Ted Rall calls the success of Hugo Chavez a danger!

[JanMichael]

His latest attack on Chavez...

It ends with "No wonder Chávez has to go."

That bastard:evilgrin:


Oh the horror of decent housing, healthcare and education, for the masses!

[asthmaticeog]

1. Pretty useless without a link, wouldn't you say?

[JanMichael]

2. Try again. I used "list:" instead of "link:"

Thanks for noticing.

[asthmaticeog]

5. Thanks for the fix, the article's great!

Rall's a crank, but he's a righteous crank, and he's very rarely wrong.

[LynnTheDem]

3. decent housing, healthcare and education for the masses is BAD!

Why, that would be a breeding ground for terrorists!

:scared:

[acmavm]

4. You won't see any articles that accuse the bush** administration of the

same tactics. Rest assured.

[acmejack]

6. KnR

[KG]

7. how long before one of the more clueless DUers comes along to

remind us Chavez is actually a commie dictator?

wassup mikey?

[JanMichael]

13. Nothing much around here.

Kinda dull really.

How's the life in st. Pete going? Didn't you get hitched a while back?

[KG]

22. living large.

shacking up with a hot blonde. we got a house with a pool. getting tan. life is good lately.

[Judi Lynn]

8. Now THAT'S a Chavez article! Rall is helpful pointing out the

perpetual smear campaign conducted under the guise of "journalism" against Chavez:

Loaded language unworthy of a junior high school newspaper is the norm in coverage of the Venezuelan president. "Chavez insists his government is democratic and accuses Washington of conspiring against him," the San Jose Mercury-News wrote on April 3rd. Why the "insists"? No international observer doubts that Venezuela, where the man who won the election gets to be president, is at least as democratic as the United States. The 2002 coup plotters gathered beforehand at the White House. Surely the Merc could grant Chávez's "accusation" as fact. The paper continued: "He says the United States was behind a short-lived 2002 coup, an allegation that U.S. officials reject." He also happens to be right, though it's hard to tell by reading that sentence.
(snip)

Truly pathetic, isn't it?

No respect for their audience whatsoever. Apparently they feel they get to choose whether or not we deserve to know the truth. Monsters.

[Peace Patriot]

9. This is what American journalism should look like!

This is a wonderful article! Email it to your lists! Post it everywhere!

"The Danger of Hugo Chávez's Successful Socialism

"NEW YORK--When the hated despots of nations like Saudi Arabia and Kazakhstan loot their countries' treasuries, transfer their oil wealth to personal Swiss bank accounts and use the rest to finance (in the House of Saud's case) terrorist extremists, American politicians praise them as trusted friends and allies. But when a democratically elected populist president uses Venezuela's oil profits to lift poor people out of poverty, they accuse him of pandering.

"As the United States and Europe continue their shift toward a Darwinomic model where rapacious corporations accrue bigger and bigger profits while workers become poorer and poorer, the socialist economic model espoused by President Hugo Chávez has become wildly popular among Latin Americans tired of watching corrupt right-wing leaders enrich themselves at their expense. Left-of-center governments have recently won power in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay.* Chávez's uncompromising rhetoric matches his politics, but what's really driving the American government and its corporate masters crazy is that he has the cash to back it up.

"In their desperate frenzy to destroy Chávez, state-controlled media is resorting to some of the most transparently and hilariously hypocritical talking points ever. In the April 4th New York Times Juan Forero repeated the trope that Chávez's use of oil revenues is unfair--even cheating somehow: "With Venezuela's oil revenues rising 32 percent last year," the paper exclaimed, "Mr. Chávez has been subsidizing samba parades in Brazil, eye surgery for poor Mexicans and even heating fuel for poor families from Maine to the Bronx to Philadelphia. By some estimates, the spending now surpasses the nearly $2 billion Washington allocates to pay for development programs and the drug war in western South America." (MORE)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ucru/20060406/cm_ucru/panderingtothepoor;_ylt=AqP4MTJnYL1o_RK0MXZd1hD9wxIF;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--

------------------------

Do read the whole, marvelous piece! And just imagine that it's the New York Times or the Washington Post advocating for the use of oil revenues to help the poor, and praising democracy and majority rule. Imagine what a free press--free of corporate shills and warmongers, and acting in its proper role as the adversary of the powerful--would say about the Bush junta and its hatred of Hugo Chavez.

