Hugo Chavez Launches Big Brother Blimp
Venezuela's crazy communist dictator, Hugo Chavez, has launched a Zeppelin this week to watch Caracas from the sky. The stated reason is to fight crime, and the country has plenty of it, including the highest death rate from guns in the world. But critics fear Chavez -- who has been busy lately governing by decree, shutting down opposition newspapers, jailing political opponents and seizing foreign companies -- will use his new EYE IN THE SKY to crack down on protesters and spy on citizens.
3:21 PM * PERMALINK * 33 comments
Comments:
"Crazy communist dictator"?
Where's your evidence that he's
A. Crazy
B. A communist (if hanging out with a communist dictator like Castro makes Chavez one by contact, then Bush is a Wahabi royal Saudi oil sheik.)
C. A dictator
I believe there was elections.
Consider me an ex "Raw Feed" subscriber.
"Crazy communist dictator"?
Where did you get that idea? Fox News?
I believe you should either try to prove your point or say you are sorry for providing false information to your loyal readers. Otherwise I will no longer be a "Raw Feed" subscriber.
I didn't realize that anyone believed Chavez to be anything BUT a "crazy communist dictator." Here are some links to prove my offhanded (but obvious) comment:
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601086&sid=aQZIw.pVZ_X0&refer=latin_america
http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news.php?newsno=2250
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/08/01/opinion/main1855232.shtml
http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/viewArticle.asp?articleID=6548
http://blogcritics.org/archives/2006/09/21/130322.php
I could post thousands of links -- just search for "Hugo Chavez" and read what pops up.
Mike
Chavez is a nut job and I really am suprised to find people that do not think so. He is very dangerous and is his country is in fear of him and wht he is capable of.
While Chavez is a blowhard, and has some authoritarian tendencies, your "crazy communist dictator" line is over the top, and reflects the kind of uncritical acceptance of conventional wisdom that happens all too often. Anyone who speaks of helping the poor is branded a socialist or communist, or accused of waging class warfare. We live in a country where our leader has allowed the FBI to spy on citizens for political reasons, the NSA has intercepted private communications completely unrelated to terrorism, "free speech zones" are set up to keep protesters away from the president, the constitution is being eviscerated, but somehow I don't expect you to lead an article on the authorities here with the same sort of invective that you heaped on the elected leader of Venezuela.
In fairness, I believe "Nut Job" would be a more accurate description of both Chavez and his supporter, speaking here on your blog. I agree with the Nut Job support who posted the first comment that 'crazy' is a little over the top...
"Nut job" is good. Now about "crazy nut job"? Mike
* * * Anyone who speaks of helping the poor is branded a socialist or communist, or accused of waging class warfare. * * *
First of all, he's not helping the poor -- he's using propaganda about helping the poor to consolodate lifelong power into his own hands. This is what communist dictators do.
Let's review an incomplete list of his actions in office:
* Recently ordered *all workers* to attend four hours of "socialist re-education" sessions every week.
* Taken personal control of the institute that monitors elections
* Used fraud to get elected; when opposition boycotted, he used that to take over the legislature
* Given himself the power to rule by decree in key areas for one year, which he plans to use to nationalize energy, communications and other industries outright
* Used the Venezuelan armed forces to seize control of foreign oil companies, which he will nationalize
* Arrested and tortured opposition leaders
* Ordered "Bolivarian Circles" squads to beat up and intimidate members of congress
* Ordered by decree that supreme court be cut in half, then packed with loyalists
* Requires TV and radio stations to broadcast his many speeches
* Shut down TV stations (including Radio Caracas Television) that criticized him in violation of Venezuelan constitution
* Dropped Venezuela from 90th to 115th in press freedoms (Reporters without Borders)
* Driven poverty up ty 10 points according to the Venezuelan National Statistics Institute (now at 40%)
* Heritage Foundation's Index of Economic Freedom now ranks the country at 152 (out of 157)
* Government and military corruption "greatly increased" in 2005, according to Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index - now the third most corrupt in Latin America
* Murder rate has tripled since Chavez came into office
* The Simon Wiesenthal Center and the World Jewish Congress both say Chavez is a rabid anti-Semite
* Constantly says the U.S. plans to assassinate him and invade the country
* Here's what the two leading human rights organizations say about Chavez:
Human Rights Watch
http://hrw.org/doc/?t=americas&c=venezu
Amnesty International
http://web.amnesty.org/library/eng-ven/index
Believe me, this is just the beginning. He'll consolodate power into his own hands, grant himself lifelong power, drive Venezuela into slavery and poverty and spend Venezuelan resources fomenting communist revolution worldwide.
