Operation Exodus: The Snowden Accompaniment Flytilla to Political Asylum in Venezuela by Robert Nai

[Coyotl]

Operation Exodus: The Snowden Accompaniment Flytilla to Political Asylum in Venezuela
by Robert Naiman http://www.commondreams.org/view/2013/07/08-5

On Friday, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced that Venezuela would offer political asylum to NSA whistle-blower Edward Snowden.

Regardless of what happens next, President Maduro's announcement was world-historical. With his announcement, Maduro has invited Americans to live in a new world: a "multi-polar" world in which the U.S. government's power is limited, not by a single "superpower adversary," but by the actions of many independent countries which are not U.S. "adversaries"; countries which agree with the U.S. on some things and disagree with the U.S. on other things, as is their right; countries which do not always accede to U.S. demands, as is their right. The day after Snowden claims political asylum in Venezuela, the U.S. and Venezuela will continue their robust economic trade; in particular, Venezuela will continue to be one of the top four suppliers of foreign oil to the United States.

It's a general constant in human affairs that no-one likes to be told that they have too much power for the general welfare. Nonetheless, we're all capable, when we want, of seeing things from the other guy's point of view.

And from the point of view of most people in the world, it's not a good thing for the United States to have too much power in world affairs; from the point of view of most people in the world, it's not a good thing for any one country to have too much power in world affairs.

.....

[longship]

1. "Maduro has invited Americans to live in a new world"

Ahem! This reportage is not very good.

Maduro is an American. So are all our neighbors in the continent to the south (and north). And they are very sensitive to people from the USA calling themselves "Americans" seemingly to the exclusion of others on the American continents.

Just pointing out. No wonder they're all pissed. Snowden had better seize this opportunity if he doesn't want to end up in a US prison cell. I am not sure he is astute enough to do so.

[Laelth]

2. k&r for exposure. n/t

-Laelth