Standing Before Hillary

Today was Brazil’s turn to receive Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who has been on a tour of Latin America since Monday. This is no ordinary visit. For the past decade, Brazil, one of the world’s emerging economies alongside China and India, has seen its power grow, strengthening its position in discussions with the United States on international matters.

One of Brazil’s legitimate goals is to secure a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council, which still reflects the state of the world at the end of World War II. But the fact that Brazil often bases its foreign policy on that goal often leads to inopportune outcomes — for example, its abstention on the Security Council on votes to condemn the notoriously genocidal government of Sudan. Brazil wanted to make sure not to lose Arab votes in any future Security Council reform, but it’s not worth the price.

At the moment, Brazil is at odds with the United States on a critical subject: Iran’s nuclear program. The Obama administration, faced with Iran’s rapid progress in the field of nuclear technology, is appealing for a new round of sanctions with the support of allies and of Russia. In an obsessive bid for international approval, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s administration (which set out on a determined course of rapprochement with Tehran), has even begun defending China’s position against sanctions and in favor of continuing negotiations — heedless of how much the Iranians defy the West by ramping up their uranium enrichment, bringing them closer to creating a nuclear bomb. President Lula has said that engaging the Iranian regime in dialogue is more effective than adopting sanctions, which would drive it into a corner. His government also questions the legitimacy of nuclear powers, such as the United States, Great Britain, France and Russia, calling for nuclear disarmament by other nations. But the Iranian regime, especially after the fraudulent reelection of President Ahmadinejad, is looking more and more like a military, theocratic dictatorship. It is not trustworthy in the least. The Obama administration is already hard at work revising U.S. nuclear policy in order to reduce its arsenal by thousands of warheads. According to the New York Times, the administration is considering a system that will deter attacks without resorting to nuclear weapons. Lula’s already ridiculous argument is falling apart.

Hillary will use her visit to ask Brazil to support sanctions against Iran. Lula’s administration should break free of its ideological chains, which come from ignorant anti-Americanism. It should have some sense and help to contain Ahmadinejad’s ravings; such a position would enhance Brazil’s respectability.