If anyone wants to live in this kind of country, Cuba, North Korea and Mayanmar would all love to have you. Or, you could just move to Venezuela and wait.
Mike
Do you have a citation for your claim that Venezuela has "the highest death rate from guns"?
It is well-documented that the US has the highest homicide rate involving firearms of the industiralised nations, so I'm unclear on what point you're trying to make in relatin to gun deaths...
* * * Do you have a citation for your claim that Venezuela has "the highest death rate from guns"? * * *
Yeah, that bit is from the article I linked to, which cited the fact as a United Nations statistic. Here's the passage from the Reuters story:
"Venezuela has the world's highest death rate from guns, according to the United Nations, with 34 deaths in every 100,000 caused by firearms. Brazil is second with 22 in every 100,000."
According to NationMaster.com, a slightly different statistic (murders per capita), puts Venezuela at #4 (after Columbia, South Africa and Jamaica). The United States is #24:
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/cri_mur_percap-crime-murders-per-capita
Regarding this comment: *** I'm unclear on what point you're trying to make in relatin to gun deaths ***
I'm responding to the comment that Hugo Chavez is accused of being a communist simply because he "helps the poor" -- it's one of several items that proves that he's no friend of the poor. Do you think the tripling of the murder rate is affecting the rich? It's poor people getting killed by Chavez's corruption, mismanagement and squandering of resources on international "solidarity." -Mike
...and you wonder why the rest of the world hate americans...
*** ...and you wonder why the rest of the world hate americans... ***
I'm not clear on what the above comment is addressing -- is it something I said? Please explain.
Meanwhile, since you've brought up the subject of anti-Americanism, the BBC has an excellent, three-part series (only two of which have been broadcast to date) on the subject, called "Death to America."
Here's the initial article.
Here's a link to a page where you can listen online, which I highly recommend. The series actually ANSWERS the question as to why everyone hates America.
Mike
And I should add that one of their series goes to Venezuela to look into the issue of global anti-Americanism. -Mike
Everyone hates Americans because they think that their way of seeing the world is the only right way, and everyone else's way is wrong.
By "way", I mostly mean their opinions on democracy and capitalism being the end-all-be-all of civilization. Since they have the most money, they are the best.
Do you ever stop to think about all the propaganda you are smothered with everyday? The U.S. Media Machine is about the worst propaganda tools ever construted. During a breaking story reporters don't even wait for the facts anymore. They just make up something so it seems like they've got the most recent info. It keeps the viewers around.
Also, do you really think the Ahmadinejad is as bad as Glen Beck makes him sound? But he's just a mild editorialist compared to the extreme rights on Fox.
And do you really believe that Brad and Angelina are going to break up? I mean, "Trial Separation"? OMG it can't happen!
-whatispunk
*** Everyone hates Americans because they think that their way of seeing the world is the only right way, and everyone else's way is wrong. ***
I have traveled all over the world, and have never met anyone anywhere who thinks "other people's ways of seeing things are right, and the way I see things is wrong."
*** I mostly mean their opinions on democracy and capitalism being the end-all-be-all of civilization.***
The U.S. is pretty much like every other country, but one thing that is exceptional here is the radical diversity of opinion. You imply a conformity of opinion on these topics I have never found in the U.S. That's what you might expect for a country of 300 million made up almost entirely of immigrants and their descendants.
I have noticed that much anti-Americanism is fueled by zeroing in one extreme view or another, then implying that everyone in the U.S. is like that.
