I'm well aware of the recent coup. That doesn't excuse him from arresting people unrelated to that coup. I'm also aware of Chavez's failed coup in 1992 against Carlos Andres Perez, so it's a bit hypocritical to condemn Chavez's enemies without condeming Chavez himself. Also, for the record, those mainstream press reports are true. Chavez is arresting his political enemies, giving free oil to Castro, replacing Venezuelan doctors with less-qualified Cuban doctors, and redistributing private land to the poor. I'd gladly butt out, except for the fact that: a) I'm a Venezuelan citizen, born in Maracaibo b) Pretty much all of my extended family lives in Venezuela So I think I have good reason to be worried about Chavez and the direction in which he is leading Venezuela. For the record, I am quite liberal (registered Democrat), so I don't really have a problem with "leftist leanings"; my problem is that Chavez's programs are destroying the country and creating a class war between the upper and lower classes.
I believe in the eqivilant of Occam's Razor when it comes to evil conspiracies and plots. I suggest that you read Germs : Biological Weapons and America's Secret War by Judith Miller, Stephen Engelberg, and William Broad. I would place it with The Puzzle Palace and Body of Secrets, both by James Bamford as the books which have scared me the most of my own countries 50+ year politico-military history. Allow me to quote an amazon.com review of another of her books, God Has Ninety-Nine Names That pretty much sums up her work for me. Scholarly she may not be perfect, but she attempts to present reality as see has seen it first hand in the Middle East, and her personal research into the deeper recesses of the Chemical/Biological weapons complex. THe allmighty dollar would be behind a specifically anti-Ossama book after 9/11, but she instead chose to write a book that more closely resembled reality as she percieved it. I don't doubt that she may have broken many rules and been guilty of many violations of NYT policy. I also know that it becomes remarkably easy to dig up dirt on someone when they're down, and I would be willing to bet many similar violations could be connected to just about any other reporter in the ME. In stories, and films, this makes them heros or at least anti-heros. Ever seen Welcome to Sarajevo? Anyway, does the fact that she is prime author on a book that absolutely takes the US to task for it's history of biological weapons count for anything in the final judgement as pro-NSC Rumsfleld replicant? When I read something by her I believe that it has been subjected to personal introspective analysis, and that the result is what news and books like hers always are; the Cliff Notes of reality whose form is shaped by the author's own cognition which is governed by the dulaism of symbolic logic or Platonic Metaphysics (the same thing in the end).
surrender..... my dad stayed in Venezuela before Chavez for 2 years..... the government before Chavez was horrible.... they only cared for the rich white public....there was racism/corruption in the extreme.......Chavez may not be the best politician ....not that there are many that are good....but point being the people prefer Chavez(majority who happen to be poor)....and he is actually better than the previous leaders... Chavez may be corrupt...but he has done more for the general public than anyone before him. oh yeah by the way surrender i have to say you guys have the most beautiful women in the world…....i have been everywhere you can possibly go....and the best i have seen is in Venezuela(Caracas).
Hmmmm, I wonder- if there has been a net increase in the availability of healthcare for the poor (i.e. most of the population)? how exactly Venezuelan doctors were "replaced"? if Venezuela sends Cuba oil in exchange for Cuba sending Venezuela doctors, how that is "giving free oil to Castro"? how this inhuman monster keeps getting elected by large majorities in internationally monitored elections? why it is called class war whenever a government implements policies that help the poor at the expense of the wealthy, but not when a government does the reverse?
Good post. Venezuela has done little to benefit the poor with its great oil wealth. As in the US, when the wealthy corporate elite do class war, it is claimed that it is just due to accepting the only possible reality --that of unregulated capitalism with its extreme maldistribution of wealth. Once Chavez educates the poor, which the elites have failed to do, as it doesn't increase their wealth short term, we may start to see a more prosperous Venezuela that is not just a basic resource provider. I know a couple in Houston, both doctors from Venezuela, who were concerned enough to fly back to vote against Chavez. The husband, who isn't from quite the real upper class of his wife, says that he can see how the poor support Chavez, given the abysmal record of the elites in Venezuela.
If Chavez was spending his money on education and social programs I would be less against him, rather than what he's trying to do: Utilize Venezuela's new found oil revenues to spread his Bolivaresque communist revolution. He's sending oil to Cuba, Argentina and other nations and is alienating the US and Colombia, the countries two Primary trading partners. He has been extremely fortunate to come to power during a time of higher oil prices which has given him funds to disburse at will which will probably get him re-elected as people see the benefits of those additional funds. He seems more focused on consolidation of his own power, legitimacy, and having other countries back his government and his regime that to truly help his people. I say this because he started Petrosur (i think thats what it is called) and though the other governments will take his subsidized and free oil, only Cuba will sign on to his agreements. In conclusion, Alienating your largest trading partners and sending cheap oil to countries that agree with you is not the way to further success of your country unless your looking for your own personal legacy. In this regard I don't agree with oil embargo's that the US places on Iran, Libya and even trade embargo's w/ cuba. Let the countries see the benefits of capitalism as China has, and they soon will head that direction themselves.
whether he is doing other things with Venezuela's oil and its money is certainly possible. But we do know that he is most definitely using it for health care to the poor. There are new clinics in areas providing health services to poor folks who never had it before. I posted an article that shows that he is certainly doing this much. He may be doing other things that we don't like with the oil as well. But to claim that he isn't providing for the poor with it isn't accurate.
