, who was covering the events, Schieffer stated emphatically, "Now these protests are all the work of Hugo Chavez, are they not?"  Roberts was quick to provide emphatic agreement.

Once more the mainstream media substituted a quick feint and ipso facto pseudo-analysis for substantive reporting.  Did Chavez develop his position strictly because he is a radical who hates America?  What is missing is the kind of analysis that the mainstream media does not wish to provide concerning events and circumstances it hopes we will not learn about.  The same simplistic and deceptive smear the messenger with a Communist or highly radical anti-American label is substituted for rigid analysis.

First of all, Argentines have suffered mightily by the gigantic squeeze applied by the World Bank as the government was placed in a stranglehold to pay back monies with suffocating interest.  As for Chavez, he stands in the same position as President Salvador Allende in Chile and Jacobo Arbenz in Guatemala before him.  Those democratically elected presidents were removed from office by CIA led coups in the interest of major U.S. corporations.  In Allende's case the military coup with CIA direction was in the interest of International Telephone and Telegraph.  Allende lost his life in the process.  

The overthrow of the popular Jacobo Arbenz came amid interesting circumstances.  He sought a better deal for Guatemalan citizens from the United Fruit Company.  When he received a CIA initiated coup instead it was explained away as a case of the U.S. quarantining a difficult leader under Communist influence with the people ultimately responding.  They did not call him "Tricky Dick" for nothing.  

The kicker was that Walter Bedell Smith, the CIA Director at the time, was former chief of staff to General Dwight Eisenhower, who by then occupied the Oval Office.  Guess what position Smith received when he left the CIA?  If you answered Vice-President of United Fruit Company jump to the head of the class.  Could there have been some kind of quid pro quo?  Now stop sounding anti-American!

Now we move front row center to the present and Hugo Chavez.  For the record he was overthrown at one point, then brought back by the demands of the people manifested in loud voices and intense demonstrations.  Yes, the CIA was back operating in the interest of fearful American oil interests.  

The mainstream media soft-pedaled the strong support sentiments that resulted in Chavez's return and focused on the demonstrations against him.  While virtually all these reporters were describing "events" from afar Greg Palast of the BBC was, as usual, on the scene.  He saw things in a different light.  By seeking land reform and prying loose huge chunks controlled by a reigning plutocracy Chavez indeed drew some irate demonstrators.  Palast described the scenes as among the rare occasions when the demonstrators bore designer watches and were clad in Champs Elysee and Fifth Avenue finery.  

These were items that were not covered in the CBS report of Schieffer and Roberts.  Now if you want real reporting by all means shift over to Fox where Murdoch's highly trained parrots O'Reilly and Hannity will play the blame game of "Blame it all on Hugo Chavez!" as their pockets are further enriched.