If Europe were one country, you could do the same thing. You could refer to the standard practice of infant blood transfusions (a major cause of infant AIDS there), point your finger at someone in Sweden, and say "you Europeans are backward in your medical practices." This is what people do with the U.S.
*** they have the most money, they are the best. ***
Americans don't have the most money. We're #7, after Luxembourg, Norway, Switzerland, Ireland, Denmark and Iceland. More.
***Do you ever stop to think about all the propaganda you are smothered with everyday?*** Yes, I think about that every day. We're all smothered (if we choose to be) with propaganda, facts, ideas, images, and more -- not just in the U.S.
***The U.S. Media Machine is about the worst propaganda tools ever construted. During a breaking story reporters don't even wait for the facts anymore. They just make up something so it seems like they've got the most recent info.***
Anyone is free to choose the best sources of news (BBC, Atlantic Monthly, etc.) or the worst (CNN, Michael Moore, Rush Limbaugh). You can't say it's all bad, but you can say bad media is alarmingly popular in the U.S. and everywhere else, too.
***Also, do you really think the Ahmadinejad is as bad as Glen Beck makes him sound?***
Never watched Glen Beck, but I don't care much for Ahmadinejad.
***And do you really believe that Brad and Angelina are going to break up?***
I think Angelina should just go ahead and adopt Brad Pitt and get it over with.
-Mike
Interesting bit about the 115th place ranking in press freedoms, wasn't aware of that. Shocked (not really) to read that the U.S. is 57th, behind countries like Mozambique, El Salvador, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Taiwan.
***the U.S. is 57th (in press freedoms***
Yeah, that sounds about right, although I'm not sure what this means when people have uncensored Internet access.
More germain to the question of "communism," here's another stat: Nationmaster's "economic freedom," where Venezuela is now #126, and the least economically free in Latin America except for -- who else? -- Cuba, which was second to last in the world (freer only than North Korea...).
Whoops. Here's the link.
Americans, as a whole, are hedonists. Don't worry I am quoting Cho (the real nutjub), the shooter at Virginia Tech.
But face it. American's are obsessed with attaining wealth. But for most American's wealth isn't possible, so its the illusion of wealth they purvey. People want fulfillment and they mostly look to Walmart to fill that hole. And the rich guys at the top are lovin every minute of it.
America does have the most wealth. I'm not talking about per capita, I'm talking about land and infrastructure. And with this position they feel they have to police the world.
The war in Iraq cannot be won. Why can't Bush just get that through his head.
The US isn't going to make the tension in the Middle East go away by wagin war on their enemies. The tension has been there a long time.
So how can the US expect to fix it by giving two fighting groups who hate eachother someone else to fight and hate.
And while we're at it, why don't we just build a wall. That'll solve it.
No, the world doesn't hate Americans, but they hate your government. And like it or not, that is your face to the world.
People think Americans are rich but dumb and that everybody hates America. In reality, Americans aren't that rich, and aren't that dumb, and people don't *really* hate us: The United States is just #7 in terms of "rich," but #1 for "average years of schooling of adults." Link and #2 (after France) in terms of the number of in-bound tourists. Link
If Chavez is a nut case than what' Bush? He talks to Jesus and listens to no one else and
Americans wonder why the country is in the tank?
At least he's trying to help his people. So what if he happens to help himself as well.
What has his predecessor done? Nothing.
Just because he does not bow to Washington does not make him a nut case. Who in hell would trust the US government right now. All your getting is lies and cover-ups.
The only good news to come out of the Virginia Tech affair is that it's the first time something this bad was not caused by a Bush fuck up.
***American's are obsessed with attaining wealth.***
True, but to be fair, we're also obsessed with sharing our wealth with people in need: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4756363.stm
***And with this position they feel they have to police the world.***
Where do you live, Mr. Annonymous? If you live in Europe or China or North Africa or any number of Asian countries, then it's worth noting that your parents or grandparents were all too happy for our parents and grandparents to sacrifice their lives to play the role of global policeman during the last 70 years.
