Chávez Calls for United Socialist Party of Venezuela

[Say_What]

<clips>

When supporters of Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez rallied in the Teresa Carrena theatre in Caracas to celebrate their presidential election victory December 15, 2007, "there were cheers in the back half of the theatre," writes Michael Lebowitz, "but few in the high-priced seats."

This was not because Chávez spoke of going forward to socialism and combating corruption — that wasn’t new — but because "it was all about the new party," which Chávez insisted must be built "from the base" by the popular committees that fought and won the election. ("Chávez Moves Forward," venezuelanalysis.com)

The prospect of a united, fighting party of the Venezuelan masses is indeed unsettling to the conservative careerists who occupy many high posts in the pro-Chávez political parties. But for working people, it could be the instrument they need to break the present deadlock in Venezuela’s class struggle and move decisively against capitalist rule.

Victory Without Precedent

The victory of the Bolivarian movement in the December 3 presidential elections has created the most favourable conditions yet for such an advance. The Venezuelan people made the elections as the occasion for their largest mobilization ever in support of the Bolivarian movement and President Hugo Chávez.

http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/articles.php?artno=1944

[Warren Stupidity]

1. The bastard wants to democratize the political process?

What kind of dictator is that? This is so wrong. He is supposed to arrest people, eat babies, put on the iron glove and crush all dissent. This is unacceptable.

[Judi Lynn]

2. Guardian: Chávez denies plan to seize assets of rich

Chávez denies plan to seize assets of rich

Christopher Toothtaker, Associated Press in Caracas
Monday January 29, 2007
The Guardian

Hugo Chávez, the president of Venezuela, denied yesterday that his government would seize private property, such as second homes or expensive cars, from the wealthy while he called on Venezuelans not to fear his push toward socialism.
"Nobody should allow themselves be imbued with fear. If anybody should be scared, we should be scared of capitalism, which destroys society, people and the planet," he said on his weekly television and radio programme Hello President.

But Mr Chávez also warned political opponents that "nothing would stop" the progress of what he called "21st-century socialism," saying the majority of Venezuelans have decided to gradually leave capitalism behind.
Many wealthy Venezuelans opposed to Mr Chávez fear he could move to seize second homes or other assets as he advances his Bolivarian revolution.
(snip/...)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/venezuela/story/0,,2000896,00.html

[Say_What]

6. How does a 'Luxury Tax' equate to *seize assets*? When the MSM twists facts that's how..

There was a mention last week of the luxury tax that the Venezuelan government is going to enact, but the propaganda machines twisted it into 'Chavez to seize assets'. The International Tribune (Official US propaganda tool), headline was Rich targeted by new taxes on luxury property in Venezuela. LOL What a bunch of @ssholes.

...Luxury Tax

Chavez also stated that he would approve a new tax “on big capital, on big earnings,” although again, no figures were given, and instructed his recently designated Minister of Finance, Rodrigo Cabezas, to design the mechanism through which to tax the wealthy. The Venezuelan President, who said he wanted an Enabling Law on the matter, stated that those who own a yacht, a plane, a second home or lavish art collections should be taxed, and declared that the money collected would go towards funding the newly created Communal Councils, which will themselves decide how to spend the revenue on improving their communities.

http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news.php?newsno=2199

[Igel]

13. Luxury taxes are typically taxes on the acquisition of luxuries.

Not taxes on ownership of luxuries.

One could make the case that we don't actually own real estate in the US, we merely buy the right to rent it from the government. If you don't pay rent, either because it's been raised or you've lost income, the landlord evicts you; if you don't pay property taxes, the local governmente evicts you. (Of course, if you can't or don't pay the taxes on your property, I guess we don't want to say that the asset is seized, perhaps we could find a more suitable and less inflammatory term. Perhaps 'countification'?)

Apart from property taxes, we don't really tax wealth in the US.

[UTUSN]

3. The WAY FORWARD!!1 & more power (for now) TO them for GIVING UP their power!!1

Walks like a duck, quacks like a duck---------IT'S A FUCKING DUCK!!!!!!!!!1

[Say_What]

4. Hugo Chavez, the Press and the "Rule By Decree" Meme in Venezuela

<clips>

Did you hear that President Chavez is going to Rule by Decree for the next 18 months? The very idea evokes a picture of a not-too-distant South American past, one in which all-powerful executives live out their capricious whims and mete out brutal retribution against political enemies. It's all so dramatic and perverse and larger than life. Somewhere Andrew Lloyd Webber is already mapping out the musical score.

But it this case, it's just not true. Of course, if you've been reading the newspapers lately, you'd have a hard time figuring that out. The Miami Herald headline blares: "Chavez Granted Power to Rule by Decree." Time Magazine asks "Is Chavez Becoming Castro?" And those are the restrained ones. The right-wing rags have headlines like "A Dictatorship Rises," and "Hugo Chavez Kills Democracy." So you'd be forgiven for not getting the nuances in this storyline.

