The Real Reason Obama Can’t Shake Hands With Chavez

President Obama was photographed smiling and shaking hands with President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela at the Summit of the America’s.  The incident has drawn criticism for Obama, specifically that his behavior with Chavez endangers America’s prestige.  The crux of the critique is that we can’t be seen as soft, while providing Chavez with political leverage back home.

Quite typical of elite propaganda, the issue has been debased into an ideological battle.  In one corner, we have the noble, righteous, and benevolent United States.  And in the opposing corner, we have the cruel, merciless, totalitarian regime in Venezuela.  This is the simplistic foreign policy propaganda the American public is so often forced to digest, and after decades of feeding, we’ve become accustomed to view world matters in terms of good versus evil.