From the "No shit" Dept.: New York Times Division

From a NYT, online edition, 9/27/06 story concerning Hugo Chavez, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and Omar Hassan al-Bashir's (of Sudan) speeches at the UN recently:

"American officials were quick to dismiss the speeches as chest thumping, noting that all three men were from countries with vast oil reserves and other resources, well able to thumb their noses at Washington but hardly representative of the poorer countries that rely on American aid."

So correct me if I'm wrong, Mr. NYT reporter, but the countries we can't screw over because they have stuff we must pay for should knuckle under nicely, or we will call them nasty names.....these are our enemies?

Also....

"Officially, most diplomats here were quick to frown on the Venezuelan leader’s remarks. But in quieter moments officials and diplomats said they feared that he was reaching a receptive audience of poor countries that felt exploited and bullied by the United States."

Poor countries being exploited by the US. I am shocked, shocked.