Chavez Explains Why He Lashes Out Against Herr Bush

[Jcrowley]

The Sound & The Fury
Venezuela's leader talks to TIME's Tim Padgett about why he lashes out against President Bush
By TIM PADGETT

TIME: Why do you attack President George W. Bush with such jolting language?

CHAVEZ: I believe words have great weight, and I want people to know exactly what I mean. I'm not attacking President Bush; I'm simply counterattacking. Bush has been attacking the world, and not just with words--with bombs. When I say these things I believe I'm speaking for many people, because they too believe this moment is our opportunity to stop the threat of a U.S. empire that uses the U.N. to justify its aggression against half the world. In Bush's speech to the U.N., he sounded as if he wants to be master of the world. I changed my original speech after reading his.

TIME: But doesn't your rhetoric--referring to Bush, for example, as an "alcoholic"--risk alienating potential allies?

CHAVEZ: First of all, Bush has called me worse: tyrant, populist dictator, drug trafficker, to name a few. I was simply telling a truth that people should know about this President, a man with gigantic power.

TIME: Is all of this mostly for domestic consumption back in Venezuela?

CHAVEZ: No. American author Noam Chomsky in his book talks of two superpowers in today's world--one is the U.S., which aggressively wants to dominate the world, and the other is global public opinion. I don't consider what I'm saying personal attacks on President Bush--I want to wake up U.S. and global public opinion about him.

TIME: Do your feelings about Bush reflect your feelings toward America in general?

CHAVEZ: No. I revere America as the nation of Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King and Mark Twain--who was a great anti-imperialist, who opposed U.S. adventurism in the Spanish-American War.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/printout/0,8816,1538655,00.html

Not bad considering the controlled questions by an interviewer who knows his role.

[madokie]

1. Not bad considering the controlled questions by an interviewer who knows h

:shrug: what are you trying to say

[Jcrowley]

2. Time and Life founder Henry Luce

Making Time for Spooks
Time and Life founder Henry Luce was considered one of the CIA's most cooperative sources in the media. Luce, another of Dulles' personal friends in the media, was said to freely allow staff members to work with the CIA and willingly provide credentials for agents who lacked journalistic experience. Throughout the 50's and 60's Time correspondents attended CIA briefing dinners, and Luce encouraged his foreign correspondents to meet with CIA officials after returning from trips abroad.

http://www.geocities.com/cpa_blacktown/20000318mediaoverb.htm

[malaise]

3. No wonder I love Chavez

He loves Mark Twain. Great response. Thanks for this.

[Brundle_Fly]

4. Chavez is smart.

and his words are getting support from around the globe, even though BELIEVE IT OR NOT, Hannity, Wolf & Tucker just covered the devil part, and not the crux of what he was saying.

I hope more like Keith Olbermann come to the forefront in your country, we are sick of the games and we miss the real America.

[Cha]

23. How sweet that Time gave

Chavez a forum to answer the savage, frothing attacks from American punditheads and posturing dems!

[tblue]

5. Would they put us in Gitmo

for wearing a Viva Hugo Chavez t-shirt?

Chavez is right. He gets it. We are NOT free. The man actually feels SORRY for us Americans!

[Peace Patriot]

7. I've been fascinated by the revolution that is occurring in Latin America,

and so I've read widely about it. It is an amazing development--a peaceful, democratic, leftist (majorityist) revolution sweeping the entire continent--in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia and Venezuela, and soon to sweep Ecuador (and heading that way in Peru). There is even a new nascent leftist movement in Columbia. And, of course, we've seen what's going on in Mexico--very similar uprising of the vast population of the poor and brown who have been so exploited and brutalized and ask only fairness, equity, justice and participation in government and its decisions in proportion to their numbers and the impacts of government on their lives.

It's not just Venezuela. Far from it. But Chavez is one of this movements most colorful and eloquent spokesmen--and he really puts himself out there in many ways, not just taunting Bush (as he said, in another interview, "for balance"), but also he put himself and his government out there for Argentina--Venezuela's oil revenues have been used to bail Argentine out of onerous World Bank/IMF debt. The result is that Argentina and Brazil are now in talks about creating a mutual currency (like the euro) and getting off the dollar.

I love how Chavez views these oil revenues--they are a means of uplifting the poor, with schools, medical clinics, community centers, small business loans and grants, and buying back land for the indigenous. They are a means of diversifying Venezuela's economy for the future (for instance, they are being used to help small farmers stay on the farm--or to get them farming land--so that Venezuela, which has had to import much of its food, can become food self-sufficient.) And they are being used to help OTHER Latin Americans achieve self-determination and a just society. The IMF required draconian cuts in social programs, and an open door to global corporate exploiters, as blood money for the onerous loans--Chavez, in helping them get free of that debt--with easy term loans--is helping Argentina to restore ITS good policies and economic health. Oil profits are not for hoarding! They are for building a better society! What an idea!

