The tight grip of the US

The latest Robert Fisk column examines the long reach of the US:

But then in steps Brazil with its geographical immensity, its extraordinary story of colonialism and democracy, the mixture of races in Sao Paulo’s streets – which outdoes the ethnic origins of the occupants of any Toronto tram – and its weird version of Portuguese; and then suddenly the Middle East seems, a very long way away.

Brazil? Sure, the Amazon, tropical forests, coffee and the beaches of Rio. And then there’s Brasilia, the make-believe capital designed – like the equally fake Canberra in Australia and fraudulent Islamabad in Pakistan – so that the country’s politicians can hide themselves away from their people.

One thing the country shares with the Arab world, it turned out, is the ever constant presence and influence and pressure of the US – never more so than when Brazil’s right-wing rulers were searching for commies in the 1940s and 50s. They weren’t hard to find.… 

After Fisk recently mentioned and supported my forthcoming book on Israel/Palestine, he again mentions me. I thank him for his generosity.

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