January 14, 2009   Yesterday President Bush conferred the highest honor from the USA on Tony Blair, John Howard and Alvaro Uribe. He did not confer any honors to Rafael Correa, dictator from Ecuador for Correa's work to promote freedom. But Bush explained his choice in gratitude to these three liberty lovers by, according to AFP paying “lengthy tribute to each of them and their `firm adherence to the principles of freedom and democratic values.’`They're the sort of guys who look you in the eye and tell you the truth and keep their word,' he said. ...`The opportunity to know them and work with them has been among the great satisfactions of my time as president. I respect them and I admire them,' he added. "
 
In fact, Rafael Correa was not even on the short list to be honored by the White House. No indeed- Correa was not considered because Correa never adheres to the principles of freedom and democratic values. Indeed, Correa has destroyed freedom and democracy in Ecuador through his ruinous economic dictatorship which controls all facets of life now.
 
And of course never in his life has Correa looked anyone in the eye and told the truth nor kept his word about anything.
In functioning first rate societies, morals and virtues such as honesty and integrity still matter. Virtues and honesty are barred inside Ecuador as children are consistently taught to be forever manipulative and dishonest. This series of mores tragically will sustain Ecuador's ratings as a failed nation and worse- as failed human beings for their refusal to grow up and be honorable adults.
 
In the end, Correa was not honored because Correa is dishonest and never keeps his word about anything. This is of course why Correa and Hugo Chavez loathe and despise Alvaro Uribe of Colombia. Uribe is an honest man and this duo of dishonest losers cannot manipulate him so they hate him and seek to destroy him by means foul or fair. It really is that simple and in fact all Ecuadoreans are taught to destroy anything or anyone they cannot manipulate. This has ruined society.
 
Additionally, Bush did not say that he had enjoyed Correa nor did he say that the world has benefited from Correa's tenure on the world stage because....it has not. There is no satisfaction from dealing with dirty and dishonest manipulative Ecuadoreans today. No one respects them and no one admires Ecuadoreans today- not even Ecuadoreans.
 
No- there is nothing to honor in Ecuador today. But Ecuadoreans are so lazy and shallow, they continue to push up fake popularity polls for this dishonorable burglar named Correa.
 
Here are three honorable men being honored by the USA...their names are not Evo, Hugo or Rafael because Evo and Hugo and Rafael are not honest men and they are not honorable men: 

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For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
January 13, 2009

President Bush Honors Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipients
East Room

1:07 P.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT: Good afternoon to everybody, and thank you all for coming. We have assembled quite a distinguished crowd to honor three good friends -- President Uribe, Prime Minister Howard, and Prime Minister Blair. Laura and I welcome you to the White House.

You'll always be welcome in this country. And we hope to have you come down and visit us in Texas. As you probably have heard, we're changing addresses here -- (laughter) -- in a little less than seven days.

 We're delighted to have a lot of distinguished guests, people who have worked with you throughout your time in office. Members of your family who are here, we're really glad you've come.

I want to thank the Vice President, members of the Cabinet, and members of the Congress who have joined us, as well. We offer a special welcome to those who are personal friends of the honorees. I know they're as delighted to have you here as I am.

In a few moments the military aide will read the citations for the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The medal is America's highest civil award. It is given in recognition of exemplary achievement, and to convey the utmost esteem of the people and the President of the United States.

In these eight years I have presented the Medal of Freedom to some of our most eminent citizens. On occasion, I've also had the honor of presenting it to citizens of other lands, who inspired particular admiration in the United States and provided courageous leadership to our world. Among these recipients have been Vaclav Havel, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Nelson Mandela, and the late Pope John Paul II.

This afternoon I'm pleased to award the Medal of Freedom to three extraordinary leaders. We honor a sitting President and two former Prime Ministers -- each one of them a true friend of the United States who met historic challenges with great tenacity, and who provides a lasting example of statesmanship at home and abroad.

The first day I met Tony Blair, almost exactly eight years ago, he was in his second term as Prime Minister and I was just starting out. After our first meeting, a reporter asked if we'd found anything in common, and I jokingly replied that we both used Colgate toothpaste. (Laughter.)

The truth is I did feel a close connection to Tony Blair. As I said after the first meeting, I knew that "when either of us gets in a bind, there will be a friend on the other end of the phone." My friend was there, indeed, after America was attacked on September the 11th, 2001. And it just wasn't on the phone line. When I stood in the House Chamber to ask the civilized world to rally to freedom's cause, there in the gallery was the staunch friend, Prime Minister Tony Blair.

