Why Washington Hates Hugo Chavez

[ooglymoogly]

By Mike Whitney

January 01, 2010 "Information Clearing House" -- In late November, Venezuela was hammered by torrential rains and flooding that left 35 people dead and roughly 130,000 homeless. If George Bush had been president, instead of Hugo Chavez, the displaced people would have been shunted off at gunpoint to makeshift prison camps--like the Superdome--as they were following Hurricane Katrina. But that's not the way Chavez works. The Venezuelan president quickly passed "enabling" laws which gave him special powers to provide emergency aid and housing to flood victims. Chavez then cleared out the presidential palace and turned it into living quarters for 60 people, which is the equivalent of turning the White House into a homeless shelter. The disaster victims are now being fed and taken care of by the state until they can get back on their feet and return to work.

Read the rest of this amazing article.

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article27170.htm

[ladjf]

1. It seems to me that Chavez is doing both good and bad things

for Venezuela. On balance, it seems that he is more good than bad.

[Recursion]

2. I think the worry is that that's how Mugabe started, too

To say nothing of Castro. Very few people set out saying, "I'm going to become a tyrannical despot." Other than those whose last name is "Bush", I suppose.

[Kolesar]

3. Oh, please

Your analogy is weak and pernicious

[Recursion]

7. When was the last case that "rule by decree" ended well? (nt)

[eridani]

10. That option is in the Constitutions of most Latin American countries

How come no gripes when Peru does it?

[Recursion]

11. Gripes, right here

Though that problem is in the Peruvian Constitution itself.

[eridani]

12. Not saying I'd like to see that kind of thing here--

--but Latin Americans don't seem to care. No one in the US cared when the government preceding Chavez did the same thing, either. Those countries belong to their people, not to us.

[Recursion]

13. Venezuela doesn't have a Constitutional decree power for the President

This is an extraordinary power granted by Congress. Caldera was never granted this sort of power.

[eridani]

15. He most certainly was n/t

[Recursion]

16. Not even during the 94 crisis

He had to go to the Deputies (IIRC Venezuela actually had a tricameral at that point) to get permission to even talk to the IMF (alas; it would have been better if they'd shown the IMF vultures the door...)

[EFerrari]

9. Misplaced. n/t

[molly77]

6. Any south american leader

who wants decent wages for their people is promptly labeled here in Fascist Land as a leftist and dictator. Back at the ranch , we get groped for travelling by air, never know if our phones are tapped and we can turn in anybody suspicious at the Wal Mart.

The propaganda is wearing very very thin.

[Recursion]

8. Well, it's usually nationalization of land and resources

But, seriously, I take your point.

Still, there's the problem. To take an analogy from the US in the 1950's, McCarthy's insanity does not mean that there weren't actually Soviet spies in the US (there were). The US diplomatic community's far-too-simplistic anti-leftist stance is odious and ignorant, but that does not mean that leftism in Latin America is any safer for our interests than rightism.

[Doctor_J]

17. "Our interests"?

leftism in Latin America is any safer for our interests than rightism

what is this supposed to mean? the interests of the 1% who own the US? The interests of Boner and McTurtle? How does Hugo's land reform jeopardize my interests? and how would having a fascist running SA be better for me?

Sounds like you listen to Hate Radio too much.

[TBF]

14. What is he doing that is bad? Please be specific. nt

[COLGATE4]

4. This was already posted yesterday. Why the repeat?

[ooglymoogly]

5. Did not see it.