And I think you are right. He feels sorry for us. We are not part of this great social movement. We are not part of the future. In our country, oil is used to make a few people super-rich, and to gouge the poor, and, further, to empower the super-rich in horrible ways--their corporate oil war, multiple tax cuts for the rich, while saddling the poor with a $10 trillion debt, and destroying all social protections, safety nets, and essential services, even those that build the future: schools, universities, science programs and the arts. While the Latin Americans are discovering the "commons"--how a middle class is created, LARGELY through government spending based on fair taxation--our illegitimate, fascist government is destroying our middle class, deconstructing all progressive programs, and privatizing everything, even our elections!

I, too, pity us. I think my fellow No. Americans are bewildered by what's happening to our country. They feel demoralized and disempowered. Two statistics riveted my attention over the last several years: 56% of the American people opposed the Iraq war, way back before the invasion (Feb. '03). And, 63% of Americans oppose torture "under any circumstances" (May '04). Under any circumstances! 63%!

Further, when you consider these other two stats that people always cite--trying to make a case for No. Americans being "sheeple"--that about 50% of our people believe that Saddam had WMDs and/or that Saddam had something to do with 9/11--and you compare THAT stat to the above stats, the only conclusion you can reach is that our citizens DON'T TRUST BUSH. Here they are, with these bits of disinformation rattling around in their heads, about Saddam, yet they STILL oppose the war! (It's way more than 56% now.) And the great majority STILL don't see any justification for torture. They obviously don't agree with Bush's INTERPRETATION of those "facts" nor his actions. Maybe Saddam had WMDs, but it wasn't such a big threat that the UN couldn't take care of it. And whatever Saddam may have had to do with 9/11, it was minor, and did not justify a war.

The Bushite propaganda, and the relentless war profiteering corporate news monopoly propaganda, have FAILED to turn Americans into warmongers, and have failed to scare them. The only way they have succeeded is in the demoralization of the majority (by giving the minority rightwing a big trumpet), and also in black-holing the electronic voting scam, by which Bushite corporations are now "counting" all our votes with TRADE SECRET, PROPRIETARY programming code, and virtually no audit/recount controls. I mean, really. It's so blatant. Yet--despite a rather amazing election reform movement--many people still remain ignorant of the specific mechanism by which the Bush Junta kept its paws on the levers of power. That black-holing worked.

If I were looking at this once great country from the point of view of a vibrant democracy like Venezuela, I'd feel sorry for us, too. We're missing everything.

As the first indigenous president of Bolivia (elected this year), Evo Morales, has said: "The time of the people has come."

But not for us. Not yet anyway.

=============================

Bust the Machines--Vote by Absentee Ballot this November!

If everyone who despises the Bush Junta (60% to 70% of the American people), vote by Absentee Ballot, the reign of these sulfurous machines will be OVER!

[tblue]

8. You're not suggesting

S
A
B
O
T
A
G
E
?

[Peace Patriot]

9. No, but I AM suggesting that we FLOOD election officials with MOUNTAINS

of Absentee Ballot votes, to create sufficient panic and crisis in the election theft industry, to FORCE reform NOW.

We need to force local/state election officials to the table, with our demand for TRANSPARENT elections. They are not going to give us back our right to vote voluntarily. And the Diebold Congress certainy isn't going to do it. They've too busy figuring out ways to let Bush torture some more people.

So we have to create the conditions for reform OURSELVES. And I propose we do that by BOYCOTTING the machines, en masse. If no one will vote on these diabolical machines, the election officials who gave all these billions to BUSHITE electronic voting corporations, for crapass, extremely insecure, insider hackable machines, will be made to look like the corrupt fools they are. Some will mend their ways. Others will have to be fired. Massive AB voting will give us that clout--in the only venue (local/state) where ordinary people still have some influence.

The AB voting protest will not get us accurate vote counts this fall, but, if it's big enough, it may save the '08 primaries and general election from secret corporate vote counting. That's the goal. Force reform NOW.

It's a protest that has no downside. It will HELP turnout. To those disillusioned voters who say "it's all rigged," and don't want to vote, we say: But this is a PROTEST aimed at UN-rigging the system. No excuse not to vote. It's a great motivator. It's also a POSITIVE ACT of rebellion, rather than passive voting and hoping against hope for a good outcome.

