Polite Anti-Bush Bombings

A bombed Blockbuster in a B.A. suburb (Photos from La Nacion)

While in the U.S., you hear very little about the pettier acts of anti-Americanism that happen around the world. But they exist, I suspect, in great frequency. Last Thursday's attacks near Buenos Aires are a prime example. A day after the White House confirmed George Bush's attendance at November's Summit of the Americas in Mar del Plata, two previously unknown group that call themselves Comando Antiimperialista Comandante Che Guevara and Coronel Dorrego planted six bombs at various symbols of America: Blockbuster Video, Citibank and Ford. Leaving aside the fact that some of these business are completely separate from their U.S. namesakes--trust us, after immense difficulties trying to transfer money from Citibank U.S. to Citibank Argentina, we can promise that, yes, they are not the same company--such bombings point to the painfully obvious fact, more-or-less unknown in the U.S. because of the lack of coverage, that George Bush is about as popular as Stalin in South America (except for in Chile, but whatever).

Seventy percent of a Blockbuster was gutted, via a bomb filled with anti-Bush pamphlets; two Citibank ATM were bombed, though the fires quickly extinguished; a Ford dealer was bombed; and a BankBoston branch was attacked.

Admittedly, these were "polite" bombs , in the way so much Argentine terrorism seems to be (outside of the horrific AMIA Jewish cultural center bombing of the 90s). Propaganda was shot about, walls burnt, but no one was hurt. These hall-assed, pseudo-leftist "armies" have little-to-no popular support, but the lack of public outrage or fierce official condemnation suggests that such dimwitted acts, as long as they're bloodless and directed against American symbols, are to a point "OK": the current U.S. administration's image in large swathes of the world, including in Argentina, is simply far enough beneath contempt that a burnt Blockbuster is almost an acceptable release valve. There's almost no discussion about the U.S. admin; the Grinch has better poll numbers.

Thankfully, such animosity does not extend itself to citizens of the U.S. It is an interestingly clear separation, whereby the citizens are utterly cleaved their leaders' actions. Which may say something about the Argentine cynicism toward their own politicians, but that's only a back-of-the-envelope psychological sketch.