It's us vs. the world

Does the U.S. have any friends left on Earth? Not only have we alienated most of our allies, but now 118 other nations - two-thirds of the world - officially despise us. They're all members of an organization called the Nonaligned Movement, which was formed during the Cold War as a neutral third path in a world polarized by the United States and the Soviet Union.

Cuba is one of those 118 nations, and acting President Raul Castro (Fidel's brother) spoke at this week's Nonaligned Movement summit. Among his comments:

"[The world today is shaped by the U.S.'s] irrational pretentions for world dominance."

"When there no longer is a Cold War, the United States spends one billion [sic] dollars a year in weapons and soldiers and it squanders a similar amount in commercial publicity."

"To think that a social and economic order that has proven unsustainable could be maintained by force is simply an absurd idea."

"With regard to international relations we are not the decisive force that we could be. The Nonaligned Movement now has to wage courageous battles against unilateralism, double standards, and the impunity granted to those in power, for a fairer and more equal international order."

Decisive force...wage courageous battles...sounds like a not-so-thinly veiled threat to us. And who can blame him? He's right about everything!

Speaking of threats, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez also spoke at the summit. He said to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, "Iran is under threat; there are plans to invade Iran. Hopefully it won't happen, but we are with you. Under any scenario, we are with you just like we are with Cuba. If the United States invades Cuba, blood will run. ... We will not have our arms crossed while bombs are falling in Havana or they carry Raul off in a plane."

Chavez has vowed to cut off Venezuelan oil supplies to the U.S. if we invade Cuba; no telling what he will do if we invade Iran.

And speaking of Iran, President Ahmadinejad told the assembly that "Cuba's fight for liberation from imperialism has been a source of inspiration for the world's peoples."

Yet another unveiled threat.

The kicker: the U.S. declined an invitation to attend the summit, and said it would have no comment on the proceedings.

No comment, yeah - just missiles aimed toward Cuba, Venezuela, and Iran.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/americas/09/15/cuba.summit.
ap/index.html