AB votes are not particularly "safe"--but that's not the point. They are an ACT OF PROTEST against the rigged electronic system. A REFUSAL to cooperate with our own own oppression. We WON'T VOTE ON THEIR DIABOLICAL MACHINES!

THEN what are they going to do? We'll see.

I think this protest has great potential. It's easy. Everybody can do it. (Most states have some form of AB voting.) It's a maximum particpation protest. Americans NEED to protest--we're all so miserable and demoralized and outraged. Give people an ACTION that all can do!

Best: Hand-deliver your AB vote to the polling place on election day--or mail it registered/return receipt requested, or Fed Ex (to assure that it gets there). And fill it out carefully (to avoid disqualification). If you are able to, monitor the AB and other vote counting on election day. Demand to SEE the votes counted. Take pix. Document. And/or send a separate letter to registrar/sec of state, and to media, demanding transparent vote counting. If the AB vote is big enough (--and it IS getting big--it's up to 50% in Los Angeles), letters like these will help focus news stories. Why are so many voting by AB? Because they DON'T TRUST THE MACHINES!

[tblue]

10. I always vote absentee but do you believe

they count the paper ballots?

I have never yet voted on one of those stupid computers, but I have no idea whether they bother to count the absentee ballots either. I agree with you, we need to do something and it would be great if we were all on the same page. But can't they just rig the computers to spit out the tally they want, regardless of whether 50% (and that would be a LOT) of us voted on paper?

I'd like to be convinced.

[Peace Patriot]

21. I make no claims for the safety of AB votes. They're no more safe than

an optiscan vote, in many cases. But why vote on an optiscan machine, which means billions in profits, from our tax dollars, right into the pockets of rightwing Bushite corporations, who are using TRADE SECRET, PROPRIETARY programming code--code so secret that not even our Secretaries of State are permitted to review it--to "count" our votes?

The Absentee Ballot movement is a PROTEST. It's no guarantee of accurate vote counts this fall. (That is impossible.) But it IS a way to jumpstart reform. If nobody will vote on these election theft machines, this pressure will give the election reform movement the clout to demand a return to TRANSPARENT vote counting.

A massive AB voting protest will also INCREASE scrutiny of how AB votes are handled, and scrutiny of the whole system.

It's already getting big (it's up to 50% in Los Angeles--likely in response to the corrupt, Diebold shill head of Los Angeles elections, Connie McCormack). I think critical mass would be 40% to 50% nationwide (twice current nationwide rate), with spikes of 60% to 70% in some jurisdictions. And I don't think it will take much to double it. The governor of Maryland (a Repub) and the Colorado Dem Party have both called for Absentee Ballot voting--because of breakdowns and massive insecurity of the e-voting system. That's a big chunk of new AB votes right there.

And if EVERYONE who despises the Bush Junta votes AB, it's OVER for the election theft industry. They can't justify the great expense of these machines if 60% to 70% of the voters don't trust them and won't vote on them.

We've got a lot of problems in our election system--as in our nation as a whole--but we can't begin to solve any of them until we have restored TRANSPARENT vote counting. No secret code anywhere.

The AB voting protest is a way to get that essential first reform started.

And beware of the Diebold shills (many of them Dems, I'm sad to say), who assure you that optiscans are okay because they have a paper ballot (and never mention the central tabulators)--all of which are run on "trade secret" code). The optiscans are JUST AS INSECURE and HACKABLE as the touchscreens. The entire e-voting system is corrupt (paper trail or no paper trail).

Suggestions: Fill out your Absentee Ballot and its envelope very carefully (to avoid disqualification). Hand-deliver it to the polling place on election day (best), or mail it registered/return receipt requested, or Fed Ex (to insure it gets there). You might also want to photocopy it (so you can prove you voted--in case records are needed for challenges/recounts*). And if you want to do more: 1) Demand to observe AB vote handling and counting on election day (& take pix)--monitor all aspects of the election--make a pest of yourself--let them know they're being watched; 2) Write a letter to registrar/sec of state and media demanding TRANSPARENT vote counting (best system: paper ballots hand-counted at the precinct level, with results posted at the precinct level, or at the least, all ballots hand-counted and results posted locally before any electronics are involved).

-----

*(AB votes were very important to several election fraud studies in '04--which established a clear bias to Bush in e-voting vs. paper).

[me b zola]

11. Latin America maybe the only thing that saves us from global feudalism

Latin America desires aggression towards no one, do not have strong militaries, yet they are the ones standing up to Galiath to say no more--you cannot come here to take our natural resources, install your puppet governments, and use us as your tool any longer.

Thank you for your post, Peace Patriot. Y tambien, viva Evo Morales!




