Brazilian leftist President expels NYT reporter. GOOD FOR HIM!

[malatesta1137]

I was shocked when I read Larry Rohter's article on Sunday and knew right away this was just another hatchet piece probably orchestrated by the US Government to undermine Lula's presidency. The same way it tries to do with Chavez in Venezuela over and over again.

I grew up following this guy's career and he's a committed leader. The article is pure bullshit, it mentions 'national concern' for his drinking. I'm always in close contact with my family down there and there's no such crap as 'national concern.'

The NYT is most dangerous of papers, because it appears so respectable and so left-leaning. It's in fact a corrupt corporate propaganda machine.

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/international/international-brazil-lula.html

[Jacobin]

1. Judith Miller proved what the NYSlime is now

It's a CIA propaganda machine.

It is a disgusting rag with only a couple of sane columnist/reporters left.

[Veggie Meathead]

2. Judith Miller, William Safire and David Brooks are

Israeli propagandists masquerading as journalists.They do not have a shred of credibility left.

[Jacobin]

5. And doncha just loooove Tom Friedman?

Ack!

[Judi Lynn]

3. The NY Times also showed its colors with its Venezuelan coup "coverage"

and the admission one of its reporters quit due to exposure he was 100% connected to the Venezuelan "opposition."

We have been waiting to see destabilization begin against him and Nestor Kirchner of Argentina, as well as anyone else who dares not serve our right-wing interests.

Thanks for bringing this news out. Haven't heard a peep on it before reading your post. Many of us love Lula.

[central scrutinizer]

8. and don't forget Wen Ho Lee

they destroyed this guy's life.

[Robbien]

4. Any time a country refuses to let us plunder their resources

our media goes all out portraying the leaders as thugs, and now drunks. These last couple of years of paying close attention has opened my eyes on how detrimental we have been and are to foreign nations.

Sen. Virgilio is right when he said "I'd say what is drunk is U.S. foreign policy".

[LetThemEatWar]

6. the new york whore times

are a bunch of punkasses. i say good.

[quinnox]

7. NY Times is elitest

I get turned off by the snobby tone to a lot of their stories.

[Ann Arbor Dem]

9. I've always disliked Rohter's writing about Brazil

I've read many articles about Brazil by Rohter over the years and I have been dismayed countless times about how he has portrayed the country and its people. For someone who lives there and is married to a Brazilian, he has consistently demonstrated an utter lack of understanding about Brazilian culture and politics.

[redqueen]

10. What? US propoganda outlets smearing a leftist leader?

I'm *shocked*! *Shocked* I tell you! /sarcasm

This was discussed on NPR this morning. I love that they're not mincing words about this in Brazil. "Libelous" was the term used, I believe. :)

Also, someone made a crack that they expected the Times to check facts before publishing! LOL! How quaint!

[malatesta1137]

11. apparently

President Lula might indeed have a drinking problem BUT, from what I was able to gather today from friends and family in the country, it doesn't affect at all his ability to perform as President and it's totally under control. There's no national concern, I repeat.

And in my view, expelling the journalist has nothing to do with censorship, as several have been claiming. He can still write his articles from somewhere else. It would've been censorship if he had written something offensive about one of the President's policies or about corruption in the government and then expelled (or arrested). But a drinking problem charge is so personal and small-minded.

It's a fair response to this right-wing hatchet job for this guy's visa to be revoked.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

12. I don't know that much about Brazil, but

their reporting on Japan has a "gee whiz" quality to it, reporting long-standing situations as if they're latest breaking news.

When Nicholas Kristof was the Tokyo correspondent for the New York Times, he visited Portland (his parents live in a nearby town), and he admitted that he doesn't speak Japanese and didn't know much about the country before he went.