Sunday, January 8, 2006

Belafonte Completely Bananas


What can you say about Harry Belafonte?

I guess the kindest thing to say would be "Day-o, day-ay-ay-o."

His latest comments are truly bananas.

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) -- The American singer and activist Harry Belafonte called President Bush "the greatest terrorist in the world" on Sunday and said millions of Americans support the socialist revolution of Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez.

Belafonte led a delegation of Americans including the actor Danny Glover and the Princeton University scholar Cornel West that met the Venezuelan president for more than six hours late Saturday. Some in the group attended Chavez's television and radio broadcast Sunday.

"No matter what the greatest tyrant in the world, the greatest terrorist in the world, George W. Bush says, we're here to tell you: Not hundreds, not thousands, but millions of the American people ... support your revolution," Belafonte told Chavez during the broadcast.

The 78-year-old Belafonte, famous for his calypso-inspired music, including the "Day-O" song, was a close collaborator of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and is now a UNICEF goodwill ambassador. He also has been outspoken in criticizing the U.S. embargo of Cuba.

...Belafonte accused U.S. news media of falsely painting Chavez as a "dictator," when in fact, he said, there is democracy and citizens are "optimistic about their future."

...Chavez accuses Bush of trying to overthrow him, pointing to intelligence documents released by the U.S. indicating that the CIA knew beforehand that dissident officers planned a short-lived 2002 coup. The U.S. denies involvement, but Chavez says Venezuela must be on guard.

Belafonte suggested setting up a youth exchange for Venezuelans and Americans. He finished by shouting in Spanish: "Viva la revolucion!"

Are you familiar with Hugo Chavez, also known as "Fidelito"?

Other than that little uproar that occurred last August when Pat Robertson made one of his now trademark idiotic statements and called for the assassination of Chavez, he's pretty much of an unknown.

How is it that Belafonte can legitimately claim that "millions" of Americans support Chavez's socialist revolution?

I'm sure there are a sizable number of crazy American socialists that do back Chavez, but "millions"?

I don't think so.

Read
"Hugo Chavez: Castro's Mini-Me," by Peter Brookes.

On Venezuelan TV and radio, Belafonte said, "No matter what the greatest tyrant in the world, the greatest terrorist in the world, George W. Bush says, we're here to tell you: Not hundreds, not thousands, but millions of the American people ... support your revolution."

Caracas Belafonte of 2006 bears a striking resemblance to Hanoi Jane of 1972.


True, Belafonte isn't cozying up to an enemy that is currently imprisoning and killing American troops, but his comments, made on foreign soil, are really extreme and anti-American.
Any American has the right to oppose Bush and the war in Iraq. Any American can freely express opinions.
However, I do think that high profile Americans should take into consideration that our enemies, the ones that are currently killing our troops, are listening. They can use the words of Belafonte and like-minded radical Leftists as recruiting aids.
If these American citizens really do "support the troops," then they need to be more responsible and weigh the ramifications of their words. Belafonte didn't make his comments in a vacuum and he knows it.
George W. Bush IS NOT "the greatest tyrant in the world, the greatest terrorist in the world."

Belafonte, like Pat Robertson, displays signs of MWD -- Media Whore Disorder -- a pathological willingness to prostitute oneself to get media attention.

Personally, I think that Belafonte has been stacking bananas for too long.

Daylight come and he need to go home.

4 comments:

Mark said...

There aren't a million people in America who even are aware that there is a Hugo Chavez, much less suport him. And most Americans know just enough about Communism to know they don't want any part of it.

The WordSmith from Nantucket said...

Still one of the best interpretations of Belafonte's song, even if we haven't caught the bastard yet. I bet ol' Harry must love that rendition.

Mary said...

You're absolutely right, Mark. Chavez is not on the radar screen.

Thanks for that link, WS. It is a classic interpretation.

Have you heard Belafonte talk recently?

His voice sounds so hoarse and raspy, like he's been smoking banana peels for forty years.

Mary said...

Can you believe Hillary will be appearing with him today?

Maybe she'll have a sudden change of plans.