The time of the people has come

[go west young man]

15. Isn't is also fascinating how gas prices are dropping

right before the election? Even though Iran and Venezuela defied Bush at the U.N which would normally cause the opposite effect CNN and the other major news networks have been pointing out that prices are falling due to summer demand being over and the country recovering a year after Katrina. What a load of BS. Just rinse, wash, repeat, rinse ,wash, repeat.

[Wilms]

6. Thanks n/t

[Jcrowley]

12. More thoughts

Bush was completely outsmarted by Chavez at the U.N... Chavez was brilliant. His words achieved the precise goal he intended. By personally ridiculing, humiliating and hitting our president on the world stage, right between The Cross, Hugo Chavez has rendered any future attempt by our president to unseat him -- or assassinate him -- purely a personal vendetta.

By de-Christianizing our president, who has publicly stated many times that he believes he won both elections because it was God's Will that he be president and guide the world, Chavez painted our president as not only an anti-Christ but as the Great Demon himself. Millions upon millions of Christians around the world who daily await in fear the arrival of a well-dressed but serpent-tongued anti-Christ falsely claiming to be sent by God will lead the world to terrible destruction, now wonder if that person hasn't already arrived in the body of our president who has been caught repeatedly lying and has caused much pain and death. No doubt to counteract Chavez' stoning our president will probably make a spectacular public showing at a church this coming Sunday... perhaps with his Mom and Dad in attendance... and the Pastor, in his Sermon, will reassure our president that he continues to dwell in God's personal favor. No doubt Mr. Rove is already hard at work making all the arrangements as we speak...

Yes... Mr. Chavez was brilliant. His skillfully worded speech at the U.N. podium will make any future military move by our president and his VP against Venezuela appear driven solely by personal revenge and not by any false claims that "WMD", "terrorist haven" or "state-sponsored narcotic enterprise" justifies our country invading his. But although nothing will stop our president from spending more billions in his six-year covert attempt to undermind Chavez and acquire Venezuela's oil fields, the number of operatives now and later who will be assigned to our president's Plan V will be operating with two minds instead of one... their other mind will grow in doubt of the alleged threat our president claims Chavez and Venezuela pose to our national security... and we all know that just a single shred fo doubt can not only wreck but reverse the well made plans of mice...

[Cha]

24. Your post was

brilliant, thank you!

[1932]

13. Mark Twain -- right on!

100 years ago there was a very lively and smart debate about imperialism with Twain representing the side Chavez now represents. America needs a new Mark Twain. Clooney, are you listening?

[Jcrowley]

14. Definitely

What Chavez said that everyone seems to have missed is that THE PEOPLE SHOULD LEAD! Sorry, folks, but I think that is us.

We, you-Mr. Netherland, you-the man in agreement with Iran, you-Jim Fox and everybody that felt their spirits resonating to what Chavez said, we are the leaders. All we have to do is STAND UP AND SAY THAT WE ARE NOT PLAYING THIS GAME ANYMORE. We stop buying from the elitist nitwits. We stop patronizing their banks (which, based upon the articles in the International Currency Review is a darned good idea anyway). We don't let our children serve in their pointless wars. We buy from people who make products here in our country and employ us and our fellow citizens.

We begin to act like the intelligent, proud people that we are. We begin to organize not for revolution, but for non-participation. We withdraw from this screwed up system until it is in real pain. Walmart has lost 26 percent of their sales in the US and they are beginnning to get the big picture.

We stand up and say: "I won't vote for anyone who is getting millions in campaign contributions, because they are bought. I will vote for people who resemble and represent me and who remember what real work is." We stand up and say,"Get out of our schools, you illiterate boobs. Get out of our televisions with your destructive programs and ads for stuff that we don't need from companies that overpay their executives, befoul our air and water and refuse to pay for the health care required to repair the damages.

WE STAND UP TOGETHER. THAT'S ALL IT TAKES.

[eppur_se_muova]

17. Imagine ... a president who's actually read a book now and then ...

I suppose people sometimes send Bu**sh** books as gifts. I wonder how many have "...for Dummies" in the title?

[Jcrowley]

18. Here's an excellent interview with Chavez

IMF and World Bank
Articles and other resources on the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank

A Conversation with President Hugo Chavez

A Conversation with President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela
 
This interview was conducted in May 2003 by Mark Weisbrot.

North American Congress on Latin America (NACLA)

<snip>

M: Can you talk a bit more about what your government has accomplished?

H: WeÂve had 1,500 days in government, almost 4 years. LetÂs take the balance of that time.

