So...apparently Evo Morales was kidnapped and held hostage because of US political pressure.

[Cali_Democrat]

Here's a picture of Evo Morales as he was supposedly "kidnapped" and "held hostage" in Austria:



Yes that's Evo Morales and Austrian President Heinz Fischer posing as they were at the Vienna airport.

Bolivia says European nations ‘kidnapped’ Evo Morales in hunt for NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden

Bolivia accused European nations of an “act of aggression” for refusing to allow the plane of its President Evo Morales’ to travel in their airspace because of rumours that the US fugitive, Edward Snowden, was on board.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/bolivia-says-european-nations-kidnapped-evo-morales-in-hunt-for-nsa-whistleblower-edward-snowden-8686124.html

Kidnapped and held hostage?

Oh lawd.

[msanthrope]

1. The only thing being held against its will is that hairpiece. nt

[Cali_Democrat]

2. LOL

[Comrade Grumpy]

32. Cheapjack, substanceless personal insults. Very impressive.

Maybe you should play the Iraniana boogeyman card again.

[idwiyo]

40. Jees, this post dropped to the new low for DU.

[lillypaddle]

42. my thoughts exactly! nt

on edit: please note that this is a response to OP, not post #40

[Pholus]

3. You are right. Our victims generally aren't smiling when we're done with them.

After we've kidnapped and "enhanced interrogationed" them of course.

[Cali_Democrat]

4. So do you think Morales was held hostage and kidnapped?

That's apparently what he claims.

[Pholus]

7. Diplomatically, most likely. I guess you need to see zipties or something?

Too much NCIS for you!

[cali]

5. why is it so difficult for people to admit that

we don't know what happened?

Confirmation bias is a fascinating thing.

[Cali_Democrat]

6. "we don't know what happened?"

I agree that there are conflicting reports, but things are now becoming clearer and Morales is looking like a fool.

People believed what he said because it's what they WANTED to believe.

Kidnapped and held hostage?

Nah.

[cali]

9. We don't know what happened. period.

I've done a lot of reading on this brouhaha so it's with ease and confidence that I state that.

You want a certain narrative because it fits with your overall world view. Hey, that's how many people roll, maybe most people.

You see things as you wish to and find information that backs that view up.

[temmer]

11. distraction

Stop whining about the Bolivians exploiting their triumph with exaggerations (kidnapped/hostage). This is common politicial business everwhere.

The US government was obviously the driving force behind the overfly denial. They have been duped by someone.

It landed about 11 pm. Shortly after that, the Vienna foreign department received a phone call. The caller was the US embassador William Eacho. "Die Presse" learned that he claimed with strong firmness that Edward Snowden was onboard, the whistleblower of the recent surveillance scandals. Eacho referred to a diplomatic note requesting Snowden's extradition.


Now they do everything to destroy the impression that they pressed the Europeans to stop the "Snowden" plane.

[Recursion]

24. *Raising my hand* I have no fucking idea what happened

And every report seems to make this muddier for me.

[HappyMe]

43. I agree.

There are too many different accounts of what happened. I'm wondering if we will ever know the truth.

[Berlum]

8. The Condor touches down at the Flughafen

[JI7]

10. cute pic

looks like something he would post on facebook and other places to show everyone with a description of who and what they were doing and what a good time he had

[99Forever]

12. So you ...

... wouldn't have a problem if Air Force One carrying Obama was forced to land at a destination he wasn't headed for?

[Bonobo]

13. Jeers to you for posting a photo that you KNOW makes him look bad.

It's low and now I think you are as well.

[temmer]

14. !!!this is exactly what I was thinking nt

[Bonobo]

16. It's cheap, sleazy lowlife behavior any way you look at it.

It's exactly like the right wingers who post bad pictures of Hillary.

[hlthe2b]

21. Me too. There is a very very nasty, undercurrent in some of these threads...

Uggh.. This particular OP may as well have come from a far RW website, regardless of what one believes happened.

The entire tone and tenor of that O.post and some of the comments are damned disgusting.

[HappyMe]

45. What about that photo makes the guy look bad?

That's just the way he looks. He's just sitting there, smiling.

[Bonobo]

46. I won't be baited into your simple trap. but...

They could have used this photo:



or this photo:



or this photo:



And they chose to use this:



Draw your own conclusions and don't bother asking me another baited question.

[HappyMe]

47. I'm not 'baiting' anyone.

I'm just saying that the guy doesn't look bad in the photo. If you think he does, than that's on you.

[Bonobo]

48. No. It's not "on me".

It's called an astute observation or looking at media with a critical eye and not mindlessly swallowing up spoon-fed images that are intended to produce a reaction of mockery.

AND I amply demonstrated my point.

