Obama watch

Now that the dates of Obama’s visit to Brazil have been officially announced (March 19 and 20), state-run media is breathlessly following the minutia of the trip. According to Agencia Brasil, American and Brazilian diplomats are busy planning activities for Obama’s two daughters. The story offers few specific details, but says they should be “socioeducativas,” an adjective that means activities that are both social and educational. Sounds fun.

The real point of the story seems to be this anonymously sourced piece of feel-good propaganda: “For the diplomats preparing for the visit, Obama's trip to Brazil with his family has a special symbolism. According to them, it’s the American president’s demonstration that U.S. relations with Brazil go beyond matters of state, to the maintenance of common ties that bind nations that were born under colonization and that have progressed to define their own path.”