The Corporate Media and Hugo Chavez (Mickey Z.)

[Tace]

Mickey Z. (and the Expendables) -- World News Trust

Jan. 22, 2007 -- I've been extremely fortunate to attract an amazing mix of regulars to my blog... a crew self-dubbed "The Expendables." The conversations range from serious to silly and often have nothing to do with my post for the day. The topic du jour Friday, Jan. 19, was a certain Venezuelan president.

Paul M. wrote: "Hello all Expendables. What do you make of the latest accusations leveled at (Hugo) Chavez?"

Paul was referring a BBC News report, "Rule by decree passed for Chavez" (Subtitled: "Venezuela's National Assembly has given initial approval to a bill granting the president the power to bypass congress and rule by decree for 18 months"). The article began: "President Hugo Chavez says he wants 'revolutionary laws' to enact sweeping political, economic, and social changes." In the name of strengthening his "Bolivarian revolution," it seems Chavez has said he wants to "nationalize key sectors of the economy and scrap limits on the terms a president can serve." He also wants to see "major Venezuelan power and telecoms companies come under state control ... (and) an end to foreign ownership of lucrative crude oil refineries in the Orinoco region."

Paul M. added: "I totally oppose authoritarianism in all its forms, and idiotic Socialists/Marxists are always susceptible to this, but I'm wondering if it's the BBC reporting a lot of shit again."

My response: "Who knows? I certainly don't trust the corporate media as an objective source, re: official U.S. enemies. But, of course, Chavez is human and thus capable of such behavior. What does everyone else think?"

Here's a sampling of Expendable comments (based on what was known on Jan. 19):

more

http://www.worldnewstrust.com/index.php?option=com_mycontent&task=view&id=863&Itemid=338

[fasttense]

1. Thanks for posting this.

I'm of the same mind as the Expendables. I hope it it is not true that Chavez is turning the presidency into a monarchy but hasn't bush* done the same thing here in the US? And can you really trust the corporate media to tell you what is really going on in Venezuela? I'm waiting to see what other reports say.

[Larkspur]

2. Here's an explanation for the laws Chavez wants...

Venezuela’s Legislature Approves Emergency Sessions for “Mother of Laws”
http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news.php?newsno=2195

Caracas, January 17, 2007 (venezuelanalysis.com)— Venezuela’s National Assembly approved a resolution yesterday, according to which the legislature would declare emergency sessions for the approval of an “enabling law,” which will allow President Chavez to pass law-decrees on specific issues in the next 18 months. The National Assembly (AN) will begin deliberations on the law tomorrow.


Chavez had asked the AN for an “enabling law,” during his swearing-in ceremony last week, saying that such a law is necessary to accelerate the process of creating 21st century socialism in Venezuela. Chavez presented the AN with the proposed law last Saturday.


The proposed law, for which there is express permission in Article 203 of Venezuela’s 1999 constitution, would allow Chavez to pass decrees that have the legal standing of laws in ten different areas. The last time Chavez was allowed to make use of this provision was in 2001, when he passed 49 law-decrees. Previous presidents, such as Carlos Andrés Perez in 1976, were also given temporary authority for such laws.

SNIP