And then, imagine what a real president and a real government--of, by and for the people--looks like.

------------------------

*(He left out Bolivia, which just elected its first indigenous Indian as president, Evo Morales, who said, of the peaceful, democratic, leftist revolution that has swept Latin America: "The time of the people has come.")

[Peace Patriot]

10. JanMichael, you need to put a "sarcasm" ikon in your OP.

Your comments make it sound like Rall is attacking Chavez. He is most certainly not doing so. This is a great article!

[Greyhound]

27. Agreed. I thought the same and assumed a comprehension on the OP's part.nt

[1932]

11. I like this part:

...

Heavens be! A rich country using its wealth to spread influence abroad! What God would permit such an abomination? Notice, by the way, that the United States funds "development programs." Oh, and it's a "drug war"--not a bombing campaign against leftist insurgents who oppose South America's few remaining pro-U.S. right-wing regimes.

Quoted by the Times--which editorialized in favor of and ran flattering profiles of the right-wing oligarchs who attempted to overthrow Chávez in a 2002 coup attempt--is "critic" John Negroponte, whose day job happens to be as Bush's Director of National Intelligence. Negroponte complained that Chávez is "spending considerable sums involving himself in the political and economic life of other countries in Latin America and elsewhere, this despite the very real economic development and social needs of his own country."

Pot, kettle, please discuss the $1 billion a week we're wasting on Iraq while people die for lack of medical care and schools fall apart right here in America. Maybe Chávez should have found a better use for the money he spent on Rio's Carnival parade. On the other hand, at least it didn't go to bombs and torture camps.

Televangelist Pat Robertson's 2005 call to assassinate Chávez was criticized only mildly by establishment media, and primarily on the basis that murdering heads of state violates a U.S. law. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice accuses Chávez of a "Latin brand of populism that has taken countries down the drain." Which ones? Certainly not Venezuela itself, where a double-digit- GDP boom leads the region and new houses, $10 billion per year is banked for future anti-poverty programs and schools are sprouting like weeds.

...

[Neil Lisst]

12. The article supports Chavez and his charitable actions.

The topic heading is misleading. Rall is hardly agreeing with the administration on these points, he's pointing out the success of them, and the threat the administration perceives by them.

Great article, though.

[JanMichael]

14. Psst. I know.

I thought the evil grin and comment about healthcare housing and education would make the sarcasm obvious.

[Peace Patriot]

16. No, it was NOT obvious. I almost did NOT read the article, figuring

it was another US war profiteering corporate news monopoly hit piece on Chavez. (I don't know Rall's work.) This is a must-read for DUers and for anyone who wants to know the truth about Venezuela, and it may get buried because of the way you framed it. I suggest a new OP. "Ted Rall rips Bush, corporate media, on Chavez." Something like that.

[Neil Lisst]

19. I read it because it sounded uncharacteristic of Rall.

I'm not big on sarcasm in topic titles because it is too often misleading.

[Neil Lisst]

18. I was trying to make it clear to those who read the subject lines.

I suppose the evil grin has currency among those who use it.

[1932]

20. fwiw, i was confused too

[Neil Lisst]

36. When I saw Rall's name, I could not believe it was as stated ...

So naturally, I checked it out.

That grinning "devil" was a symbol entirely lost on me. Someone had suggested adding a sarcasm note, but none was added or noted, so I concluded none was intended.

That's one more reason I hate any smilie that isn't smiling. Too obtuse.

[Cleita]

15. He's right. Chavez is a danger to corporate America.

Bobby Kennedy and Mike Pappantonio on "Ring of Fire" yesterday compared today's White House's attitudes towards Chavez as similar to Richard Nixon's attitude towards Salvadore Allende of Chile. This of course resulted in our government being instrumental in Allende's assassination and the installation of one of the more brutal dicators of the latter part of the last century, Augusto Pinnochet.

Bobby and Mike said it was due to the corporations having unprecedented influence on both Presidents as advisors. They believe that Bush might try to pull another coup against Chavez because of this.