[HappyMe]

49. Really?

I'm just taking issue with people being judgmental about the way the guy looks. It's a candid shot. He's got a big smile on his face. I don't see how it makes the guy "look bad". A candid photo doesn't mean that the guy is a bad leader. It doesn't diminish the guy's decision making in any way. I'm not mocking the guy. If people choose to mock the guy because of a photo, than that is their problem. The other photos could also be considered being "spoon fed" also.

[alcibiades_mystery]

15. We don't believe anything any government official says

Unless they're foreign ministers and spokespersons for Latin American countries.

MEMO #S.4916t772wj. Read it.

[Warren Stupidity]

17. authoritarian talking point with rofl.

Today's talking point: lets laugh at the funny brown foreign person. Isn't he funny looking? And brown too.

Here is the actual picture from the cited article:


But that wasn't quite as funny looking, when the point you were trying to make was to ridicule the head of state of Bolivia.

[treestar]

20. Authoritarian, hmmm

The constitution, drafted in 2006–07 and approved in 2009, provides for balanced executive, legislative, judicial, and electoral powers, as well as several levels of autonomy. The traditionally strong executive branch tends to overshadow the Congress, whose role is generally limited to debating and approving legislation initiated by the executive. The judiciary, consisting of the Supreme Court and departmental and lower courts, has long been riddled with corruption and inefficiency.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolivia

[hlthe2b]

22. Yup... as I said upstream... a very nasty undercurrent underlies some of these posts

[treestar]

18. That almost looks photoshopped

His head is at such a weird angle.

As for using the work "kidnapped" that is the usual emoprog exaggeration. They think they cannot persuade unless they lie about the extent of a thing. Has to be extreme or it's not good enough.

[LondonReign2]

19. You truly are a masochist

But again, I admire your ability to absolutely not be embarrassed at the stuff you post.

[Cali_Democrat]

23. Some of the posts in this thread are implying I'm racist for posting this picture

It's so outlandish that I'm not even going to respond to those posts directly.

BTW...the picture is from the Atlantic article which I posted earlier:

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/global/2013/07/tale-re-routed-bolivian-presidents-plane-falling-apart/66838/

Sorry...but posting this picture does not make me racist.

[DisgustipatedinCA]

29. I don't think you're being racist, but you did show your true colors yesterday

Never again will I consent to take anything you say at face value.

[Cali_Democrat]

30. Good

Because I never took your posts at face value either.

I guess we'll call it even :;

[DisgustipatedinCA]

31. Not quite even. I don't believe anyone thinks I'm a dishonest broker.

I admit the many mistakes I make, and I often apologize for those mistakes. This doesn't make me a saint, but it does bolster my credibility.

[Cali_Democrat]

33. Keep telling yourself that

if it makes you feel better.

[DisgustipatedinCA]

34. I will continue to live by my own code of ethics, and you'll do that thing you do.

[Cali_Democrat]

35. It's funny how some people are absolute legends

in there own minds.

It's just an internet forum made up of anonymous posters.

People will disagree with your positions.

[DisgustipatedinCA]

37. their

[idwiyo]

41. You sure didn't mind to show your approval of low life shot at Morales' hair.

Because of course it had nothing to do with race. It's just because his hair must be fake or something.

[Cali_Democrat]

25. Here's an article where Morales says he was held "hostage"

In addition to the article in the OP where he says he was kidnapped:

http://www.bignewsnetwork.com/index.php/sid/215602300/scat/4b6cc4f8ec2f54f6/ht/Bolivias-Morales-says-plane-held-hostage-because-of-Snowden-rumors

I'm sorry, but if this man was held hostage and kidnapped (all while smiling with the Austrian president), I will eat my shorts.

[magellan]

26. His plane was denied overflight rights and forced to land at Vienna

It was held on the ground for 14 hours while the four countries in question came to an agreement about letting the flight proceed over their airspace. Even the Austrian foreign minister was annoyed with Spain for attaching a condition to their permission: the President's plane had to be searched first.

Kidnapped? Stretch. Hostage? No doubt. Unless you think it's legitimate for the president of any country to be forced to have his plane searched before it can fly home.

[Cali_Democrat]

27. Portugal, France and Spain say they didn't block the plane:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023166997

[magellan]

28. Then how do you explain the Austrian foreign minister's annoyance at Spain? n/t

[Comrade Grumpy]

36. Quit lying.

Snowden Case: Frances Apologies in Bolivian Plane Row: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-23174874

[Scurrilous]

38. fastest.stockholmsyndrome.ever.

[Union Scribe]

44. Your posts on this matter

have been so bad that I can't even be annoyed by them. I'm honestly embarrassed for some of you. And for DU, for such things to be hosted here.