Thursday, December 13, 2007

What Pot? What Kettle? US Accuses Venezuela Of Meddling In Foreign Politics

Is it all right for a rich country to interfere in the political life or a poorer neighbor?

The Washington Post says No:

U.S. Says Venezuela Tried to Give $800,000 to Argentine
The United States on Wednesday said it had evidence that Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez's government tried to secretly funnel hundreds of thousands of dollars to the campaign of Argentina's new president.

In a criminal complaint, U.S. prosecutors accused four men arrested Wednesday in Miami -- three Venezuelans and a Uruguayan -- of involvement in a conspiracy to cover up an illegal campaign contribution on behalf of the Venezuelan government. The complaint offered the first evidence for an allegation often leveled against Chávez but never proved: that he uses his country's oil wealth to illegally meddle in the politics of his Latin American neighbors.
Is this hypocritical? Not really!

Americans are allowed to meddle in the politics of other countries. Spend a few trillion dollars -- kill a million people -- no weapons of mass destruction under the desk -- ha ha ha! No problem.

But if anyone else dares to throw some cash around, it's illegal!

And who's gonna prosecute? Americans, that's who!

The kettle may be black ... but what color is the pot?