 He was there in a moment of trial to affirm the special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom. And he was there to show America, and all nations, that he understood the stakes in the war on terror. As he said, "just as the terrorist seeks to divide humanity in hate, so we have to unify it around an idea. And that idea is liberty." Under Tony Blair's leadership, the might and the moral authority of Great Britain have been applied to the war on terror from the first day. Our nations have worked proudly together to destroy terrorist havens, liberate millions, and help rising democracies to serve the aspirations of their people.

Tony Blair's entire career is defined by his devotion to democratic values and human dignity. At his very center, this man believes in freedom -- freedom from oppression, freedom from hunger, freedom from disease, and freedom from fear and despair. In the House of Commons, as the longest-serving Labour Prime Minister in history, he fought to lift up his nation's communities and better the lives of all its people. He helped turn generations of violence in Northern Ireland into years of peace. He drew the attention and conscience of the world to the suffering in Africa, and he continues to serve the cause of peace and democracy as the Quartet Envoy to the Middle East.

Out of office but still in public life, Tony Blair remains on the world stage as a man of high intelligence and insight -- and above all, as a man of faith and idealism and integrity. The former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom will stand tall in history. And today the United States of America proudly honors its gallant friend, Tony Blair. (Applause.)

John Howard of Australia has spent a lot of years in politics. He's won some, and he's lost a few. There was even a time, two decades ago, when he thought his days of political leadership might be over. A comeback, he said, would be like "Lazarus with a triple bypass." (Laughter.) The man has got an unusual way of speaking. (Laughter.)

With his plainspoken style and unpretentious manner, John Howard did make a comeback. He rose to his nation's highest elected office, won four straight elections, and served longer than all other Australian prime ministers but one. And all the while, John Howard retained his close connection with the people of his country. His time in office was marked by great national confidence and prosperity and rising global influence. He won the respect of leaders around the world for his commitment to free markets, cooperation, and the peaceful resolution of differences. He was a faithful steward of Australia's alliances, and a sturdy friend in a time of need.

 At an event here in Washington, he reflected on the many tests that our two countries faced together in the 20th century. He spoke with feeling about our shared values -- as well as our obligation to defend them, and "if necessary fight for them, and be ready to repel those who would seek to take [our] freedoms away."

As it happens, John Howard spoke those words on Monday, September the 10th, 2001 -- and in all that followed, he proved true to his convictions. He always has been brave in the defense of freedom. In these seven years, both our countries have lost innocent civilians and suffered casualties on the field of battle. But this man, who saw the burning Pentagon on September the 11th, and who confronted -- comforted the survivors of Bali, never wavered in his commitment to overcoming this great danger to civilization. He never wavered in his support for liberty, and free institutions, and the rule of law as the true and hopeful alternatives to ideologies of violence and repression. He's a man of honesty and moral clarity. He can make a decision, he can defend it, and he stands his ground. That's why I called him a Man of Steel.

In the character of John Winston Howard we see that fine Australian spirit of "standing by your mates." Our two countries, though half a world apart, have long enjoyed an easy and natural fellowship. And the 25th Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia stands for all that Americans like and admire most about his wonderful country.

So, Mr. Prime Minister, our friend, welcome to the White House, and congratulations. (Applause.)

National leaders sometimes take office without fully knowing all the tests that await them. But when Alvaro Uribe became the President of Colombia, the challenges were in full view. He knew exactly what he was getting into.

For more than a generation, good and decent people across that country had lived at the mercy of brutal drug cartels and illegal armed groups. A contagion of terrorist violence and killings and kidnappings had shaken the political system and caused many Colombians to despair for their nation's future. Early in this decade, the Republic of Colombia was near the point of being, at best, a failed state -- or, at worst, a narco-state. In those conditions, it took more than ambition and ideals to run for political office -- it required immense personal courage and strength of character.

 As a presidential candidate in 2002, Alvaro Uribe pledged to his people greater security, a healthier democracy, and a better chance for prosperous lives. He was elected on a theme that expressed perfectly what the Colombian people desired in a president: "Strong hand, and big heart."

President Uribe's leadership has been resolute and uncompromising. Today in Colombia, homicides are down 40 percent, kidnappings are down more than 80 percent, terror attacks are down by more than 75 percent. The forces of violence are on the defensive, and the people are reclaiming their country.