In the health sector, we have dramatically reduced infant mortality. It was at 24 per 1,000 when I came to power, and it is now at 17 per thousand. We should put that into human terms and scale, because sometimes these numbers seem cold. Going from 24 to 17 means a 30% reduction, which translated into real numbers means that thousands of childrenÂs lives have been saved and they have survived, where previously they died just for being poor, or not having access to health services. Before, many expecting mothers did not go to the hospital, or their baby wasnÂt vaccinated after birth. We have greatly improved pre-natal care, and expanded the capability of hospitals. WeÂve carried through a successful immunization plan, in order to really get at the causes of mortality.

For the first time in Venezuelan history, a president has advanced massive child immunization campaigns against hepatitis B. WeÂve brought down the infection rate by 15%. WeÂve reduced school truancy, and school enrollment has gone up 30%ÂthatÂs 30% over what it was. With this increase, we have brought 90% of truant children into the school system. ItÂs a tremendous accomplishment. WeÂve built schools all over the place. WeÂve hired thousands of new teachers. WeÂve raised the teacher salaries to their highest levels ever.

WeÂve initiated the Bolivarian Schools program. We have one of the first Bolivarian high schools opening this afternoon. ItÂs in Amazonas state, where I traveled two and a half years ago. While there, I was approached by a group of teenage boys, who complained about the lack of money for their school. It was a dirty school without running water or clean bathrooms. Today, it is a beautiful school! IÂll update you on our progress up to today. WeÂve created hundreds of schools across the country. Schools that were operating at a third of their capacity, weÂve invested millions of bolivares into these schools; weÂve made them like new. School districts that used to serve only 3,000 kids now serve thousands more. WeÂve reduced school absenteeism from 10% in 1998 to 3% today. For the first time in Venezuelan history, anyone can be an athlete. I suffered my whole life from lack of access to baseballs and other sporting equipment. There was no equipment; there were no baseball diamonds. WeÂve redone all the sports facilities across the country. We have the most and the finest sports installations in all of Latin America. The focus of our investment is at the school level.

In the educational field, weÂve opened up nearly 3,000 Bolivarian schools, which represents about 10% of the total number of schools in the country, where children learn only after having breakfast first. Before these schools existed, kids would arrive at school without having eaten breakfast. ThereÂs not much you can learn on an empty stomach! Now they eat first and then go to classes. They have mini libraries in each classroom. They no longer have to work out of tiny individual desks, now they work at larger tables with more legroom and where they can spread out, and have some ownership of their personal space. They can pour out their creativity, receive medical attention, they have computer labs with internet access. They have theatres for dance, plays, music, sports activities. Later in the day they eat lunch there and have a snack at tea time, even if itÂs just a little juice and a pastry. Education is very important to me. I certainly care about the fiscal deficit, but I care about children even more.

More:
http://www.aidc.org.za/?q=book/print/114

[Peace Patriot]

19. WOW! Thank you for this post, JCrowley! I was unaware of this interview.

Can you just imagine having a president who talks like this--and acts on his convictions--from his PERSONAL experience of being poor (or from any experience)?

We used to have politicians like this. We only have a few today (people like Dennis Kucinich and John Conyers and John Edwards--REAL Democrats). And you have to be independently wealthy (or a major sell-out) to become president (or have buds at Diebold and ES&S). Can we even imagine a poor man or woman--a great leader, and a person of compassion--being fairly and squarely elected president of the U.S.?

It makes you weep (which is good)--and more DETERMINED than ever to overcome this fascist/corporate junta! I think this is why the Bushites and the Corporate News Monopolies hate Chavez. It's more than their greed for Venezeula's oil. It's what Chavez and his government are using the oil revenues FOR. The example! They can't let us find out that somebody is doing it right!

[earth mom]

16. My hope is that Chavez opened some eyes with his speech.

I haven't read the Chomsky book, but I think it's now #1. :woohoo:

Chavez's speech is exactly what this country needs right now in the worst way! Because it's not being said anywhere by the media save a few publications like Vanity Fair and Rolling Stone. That some people have criticized Chavez here on DU only serves to prove all the more that it needed to be said and I'm not referring to the Devil comment, but rather Chavez's entire speech. Now the idiot clowns are smearing him as they do with anyone who speaks any kind of truth about them. Their m.o. is to completely destroy.

Look no further than this: Where's Mike Malloy, hmm? :grr:

[Vidar]

20. Chavez is magnificent.

[Beacho]

22. Holy crap

Hugo Chavez knows more about U.S. history then the Chimperor

He has a great point about the names he's been called by BushCo and their cohorts.

people seem to forget that he was ELECTED to the office he holds, unlike Chimpy McFlightsuits buddies in Saudi Arabia.