Applause (and laughter) after calling Bush 'the devil'

[rodeodance]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14960588/

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Applause after calling Bush 'the devil'

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez was the most bombastic, outstripping even Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad by branding Bush the devil. What surprised many listeners was not necessarily the remarks, which were typical for Chavez, but the applause and titters of laughter that he received in response.

“A few years ago that would have been heard in stony silence,” Council of Europe Secretary-General Terry Davis said. “Not because people were afraid to show their agreement, but because they wouldn’t have agreed with it. If I was working for the American government, that’s what would worry me.”

[Redstone]

1. He's every bit as much of an embarrassing fool as Bush.

Pissing away the goodwill he had at the beginning by acting and talking like a complete smacked ass in public.

Leaders of countries are supposed to be statesmen. Bad enough we have bushyboy doing it; we don't need him to do it too.

Redstone

[Solon]

4. Seems like the reverse is true...

Given the reaction from the UN, it looks like Chavez is BACKED by them, against Bush.

[Redstone]

5. People always laugh at clowns.

Redstone

[Solon]

6. You seem to be HOPING something is true when it really isn't...

Did you even RTFA? Seriously, don't be delusional here.

[Redstone]

7. I'm not delusional. Chavez has turned into a parody. Which is a shame;

I had damn high hopes for him.

Now, because he doesn't know how to quit when he's ahead, he'll end up being remembered as just another irrelevant, two-bit tinpot South American blowhard.

I really wish that were not the case. But it is, and it's a damn shame. Get back to me two years from now, and let's see how people cheer him.

Redstone

[Solon]

9. First, I don't see a great sea change here...

Bush and Chavez have been trading insults since 2002, but for some reason, Chavez hasn't really taken diplomatic hit at all. Instead, he has forged new trade alliances(China is a big one), and establishing diplomatic ties worldwide in numerous areas. Unlike Bush, he is usually welcomed, especially in Europe.

[Redstone]

10. He hasn't taken any hits yet, but wait and see.

I'm SO disappointed. I had hopes for him. I really did.

Redstone

[Solon]

13. What's disappointing about him?

This is what I'm trying to figure out here. The guy was NEVER a man of eloquence, nor were there illusions of him being the "Great Statesman". He's a firebrand, a populist, when I first heard a speech of his, years ago, he comes off as nothing less than that, and nothing more either. But having a rough around the edges President isn't a bad thing, unlike our pResident, at least Chavez has a brain. I mean, Bush bills himself as a "plain talker", but really comes off as incoherent.

As far as I can tell, things in Venezuela, domestically, despite opposition disruptions occasionally, are going rather well, if a little slow. Then again, Venezuela has so many problems that it takes more than just waving a magic to fix the poverty and to rebuild the infrastructure. But then again, the country was robbed for well over 30 years.

This is an election year for him, and if it wasn't for the stupid assed opposition, who are so divided amongst themselves, that they could actually provide SOME type of competition. Hell, they are still debating whether to even participate in the democratic process, think about that a moment. Chavez IS going to suffer a legitimacy problem, maybe as soon as next year, he is pretty much guaranteed a win right now, and the ONLY reason for that is because the opposition is apparently run by a bunch of neophytes to the democratic process. Imagine how embarrassing it is to campaign against NO ONE.

[pretzel4gore]

8. through fox 'in the henhouse' new's eyes maybe

face it, the 'bush=diablo' story will fade away as quck as one of the farting freeper's gas jokess -but something as distracting will come up to fill pigmedia airtime, and continue to grease bush's forward momentum....we are all in big trouble, and if anything President Chavez is allowing some light to be focused on the scurrying bushcock roaches, and the damage they are doing to folk's property values ...history is dead, as too many lies now fill the record to sort out (it's like spaghetti, best just toss it all out, a shootem all and let god sortem out situation) and 'statesmen' will never be accorded the admiration they once were-bush has shown the entire lot a buncha dupes, at best....
notice the two daughters of the killerchimp are in hiding - pigmedia pretends they don't exist....that says the bush criminals know full well they are caught red handed

[Redstone]

11. Well, there IS that. I wish you weren't right, but I'm afraid you are.

We're pretty much doomed.

Redstone

[pretzel4gore]

12. still, we must keep dry our powder....

honestly, i don't care about myself, or vast numbers of the goofs i see on tv or in the news....but every single child on earth deserves whatever we can do to preserve this goddam planet from the likes of bush and rush limbah-humbug etc....naturally Chavez will fail; who hasn't? but compared to bush and the killer goonsquads he's attracted like flies to carrion, we haven't much choice but to fight them however we can....

[1932]

17. I think Chavez has already succeeded. I think it's going to be very hard

to undo a lot of what he has done, especially in terms of devolving democracy. And it's going to be hard to take Venezuela off the trajectory it is on towards diversifying its economy, promoting worker-ownership, and adding value to raw products in Venezuela before exporting them abroad.

[JNelson6563]

15. After coup & assasination attempts

can you believe the nerve of Chavez?!?!?!?!

And instead of pounding your chest and waving your flag you may want to consider what this really means as far as the world view of America's leadership and, subsequently, those who allow the band of Bush Thugs to stay in power (we the people).

Look beyond the surface, it's not that hard.

Julie

[1932]

16. When did he have the goodwill of the people who are crticizing him now?

Ok, I'll answer that question. In Richard Gott's book on Chavez he said that some wealthy people supported his election in 1998 because they thought that, coming from the army, he was going to represent the interests of the wealthy class. But, they quickly found out that wasn't the case and stopped supporting him. Since then, and except for that very small group of people, Chavez's convictions and interests have been clear and consistent and the people who criticize him now are the same people who crticized him from the beginning, while the number of people in Venezuela willing to vote for his party because it believes that the wealth of the nation should go towards lifting up all citizens (and not just a few) has increased in each of the seven elections his party has run in.

[leanin_green]

19. If you mean by statesman. . .

speaking truth to power and foregoing the politically expedient for what is necessary, then I'd say Chavez fit the definition. At least someone has the temerity to call a spade a spade. Wish we had some in the opposition(?)party with the same kind of stones he does.

[bigbrother05]

2. The delivery of the translator, is what did it for me

I don't know how they are picked, but she was great

[Ronnie]

14. It seemed to me that it was the translator they were laughing at.

I know they weren't all listening to the English translation, but it's quite likely that a lot of them were.

[BattyDem]

3. "If I was working for the American government, that’s what would worry me"

Bingo! That's what the Bushbots don't understand. They want to kick the ass of every country they don't like in the name of security - yet that approach has put us in more danger than ever before. The rest of the world doesn't fear us - they hate us and have lost all respect for us. It's going to take decades to undo the damage caused by *.

[bigbrother05]

18. The beginning of the end for a bully

is when they start to laugh at you. This misAdministration has taken America's global presence and policies from being generally respected and admired, to generally reviled and hated. Now when the Chimperor speaks, the stifled titters and rolled eyes tell the truth behind what Chavez said. Now, you start off with a joke at W's expense before you get into your particulars.