*** The war in Iraq cannot be won. Why can't Bush just get that through his head. ***
The Iraq "war" isn't a war. It's an occupation, obviously. ("War" sounds better on TV, so that's why everybody uses it.) Bush used the U.S. military for "regime change," and now we're occupying the country until the Iraqis can provide security. If the U.S. has a "regime change" of its own in a a year and a half, and decides to pull out, we'll pull out.
Meanwhile, the deeper problems of the middle east -- sectarian, ethnic, religious, historical -- as well as the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, the Kurdish problem, etc. really probably will never be solved. These are the problems that will boil up whenever there is any conflict or power vacuum or national weakness or civil war.
Nobody likes what's happening in Iraq right now except for Iran -- least of all Americans, because, once again, it's our kids over there.
But let's not be too smug. Let's recognize that when all these ancient tensions are supressed in so many "stable" middle eastern countries by ruthless dictators who gun down their own people (like in Syria, Iraq under Saddam, Iran and elsewhere), we in the West are perfectly happy with that, because we don't see it on our TVs.
Just a few points.
a) I am not perfectly happy when anyone in the world is gunned down (let alone by their "leaders").
b) I am from Canada. So you guys haven't really done anything for me in the past 70 years. Haha! Just kidding. Thanks for MTV by the way. Flava of Love baby! *gag*
"...it's worth noting that your parents or grandparents were all too happy for our parents and grandparents to sacrifice their lives to play the role of global policeman during the last 70 years."
So does that mean you're not going to stop now?
c) Iraq is not a war? Are you on drugs? Apparently the occupation on drugs hasn't been successful in your neighborhood.
d) And come on "obsessed" with sharing your wealth? You may give money to those in need here and there, but I'd hardly say its an obsession.
e) I am not anti-American, but I am certainly not pro-American either. I lived there for 6 years during college, I was there for 9/11 and let me tell you, after that I couldn't wait to get back home.
***If Chavez is a nut case than what' Bush?***
I don't think Bush is crazy, but I do think he's stupid, incompetent and the worst president in American history.
***Americans wonder why the country is in the tank?***
The U.S. is "in the tank?" In what way?
***At least he's trying to help his people. So what if he happens to help himself as well.***
There is no evidence of good intent by Chavez. Talking about helping the poor and "mobilizing the people for socialist revolution" is the surest and quickest way to convert a democracy into a dictatorship in a country like Venezuela.
Do you believe in democracy, where the people can choose and change their ruler, or not? If so, do you believe Chavez will step down at the end of his term? If so, do you want to make a bet on that?
It's not like history started in 2002. We've been down this road many times before. Every country that goes down the road Chavez is taking Venezuela ends up as a desperate, basket case, and the poor suffer more than anyone.
This is all going to end in tears.
Mike
***So does that mean you're not going to stop now?***
Canada is a global policeman, too (and a good one!), helping to police the world in World Wars I and II, and helping to contain the Soviet empire during the Korean war and fighting the Taliban today in Afghanistan.
My comment was not a defense of the occupation of Iraq. I was just making the point that people oppose the U.S.'s (and Canada's) role as global policeman, but (to quote Colin Powell) guess who they call when they need a cop?
***Iraq is not a war? Are you on drugs?***
The war against the Iraqi military after the invasion was a classic war. The U.S. and its allies won that quickly, occupied the country, and now we're fighting insurgents who are resisting the occupation. Everyone likes to use the word "war" because it sounds stronger. But there's no escaping the fact that it's a classic occupation in every sense of the word.
***And come on "obsessed" with sharing your wealth?***
Absolutely, yes.
Anti-Americans love finding flaws in the American character, and actively ignore the good things about Americans. Philanthropy is one of those ignored virtues. I personally don't know a single American who doesn't give a huge amount of their time or salary or both to others every year.
This is one of the many national personality attributes that Americans and Canadians share -- the U.S. and Canada top all the lists of charitable giving.
