Hugo Chavez celebrates sixth anniversary

[struggle4progress]

2/2/2005, 10:29 p.m. ET
By IAN JAMES
The Associated Press

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez pledged to deepen his "revolution" for the poor Wednesday as he marked his government's sixth anniversary, saying he intends to win another six-year stint next year.

Fireworks burst in the air over the Miraflores palace, where Chavez emerged on a small balcony to address more than 2,000 supporters.

"We still have a long road ahead," Chavez told the crowd. "God willing, six years more!"

Chavez was inaugurated on Feb. 2, 1999. He swiftly oversaw the drafting of a new constitution that called for elections in 2000, and won a six-year term. Ahead of next year's elections, Chavez has pledged a new push to fight poverty and expand social programs. <snip>

http://pennlive.com/newsflash/pa/index.ssf?/base/international-4/1107401575321440.xml&storylist=pahomepage

[RockStar]

1. A real Leader

[AP]

2. I feel the future of the American middle class depends more than ever on..

...there being wealthy, large middle classes around the globe.

In the past, the existence of an American middle class might possibly have been completely independent of things that happened other places on the globe (and, in fact, might have benefitted from imperialism in Africa and South America, at least in the short term). Those days are definitely over.

When there are poor people other places on the globe, that's where American jobs are going. And exploited labor just serves to concentrate wealth in the hands of large corporations. If wealth were accumulating in the hands of employees and in the hands of a large middle class, I think it would create much more wealth circulating among all the people (which is pretty much the lesson FDR tought as in the US). Furthermore, huge disparities in wealth just create chaos.

I really feel that the future of humanity really depends on a New Deal on a global scale, and leaders like Chavez are the ones who are doing the most to make that future happen.

[Pastiche423]

3. Sexto aniversario feliz, Chavez!

Please let it be six peaceful more years.