Obama Humors Ortega and Chavez

... and everyone else on his continuing World Apology Tour 2009. The guys at Powerline have the story, but are missing a key part of the strategy in Obama's grovelling in front of Danny Ortega of Nicaragua and Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, murderous lefty thugs both.

After receiving Obama's homage, Ortega:

...delivered a blistering 50-minute speech that denounced capitalism and U.S. imperialism as the root of much hemispheric mischief. The address even recalled the 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba, though Ortega said the new U.S. president could not be held to account for that.

Once again, Obama assumed the position:

"I'm grateful that President Ortega did not blame me for things that happened when I was three months old," Obama said, to laughter and applause from the other leaders.

I think I understand the plan. The concept, as I understand it, is to let the other side rant and rave all they want, listen attentively, show care and concern and then get involved in a discussion of substantive issues without yelling back at them. Instead of arguing and defending ourselves, we're accepting the tongue-lashings so that the discussion doesn't begin with everyone already angry.

That makes sense so long as the status quo is fine with us. Obama's genuflections to such swine will be interpreted as support in their countries. Opposition groups to Chavez and Ortega will see this as a lack of support for them. Chavez and Ortega will see this as a chance to ratchet up their own oppressions.

Meanwhile, Chavez supports narco-terrorists in Columbia, fighting against our ally. It seems counter-intuitive to me to begin a negotiation with an enemy like Chavez by agreeing to his formulations of the problem. When the real negotiations start we will either have to repudiate them or go along with this whole US Imperialism theme. One way makes Obama seem disingenuous and the other leads to caving in.

Chavez gets a big laugh at home by giving Obama Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent.