Chavez is our leader!

[mart]

Why is growth looked on as being such a good thing?
In some contexts it is actually considered to be hazardous e.g. obesity.

Mart

[strictlybroadband]

Bob, your pessimism is justified, based on the history of US aggression in the region. But there is some cause for hope: firstly, Chavez now has a friend in Morales of Bolivia.

Second, Chavez seems a tougher guy than Allende - don't forget the US already tried to overthrow him and failed in 2002 because he had prepared soldiers to defend him against the coup. He has prepared a large "reserve" army to defend Venezuela against a possible US invasion.

Third, thanks to the idiot neocons, America is up to its neck in the Middle East, hardly in a position to cope with Iran and Venezuela when they're already shafted in Iraq.

Who knows what will happen? But I get the feeling that Latin America is better equipped to resist US terrorism than they were 20 years ago.

[Mojo]

"US terrorism". Hmm, Imperialism yes, but not terrorism. But then again, after hearing about all those Iraqi civs who were massacred autumn last year, maybe it's a bit of both....

Can anyone see a point where everyone, even us will be against them? Will they go one step too far and become the new Nazis of the 21st Century, or have they done that already?

[BlueRaa]

Has everyone gone stark raving mad??? I'm a total leftie and I think Chavez is a disgrace and I can't believe some of the people here who would call themselves lefties too are supporting him and defending him.

Chavez has stated that, if necessary, he will amend the Venezualan constitution to allow him to remain in office longer. Not even Vladimir Putin has done that, a man who is increasingly pissing over the freedoms of his people. Chavez controls much of the media and has even set up a state controlled channel which effectively broadcasts his propaganda. Hello people? Remember Communism???

No matter how much communism may seem like the perfect utopia, we know it doesn't work. And why? Because you need a compassionate dictator. And that is an oxymoron.

If someone asked me to be President of a communist state, I may well say yes. I have the interests of the coutry and people at heart and I reckon I could be a compassionate. Dictator. However, 'Absolute power corrupts absolutely.' Meaning that, no matter how good a person I think I am, the more power I get, the more corrupted by it I get and start making serious errors like, say, locking people in their homes for their 'safety'.

Chavez is far too far left. God forbid, I don't want him to become some pseudo-leftist like Blair. He just needs to be nicely left, not far left. And at the moment, the man is being a fucking idiot! Yes, he stands up to America and I applaud him for that. But so did Stalin. And Krushchev to name a couple. He should follow the (can't believe I'm saying this) French *wince* example to opposition to America. That actually works.

[eroticartist]

Hi Strictly,
Is uncensored porn allowed in Venezuela?
Mike Freeman.

[Bob Singleton]

BlueRaa wrote:

SNIP

He should follow the (can't believe I'm saying this) French *wince* example to opposition to America. That actually works.

=======================================================

We should ALL follow the French example of opposition to America!!

Time was when British Prime Ministers didn't toady up to the USA, but that was long time ago! Wilson, Callaghan, Thatcher, Major and Blair are all culpable in varying degrees. The only one in recent years who didn't lick American arse was Heath... he had the right idea... his eyes were turned toward Europe!

[strictlybroadband]

Mojo wrote:

> "US terrorism". Hmm, Imperialism yes, but not terrorism.

The US has often sponsored terrorism, especially in Latin America. The biggest recent episode was in Nicaragua where their people killed an estimated 30,000 people to destabilise the Ortega government in the 80s.

The CIA has carried out terrorist bombing against civilians in Latin America, Vietnam and the Middle East, among other places.

[strictlybroadband]

eroticartist wrote:

> Hi Strictly,
> Is uncensored porn allowed in Venezuela?
> Mike Freeman.

I severely doubt it Mike.

I don't claim Chavez (or Castro or Morales) to be perfect people who believe in everything I do. But they are the most moral world leaders around today. Nobody's perfect, but you have to gather support around those who are less imperfect than others.

In a poor country like Venezuela, lifting the people out of poverty and limiting the power of the US on the region are the most important things at the moment. Besides, if the US is allowed to continue running amuck in Latin America, sexual freedom will suffer. Latin American countries are much more relaxed about sex, porn and prostitution than America is.

[eroticartist]

Strictly,
Pornography can always be used as barometer of freedom. The states that ban pornography all always authoritarian if not totalitarian. Left-wing intellectuals like you always romanticise about proletarian leaders!
Mike Freeman.

[Mojo]

I didn't know about all that, but I did know all about the organisation in the US called "NORAID", who fund and arm the IRA in order to bomb us! True friends to the UK, the Americans.... !tut!