Look at this chart: It shows that a whopping 91 percent of Canadians and 89 percent of Americans give to charity (compared with, say, 68 percent in the UK). But look at the numbers. The average American gives $953 per year (compared with $259 for Canadians, $180 for Britons and $15 for Japanese).
Yes, obsession. Americans give almost three times the amount as the number two country in the world. THREE TIMES. If that isn't "obsession," I don't know what is.
So if that other poster is going to slam Americans for being "obsessed with money," then I would ask him to please also acknowledge that Americans also obsessed with sharing that money.
-Mike
Whoops. I forgot to add the link. Here it is.
http://www.worldwatch.org/node/4319
Ahhhh. I love the smell of a good debate in the morning. Don't you.
mike you are a very learned individual I can see. And truly, to say one Hates Americans is quite a generalization, like saying Black people are thieves, or Jews are penny pinchers, or Canadians are alcoholics. I figured you'd see that instead of getting all personal on me. And I'd hope you'd see my comments as mere jabs and that they shouldn't be taken too seriously. But that being said...
By no means do I think that all American's deserve to be hated, but when it comes to your stats on educated adults, you should also look at the quality of that education. Like George Carlin said, "It seems like nowadays all you need to get into university is a pencil". I have met too many American's that didn't even know where Manitoba was, let alone that it was a province in Canada. And when told that it is right above North Dakota, some didn't even know where that was either.
I still recall a trip I made as a youngin' to Six Flags near St. Louis where we were having a picnic in the parking lot by our car. A family of four walked passed our car and one of the little kids asked his dad, "Dad, where's Antobia?" to which the father replied "No son. Its Mantobia."
btw, would now be a good time to say that I am actually an American?
-whatispunk
As an avid fan of anti-Americanism, it's fun to note that every generalization thrown our way is counterbalanced by an equally negative but opposite criticism. Examples:
Americans are obsessed with health -- Americans are obese slobs
Americans are decadent, sex-crazed and high -- Amerians are puritan prudes
Americans are sloppy, dirty and crude -- Americans are anal-retentive, bathing-obsessed neat freaks who like sterile, golf-course like lawns
Etc.
Here's another one: Americans are bent on world domination -- Americans don't know where the world even is... ; )
The reality is that all are true. The reality is that Americans are diverse beyond human comprehension. If someone wants to hate us or love us there's plenty to work with here. : )
In defense of my fellow American Idiots, I'd also like to paraphrase or quote Mark Twain, who said we're all ignorant, only about different things. Non-Americans are shocked when Americans don't know where this province is or that city.
I like to ask people where some non-American location is -- you'll find geographic ignorance is universal.
Quick, where's Sulawesi? (Without consulting an American search engine.) It has something like 15 times the population of Manitoba.
My defensiveness is a bit disingenuous. I would love for Americans to be more active in learning and work harder at being better people. I just feel the shrill anti-Americanism these days is outrageously out of proportion, and needs to be countered with facts and perspective.
Mike
Well I think if your military/government could get their noses out of other dog's arses it would be a good start towards a decline in anti-Americanism.
And buy a smaller car would you?!
But if that can't be done, at least give the world Simon Cowell's head on a plate!
***Well I think if your military/government could get their noses out of other dog's arses it would be a good start towards a decline in anti-Americanism.***
There are much better reasons for the removal of said noses out of specified arses than making people like us...
While many people around the world ask what we're doing in Iraq, I'd like to add: What are we doing with troops in Germany?
***And buy a smaller car would you?!***
I drive a Prius -- 55 miles to the gallon.
*** at least give the world Simon Cowell's head on a plate! ***
Done! Hollywood is 85 miles away.
85 miles! Nice!
With a Prius that's like $2!
But would Simon Cowell's head fit in your car?
I'm not saying the Prius is small, just that Simon Cowell's head is that big. Too bad the Prius doesn't run on hot air.
People don't see Chavez as a nut job just as people as see the Israeli's being the bad guys. Chavez IS a nut job, and Israel are the ones in the right!
This world continues to be warped with the patients running the asylum.
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