As the kids would say, BURN!

Paul Martin used the Summit of the Americas to dish out a little smack on the President of the USA on Friday. Martin took advantage of a summit press conference, to make comment about the goals of a unified free market between South and North America, by suggesting that free trade would be a powerful antidote to poverty if only everyone played by the rules. As the young people might say, Burn!

Martin of course was making a less than subtle reference to the softwood lumber dispute between Canada and the USA and the habit of the Americans to not accept trade panel decisions, especially when those decisions don't exactly fit in with the US plans. Martin made his comments just before a meeting with Mexican President Vincente Fox, Martin has called Fox an ally in the quest for fair trade practices from the behemoth state in the middle. Martin said that the three leaders in the Northern reaches of the Americas, realize that trade must be based on rules - and rules that are listened to!

Bush, Fox, Martin and a cast of thousands have gathered in the Argentine seaside town of Mar del Plata, to talk over trade and watch what has become a quaint little tradition of demonstrators trashing the host site. Friday saw some widespread violence in the host city, as demonstrators lit fires, broke windows and battled riot police in the streets.

The President had arrived in Argentina with great plans to push forward his goal of a unified trading area from Canada to the southern reaches of Chile and Argentina, however as the day went on it became clear that his ideas were running into some roadblocks (bureaucratic and physical) along the way.

As would be expected for his troubles, George Bush has borne the brunt of the animus of the crowd, there were numerous signs and pictures of the President, none of them particularly generous nor supportive. Argentine soccer God, Diego Maradona went so far as to attend an anti Bush rally with a Stop Bush t-shirt and some unkind words for the President.

Fellow summit participant Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, has been playing to the crowds in the first days, finding some receptive ears to his proclamations. He has been particularly critical of the President in the last year, suggesting that the President has plans to invade Venezuela and remove Chavez from his office and his pulpit. Chavez has been quick to speak out at the summit with his announcement that the Bush trade deal is dead, "and I didn't come to talk of the dead".

Perhaps this is the reason for the Martin hard line at the meetings, with that much anger directed at Bush, perhaps Martin was worried about some spillover distemper getting directed his way. Short of picking up a napsack with a Maple Leaf on it, his speech will at least help those scoring at home (and in the streets) know which gringo, is the good gringo!