President Uribe's fellow citizens know him as someone who speaks forthrightly and follows through on his commitments. With his lifelong interest in public policy, he has a phenomenal grasp of the details of governing. At the same time, he has formed a powerful bond with his people. They met their President in town halls across the country. They've seen him deliver results. They like him and they trust him -- and they have made him the first Colombian leader in the modern era to win reelection.

Lately I've been asked to reflect on the most memorable events of my presidency. Among those is a phone call I received several months ago from President Uribe. He called to say that a group of hostages -- including three Americans that had been held in captivity for five years -- had been rescued, and were alive and safe and sound. It was a joyful moment, Mr. President. And it was a credit to your leadership.

For President Uribe, the great demands of office continue. Today the United States honors all Colombians by honoring the man they have chosen to lead them. By refusing to allow the land he loves to be destroyed by an enemy within, by proving that terror can be opposed and defeated, President Uribe has reawakened the hopes of his countrymen and shown a model of leadership to a watching world. Colombia remains a nation with challenges. But the future will always be bright in a country that produces such men as President Alvaro Uribe.

Congratulations, mi amigo. (Applause.)

 Each of these gentlemen we honor today has his own style and personality, and each has amassed distinctions and achievements that belong to him alone. Yet all of them have shown a firm adherence to the principles of freedom and democratic values, and a willingness to face problems squarely instead of passing them on to others. They're the sort of guys who look you in the eye and tell you the truth and keep their word. In lengthy service they proved to be leaders of character and fortitude. They are warm friends of the United States of America. The opportunity to know them and work with them has been among the great satisfactions of my time as President. I respect them and I admire them.

And now I ask the military aide to read the citations, and it will be my honor to present the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Tony Blair, John Howard, Alvaro Uribe.

MILITARY AIDE: Tony Blair. Tony Blair has been a powerful force of freedom and for building understanding among nations. As Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, he was instrumental in helping millions of people secure their freedom in Afghanistan, Iraq, Kosovo, and Sierra Leone; forging a new era of peace in Northern Ireland, providing humanitarian assistance around the globe, especially in Africa, and strengthening the relationship between our two nations. Throughout his career, and in his role as Quartet Representative to the Middle East, he has worked to provide people with opportunities to better their lives.

The United States honors Tony Blair for his lifelong dedication to building a more just and peaceful world. (Applause.)

(The medal is presented.) (Applause.)

MILITARY AIDE: John Winston Howard. During a career of public service spanning four decades, John Howard has been an unwavering champion of democracy and freedom. As Prime Minister of Australia, he helped deliver unparalleled prosperity to his country's people through staunch adherence to free market principles.

Relations between the two countries were never closer than under his stewardship and after the attacks of September 11, 2001. He worked steadfastly to combat the scourge of terrorism, bring freedom to millions of people, promote democracy, human rights and the rule of law.

The United States honors John Winston Howard for his lifelong efforts to spread hope and freedom throughout the world. (Applause.)

 (The medal is presented.) (Applause.)

MILITARY AIDE: Alvaro Uribe Velez. As President of Colombia, Alvaro Uribe has championed the rule of law in a country that endured decades of violence at the hands of illegal armed groups. He has demonstrated a deep commitment to the prosperity of Colombia's people, and his bold policies have spread democratic values and established the foundation for lasting peace throughout Colombia.

He has been a courageous partner of the United States. And under his leadership, Colombia has become a model for countries seeking reconciliation and the establishment of a society based on respect for human dignity.

The United States honors Alvaro Uribe Velez for his commitment to freedom, democracy, and the rule of law. (Applause.)

(The medal is presented.) (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT: In honor of these distinguished gentlemen, Laura and I invite you to stay for a reception in the State Dining Room. Please enjoy yourselves, and thank you for joining us here at the White House. (Applause.)

END 1:26 P.M. EST

ECrisis applauds Uribe too. He has been steadfast and carried his nation forward with sustainable values and unwavering integrity. Bravo, Alvaro!

It cannot be understated that our erstwhile popularity at home winners, Evo and Rafael and Hugo are also ardent Jew haters and consider themselves clever for abusing the truth to defend their Iranian backed terror network of cartel criminals and Jew bashers. Like their governmental allies from the George Soros group of pro drug advocates and Jew haters, Chavez and Correa stand out for their reprehensible sin against mankind for applauding terrorists while hating the Jews.

