A cover for preserving racism: The “U.S.-Brazil Joint Action Plan To Eliminate Racial Discrimination”

Posted April 29, 2009

I think it’s noteworthy that once again Brazil’s Lula government is running interference for U.S. imperial interests in the wake of the walkout at the Durban UN international conference on racism on behalf of Israel’s Zionist apartheid. For Obama, it’s an opportunity to stake out some cheap and ultimately empty rhetoric while appearing to have a progressive plan on ending racial discrimination.

Of course, for both the U.S. and Brazilian ruling classes, dealing with the historical legacy of institutionalized racism has never been a particular strong point. Nothing really has changed in this regard.

The U.S. imperial class needs to repackage itself under the Obama brand. Its junior partner Brazilian elite uses late social democracy to promote its interests by adopting a neoliberal agenda domestically and loyal opposition to the world capitalist trade frameworks.

Brazil’s elite seeks to cover its ultimate capitulation to U.S. corporate and financial globalization, but the two ruling classes complement each other nicely. Like they did during WHO and FTAA negotiations, or the decision to send Brazilian troops to Haiti. So now promoting the murderous and racist colonialist ideology of Zionism is part of the Brazilian government’s junior role on behalf of U.S. imperialism. Nice.

Here’s the blah blah blah from the U.S. State Department’s invitation to their press conference to announce this earth-shaking initiative. Even without the “best practices” and “private sector participants” rhetoric, you get the idea:

Democracy, Human Rights, Refugees: U.S.-Brazil Joint Action Plan To Eliminate Racial Discrimination
Tue, 28 Apr 2009 20:43:54 -0500

*U.S.-Brazil Joint Action Plan To Eliminate Racial Discrimination*

Bureau of Public Affairs
Office of the Spokesman
Washington, DC
April 28, 2009

Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs Thomas A. Shannon and Brazil’s Minister for Promotion of Racial Equality Edson Santos will address the press and answer questions at a joint walkout at the C Street Entrance of the State Department at 12:10 p.m., on Wednesday, April 29, 2009.

The remarks will follow the first morning session of the conference of the U.S.-Brazil Joint Action Plan to Eliminate Racial Discrimination. The U.S.-Brazil Joint Action Plan is a landmark bilateral agreement involving not only agencies of the two governments, but also non-governmental, academic and private sector organizations from both countries. The April 29-30 meeting will be the second gathering under the Joint Action Plan and will provide an opportunity for civil society and private sector participants to discuss best practices and next steps.

Media representatives may attend this event upon presentation of one of the following: (1) A U.S. Government-issued identification card (Department of State, White House, Congress, Department of Defense or Foreign Press Center), (2) a media-issued photo identification card, or (3) a letter from their employer on letterhead verifying their employment as a journalist, accompanied by an official photo identification card (driver’s license, passport).

*PRESS CONTACT
*Heide Bronke Fulton
Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs
_whapress@state.gov_
(202) 647-0842