Here's what's actually happening: The Venezuelan assembly is poised to pass a law that will give the executive branch greater leeway to establish norms on a certain range of issues. Most of these involve guidelines for the president's own cabinet-level agencies. In other words, the Venezuelan version of the IRS will map out the country's tax structure; the Transportation department will devise its own strategic plan for public transit nationwide, etc. This represents a shift of certain powers from the legislative branch to the executive, to be sure, but on paper they don't seem to stray too far from the powers that the executive branch in the United States already has. Venezuelanaysis.com has a full listing of the ten issue areas that are affected.

It is important to note that this type of power-transfer is allowed under the Venezuelan constitution of 1999, which expressly permits the President to issue executive orders specifically within these issue areas. Of course, the constitution continues to guide the country's overall legal framework, which is to say that no "decree" can supercede constitutional law.

http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/articles.php?artno=1946

[msongs]

5. chavez wants it as long as HE is in charge. wanna bet he will not retire peacefully?

hitler used to say the same things about smashing the capitalists and the aristrocracy, the oligarchs and the corrupt established bureaucracies.

it was all just hitlerian clap trap designed to get him elected by the ignorant public, then he embraced the military industrial complex with a passion.

msongs
www.msongs.com

[Name removed]

7. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[ngant17]

12. Hitler vrs. Chavez

True, workers often fall victim to all sorts of persons who will trick them. Fascist radio nutballs like Rush Limbaugh, Ann Colter, Shawn Hennedy and others like Hitler and Mussolini use populist language as the first and foremost trick after racism - Hitler put the words "socialist" and "workers" in the name of his Nazi Party (National Socialist German Workingmen’s Party.)

Chavez is not anything like that, the Venezuelan bourgeoisie are conspiring against him.

It was the German bourgeoisie who (along with certain Americans) helped Hitler into power. They never tried to overthrow him. Likewise the fascist Mussolini came to power by alliances with Big Business.

When monopolies and rich landowners are trying to overthrow you, it is a clear sign that you are doing the right thing. Viva Chavez!

[Robbien]

17. So you would rather have someone smirking "Bombs for Democracy"

You would rather have your leader grabbing power by secretly appointing people to rule every department and secretly sign signing agreement negating all laws.

And the leader you prefer lies in order to invade and bombs and steals from poorer countries.

This is so warped.

And you sneer at people from the south who want to hold on to their own. All they are trying to do is protect theirs from people like your beloved leader.

[robcon]

8. My prediction:

Venezuela will be a one-party state under Chavez within a year, as he rules by decree.

It's truly odd that someone "ruling by decree" is described by a DUer above as someone installing "democracy" in Venezuela. As a lap-dog of Castro, Chavez will outlaw all other parties soon, IMO.

[Say_What]

9. The RW nutcases have been predicting that for years. You're late....

and, as usual, wrong. :crazy:

[killbotfactory]

10. I predict he will ban the color purple

helicopters, and large insects with his new rule by decree powers.

[Igel]

14. Now, it'll take a longer than that.

If it happens at all. I think it will, but with less than absolute certainty.

There was no civil war to create a sense of emergency, the poor aren't easily roused to engage in mass violence these days, and people are watching.

But I fear for anybody in an organization or country where the leader says the only reason he isn't doing X or Y is his patience, and the only limitations are what's for the 'good of the people'. There's always an end to patience. And the 'good of the people' is such an undefinable term--what is the 'good' is often just a value judgment, and the definition of 'the people' usually just includes those you like or need to appeal to, and pointedly excludes those not on your side.

Been there, done that.

[The Anti-Neo Con]

11. Is it hard to emigrate to Venezuela?

It sounds like it would be a great place to live. Maybe I could work for Chavez's party in some capacity & help to create a socialist utopia there. Besides, the weather is much nicer there, it's not winter 9 months out of the year!

[David__77]

15. Wow, property taxes... how revolutionary!

All this is is property taxation. In the US we have real and non-real property taxation. It's nothing strange around the world. But the oligarchy is frothing at the mouth. A just state taxes those first with the ability to pay.

Chavez is right to hit hard at his opponents who care nothing for democracy and want to reestablish the white elite's parasitic stranglehold on Venezuelan society.

[hogwyld]

16. Much better would be

The United Socialist Party of the Americas. We sure could learn some lessons from Hugo in the dealing with the rich bastards here. F*ck all of the rich leeches sucking away the blood of the working poor!

[pampango]

18. Long live the dictatorship (sorry, rule by decree for 18 months)

of the proletariat.

Ferdinand Marcos did the same thing in the Philippines in 1972 and ruled by "decree" for 15 years until People Power kicked him out. Did he utilize provisions of the constitution in order to do this. Sure he did. Marcos was in his second, and last, term as president. So is Chavez and I have heard that he has talked about wanting to change the constitution so that he can have a third term. I don't know if that will happen, but he seems to have some interest in ruling beyond two terms. Does that mean that he wants to be a dictator for life. No. But elected leaders have done that in other countries so it bears watching.