Then again, Spain's Zapatero- himself a dirty little cockroach, also hates Israel and debases the Catholic Church. Chavez, Correa and Zapatero are simply following a well trodden path to self destruction with their living cult of manipulation, dishonesty and hatred. Indeed, their role model in pairing up with militant Jew haters was....Adolf Hitler; whose similar Soros-backed promotion of Jew hating is re invigorated again across Europe's ruinous, self emulating ethical landscape:
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The Wall Street Journal
OPINION: STATE OF THE UNION
JANUARY 13, 2009
Europe Reimports Jew Hatred
The mythical Arab Street now reaches deep into Paris, London, Berlin and Madrid.
 
By DANIEL SCHWAMMENTHAL
Give Giancarlo Desiderati credit for his unintellectual honesty. While most left-wing detractors of Israel claim their animosity toward the Jewish state has nothing to do with anti-Semitism, the head of a small Italian union, Flaica-Uniti-Cub, wasted no time with such sophism. Having long called for a boycott of Israeli goods, Mr. Desiderati last week made the logical next step. "Do not buy anything from businesses run by the Jewish community," his group's Web site urged Italians.

 Getty Images
Adolf Hitler talking to the Palestinian leadder, the Grand Mufti Hajj Amin al Husseini.

Jews around Europe are increasingly under attack since Israel decided two weeks ago to defend itself after years of rocket fire at its civilian population. There have been arson attempts on synagogues in Britain, Belgium and Germany. Police last week arrested Muslim protesters who wanted to enter the Jewish quarter in Antwerp. Several Danish schools with large Muslim student bodies say they won't enroll Jewish kids because they can't guarantee the children's safety. In France, a group of teenagers attacked a 14-year-old girl last week, calling her "dirty Jew" while kicking her.

At rallies in Germany and the Netherlands over the past two weeks, protesters shouted, "Hamas, Hamas, Jews to the Gas." In Amsterdam, Socialist lawmaker Harry van Bommel and Greta Duisenberg, widow of the first European Central Bank president, marched at the front of one such "peace" demonstration. They didn't join in the background chorus calling for another Holocaust. Instead, they chanted, "Intifada, Intifada, Free Palestine." Mr. Van Bommel later insisted this wasn't a call for Jewish blood but for "civil disobedience" -- a laughable defense given that terrorists during the last intifada murdered more than 1,000 Israelis.

Most of the anti-Jewish violence and protests in Europe come from immigrants. In what may have been a Freudian recognition of the changing face of Europe, CNN two weeks ago used footage of anti-Israeli protesters in London in a report about the growing anger in the "Arab and Muslim world." The mythical Arab Street now reaches deep into Paris, London, Berlin and Madrid.

After a burning car was rammed into a gate outside a synagogue in Toulouse last week, President Nicolas Sarkozy issued a statement that was as morally confused as his judgment of Israel's Gaza offensive. Mr. Sarkozy, who condemned both Hamas terror and Israel's attempt to stop it, also blurred the distinction between the victims and perpetrators of anti-Semitism in France.

His country "will not tolerate international tensions mutating into intercommunity violence," he warned, suggesting that the violence in France comes not only from French Muslims but Jews as well. Mr. Sarkozy's comments also suggest that the fighting in Gaza is the cause for attacks on Jews in France -- that is, that the Mideast conflict is fueling anti-Semitism in Europe. It is exactly the other way around.

The rage against the Jews that is exploding in Europe has been carefully nurtured; it is not spontaneous sympathy for fellow Muslims in Gaza. How else to explain the silence when Muslims in other conflicts, from Darfur to Chechnya, are being killed?

The depth of anti-Semitic propaganda in Palestinian and other Muslim societies is one of the most underreported facts about the Middle East. It is this anti-Semitism that predisposes Muslims in Europe to attack Jews and fuels the Mideast conflict. The hatred predates Israel's creation. To illustrate this point: The Palestinian leader during World War II, Hajj Amin al Husseini, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, conspired with Hitler to bring the Holocaust to Palestine. Luckily, the British stopped the German troops in Africa. The Mufti spent the war years in Berlin and was later indicted for war crimes but with the help of the Muslim Brotherhood escaped to Egypt. Hamas is the Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Hamas and other Islamists continue what the Mufti had helped to start: a blend of European anti-Semitism and Islam-inspired Jew hatred. The rejection of Israel's right to exist is what drives their attacks. The media, though, largely ignores Hamas's ideology and its crimes of hiding its leaders and weapons among its own civilian population, and demonizes Israel's attempt to protect its citizens.