"democracy", glynch style... http://www.publiuspundit.com/?p=1495 -- BLEAK VOTE IN VENEZUELA First reports are in on today’s municipal elections in Venezuela. Hugo Chavez is “winning.” But turnout is so thin that the government has extended voting by two (update: now three) hours to try to make it a double-digit turnout. First reports say it’s running at about 8%. What a sad sorry affair this is. Jimmy Carter must be so proud of his job instilling confidence in the system last August - just look at the turnout now. This is not the first time Venezuela’s polling hours have been extended by hours, They were also extended during the recall referendum, but for very different reasons - that turnout was so high. Ironic. Obviously, public perceptions of fraud and retribution are so strong that very few people are willing to participate in the farce. Bloggers here, here and here have warned that the fingerprint machines are recording voters’ choices, something that could lead to retribution for those whose choices do not win, and other setups that should lead to a rigged result. It’s a sad picture. Miguel reports a ghost town at the polls in Caracas and has photos of the polling stations to show it. Daniel has an hour by hour superb (Daniel at his best) summary of the voting situation in Yaracuy state to the west of Caracas, cattle country, where he says the voting stations were “deserted” and the only people in the area were soldiers in Cuban-like military uniforms, definitely an ugly site, he notes. How this this for an observation? In fact I could not help but to observe that the lottery ticket shop two blocks away had more people than the voting station. Obviously people know where the odds of a better future lay. Daniel reports that Mercal soup-kitchen coupons were reportedly being handed out to chavistas who showed up to vote. In addition, Miranda state reportedly had busing in of non-locals to vote in the local elections, the media are covering that actively. He said when he voted, no one showed up at all. And voting had been extended from 6 to 7 yet again. Chavistas are saying it’s due to ‘high’ turnout and are making bee-ess statements on the state television. Sounds pathetic. Nothing yet from Tomas Sancio in Miranda state, but will continue to monitor for his reports. Miguel has a new post saying that Venezuelan government officials are admitting that turnout is exceptionally low, and voting hours are extended: “so that militants can vote.” (Do they mean FARC, I wonder? Guess crossing the border from Colombia takes extra time.) Meanwhile, a Chavista apologist named Oscar Heck at the spyware-laced VHeadline writes that the four private television stations are not covering this event. I would await a second confirmation from a reliable source but it’s here if you want to look at it. Stay tuned, as more updates roll in…
Basso, I'm not too surprised you could find a right-wing blog that doesn't like Chavez. The press in Venezuela is owned by a group of rich oligarchs that have been trying to overthow Chavez. They are hardly know for their journalistic objectivity. I figure you would go with them over Jimmy Carter as to the validiity of Venezuelan elections, since he is a Democrat. PS. I hope your trust in the blog site is not being abused and the over-priced "Contra Coffee" you probably ordered is really grown on plantations that supported the Contras in their terror campaign.
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N15146018.htm The two aren't related Aces, a "HE'S OK BECAUSE HE'S POPULAR!" argument! Because Chavez routinely spouts anti-upper class rhetoric in his political speeches P.S. For a government that "helps" the poor at the expense of the wealthy, he's not doing much to help the poor: http://www.vcrisis.com/index.php?content=letters/200503311248 (biased site, but their statistics come from the Venezuelan gov't)
That's kind of pointless, since Venezuelan citizens are able to vote at Venezuelan consulates in foreign countries. We had a pretty big turnout here in Houston for the recall election.
Oh yeah, here are some Chavez tidbits from those pro-upper class right-wing monsters at Human Rights Watch: http://www.hrw.org/doc?t=americas&c=venezu
It isn't the point whether he is ok or not. But because he's popular he is democratically elected. he spouts anti upper class rhetoric, and the upper class, uses and oppresses the lower class. I don't think the class warfare is only one sided.
Actually they are related. Did you even read the article you posted? From your article- Wearing white medical gowns and waving national flags, the protesters accused President Hugo Chavez of using oil revenues to pay for more than 20,000 doctors and dentists from Cuba who are providing free health services for Venezuela's poor. If you don't believe your own article here's corroboration from the BBC- Doctors for oil Under a special programme set up by Mr Chavez and his ally Cuban President Fidel Castro, Cuban doctors, dentists and nurses work in newly set-up medical centres in Venezuela's poorest areas. In exchange, the oil-rich country sends Cuba 90,000 barrels of oil a day. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4688117.stm I asked the question- I wonder- if there has been a net increase in the availability of healthcare for the poor (i.e. most of the population)? The article you posted had this little nugget- The government is setting up 600 new diagnosis and treatment centers staffed by Cubans and equipped with modern imported machinery this year. As well as this- Wearing white medical gowns and waving national flags, the protesters accused President Hugo Chavez of using oil revenues to pay for more than 20,000 doctors and dentists from Cuba who are providing free health services for Venezuela's poor. So some medical personell in Venezuela are upset that Chavez is using oil revenue to provide free medical care to the poor. The Horror! As for this- P.S. For a government that "helps" the poor at the expense of the wealthy, he's not doing much to help the poor: Again, I point out that the "poor" keep electing him, so they seem to disagree about how much Chavez is doing to help them.
What is the problem? Haven't you guys had any econ? This is just as it should be. Cuba has a comparative advantage in producing doctors, Venezuelan in producing oil. Everyone will be better off with this trade. Cuban doctors are willing to work for less. Just senseless bellyaching from some of your typical outsourced losers. Eventually things will get better for everyohe including any Venezuelans who happen to be doctors. Theory predicts it
I guess they were just extra committed. Or maybe it was an excuse to visit relatives without the kids tagging along.