Hamas and other Islamists are not even trying to hide their ideology. Just read the Hamas charter or check out Hamas TV, including children's programs, for a nauseating dose of murderous anti-Semitism. Last week, the French broadcasting authorities banned Hamas TV for inciting violence and hatred. Unfortunately, just like Hezbollah TV, which is also banned in Europe for its anti-Semitic and jihadi content, audiences here can still receive these programs due to Saudi Arabia's Arabsat and Egyptian satellite provider Nilesat.

The Islamist variation of Jew hatred is now being reimported to Europe. Muslims in Europe, watching Hamas and Hezbollah TV with their satellite dishes, are being fed the same diet of anti-Semitism and jihadi ideology that Palestinians and much of the Middle East consume.

This brings a unique challenge to the difficult integration of Muslims in Europe. When it comes to issues like Shariah law and terrorism, one can expect a true "clash of civilizations." There is no Western tradition that would justify "honor killings." Anti-Semitism, on the other hand, is not alien to Europe's culture -- to the contrary, the Continent once excelled at it and many still share the feeling.

A Pew study from September shows 25% of Germans and 20% of French are still affected by this virus. In Spain, 46% have unfavorable views of Jews. Is there really no connection between this statistic and the fact that the Spanish media and government are among Europe's most hostile toward the Jewish state? Is it just a coincidence that Europe's largest anti-Israel demonstration took place Sunday in Spain, with more than 100,000 protesters?

A 2006 study in the Journal of Conflict Resolution based on the survey in 10 European countries suggests otherwise. Yale University's Edward H. Kaplan and Charles A. Small found "that anti-Israel sentiment consistently predicts the probability that an individual is anti-Semitic, with the likelihood of measured anti-Semitism increasing with the extent of anti-Israel sentiment observed."

With little hope that the media coverage will become more balanced and the incitement of the growing Muslim community will abate, the Jews in Europe are facing uncertain times.

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Yesterday we heard from numerous shallow thinkers telling us that Israel warrants hatred because it has killed innocent Palestinians. We agree that no innocent life is worth the effort underway by HAMAS-Hezbollah and Iran. We completely disavow the militant Muslim war against infidels which demands that all innocents be their collateral damage because militant Muslims never fight fair nor honestly. Muslims who abuse human life by human shields are beyond contempt. But in his Jew bashing, neither Correa nor Chavez has ever figured this out. But Sharia law is alive and well in Ecuador. Just ask the hapless uneducated kangaroo judge presiding over the Chevron Texaco farce in his cheesy cement block building now what he thinks about Hezbollah and fundamentalist Muslim law...uber alles.

Here is more on what happens when large overpaid cult addicts to hatred move about freely without honest state sponsorship and without honest activities: they are called terrorists. And these pan-national terrorists, themselves not candidates for re hab, are cult addicts to hatred. Hardened hate cultists are not candidates for re hab. But our communist friends want to tell us that these murderers of tens of thousands must be gifted with freedom to kill again and again.

In coming president Obama in the USA has openly pledged to shutter Guantanamo detention facilities, currently holding way less than 50 men. Were these men normal army regulars from some nation, there would be no Guantanamo facility. These men are way outside the Geneva and Vienna conventions and personally care nothing about much of anything except how fast they can cut your throat. Upon reflection, it seems that not even the most communist idiots really want these human scum inside their own lands. We know that some nations revere these human degenerates but no sane person or nation wants them. But Obama may yet retract his pathetic campaign promise to shutter Guantanamo facility or else welcome these murderers into his White House. That will make Fidel Castro's lawyer, now called Obama's White House lawyer Greg Craig happy:

Wednesday, January 14, 2009, From Inverstor's Business Daily's Editorial Cartoons


The fact is this:   good men honor the good while bad men like Correa make the best the enemy of the good.
President Bush had no one- no one at all- to honor for their integrity and honesty from Ecuador and certainly not every manipulative Mama's darling boy Correa who is a disgrace and effrontery to freedom lovers everywhere, contrary to what Ecuadorean mothers teach every day.
 
-Pedro Camargo for ECrisis