[converted_democrat]

17. You're absolutely right about the corporate angle, but he's a "threat"

to our form of government/capitalist society too.. The last thing the powers that be want is a good working model of socialism in our backyard.. People round here might start seeing just how badly they're being screwed, and demand a better deal..


Edited for my grammar issues..

[Cleita]

21. It can't happen soon enough IMHO.

The trouble with the USA is that we have used up most of our natural resources already that could be used to do this. So unfortunately we have to rely on capitalism to generate wealth.

However, there is nothing to stop us from taxing the corporations for the privilege of doing business here. We also need to tighten regulations on them so that they stay out of our government.

In light of current events, I propose an ammendment separating commerce and government, just like we have a separation of church and state. The only difference would be that while religions have tax exempt status, corporations would have to pay a tax to the government, a percentage of their gross income, like a sales tax, to be able to operate in this country.

[Peace Patriot]

26. Well, they'll have to contend with Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay,

Bolivia, Paraguay, Ecuador and (when Humala wins the election this week) Peru--and their aroused populations, which have swept leftists into power all over South America--if they dare to touch another South American leader.

The times they are a-changin'!

In Chile, they just elected their first woman president, Michele Batchelet, who was tortured by Pinochet! Lula da Silva, president of Brazil, is not taking any crap from the corporatists (he led the third world revolt at the WTO meeting in Cancun). And Bolivia threw Bechtel out of their country (for privatizing the water and jacking up prices to the poor), then elected Evo Morales, to whom Hugo Chavez presented the sword of Simon Bolivar! (--the revolutionary leader and freer of the slaves, whom Bolivia is named after).

We will see the U.S. completely isolated in the western hemisphere--and probably in the world--if they harm Chavez. He was elected. Bush was not. And everybody in the world knows it, except the disinformed people of the U.S. (and many of them suspect it).

The Bush junta tried a coup against Chavez in 2002. This is 2006, tens of thousands of Iraqi deaths, and numerous torturings, later. It's a different world. And the South Americans are NOT. TAKING. IT. ANY. MORE.

[Cleita]

28. Yes, it will be in their interests for those countries to form

a coalition just in case. Hopefully, saner minds in the WH will prevail if President Coo Coo Bananas decides on military action in Venezuela.

[happydreams]

39. Interesting analogy. Chavez is in a much stronger

position politically than Allende was. The US could not overthrow Chavez at this point but could bomb its industrial centers causing havoc.

[ronnie624]

23. What a refreshingly honest piece of reportage

regarding Venezuela and Hugo Chavez. Thanks for the link.

[screembloodymurder]

24. These capitalistic pigs

have got to go.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

25. Dangerous ideas from both Rall and Chavez.

They might give other poor people similar ideas about the distribution of wealth. I certainly hope so.

[Cleita]

32. Yes, like the unemployed here in America whose jobs

have all emigrated overseas.

[Peace Patriot]

29. Latin America is showing us what democracy is all about--peaceful change!

And this is all the more remarkable, given the horrors that the U.S. government, in collusion with Latin American fascists, has inflicted on the people of Central and South America.

Beautiful irony, it seems to me.

And one of the main keys to it has been TRANSPARENT elections--the result of a lot of hard work by the OAS, EU election monitoring groups, the Carter Center, and local activists.

The U.S., birthplace of modern democracy, home of the Declaration of Independence, at one time the most progressive country on earth, is in deep, deep trouble; has, indeed, suffered a fascist coup itself--at the hands of Bushite-controlled electronic voting corporations, using 'TRADE SECRET,' PROPRIETARY programming code in the new "election" system designed by the biggest crooks in Congress (Tom Delay and Bob Ney, and their $4 billion "Hack America's Vote Act" boondoggle).

WE are the ones needing liberation now! WE are the ones who need to overthrow torturers and mass murderers.

And, unless you want to see a bloody revolution here--WE MUST FIND OUR WAY BACK TO PEACEFUL CHANGE, the essence of democracy, TRANSPARENT elections.

It's happening throughout Latin America. It can happen here, too. It's not going to be easy, but it CAN be done. The Latin Americans are PROVING that!

-----------------------------

SOME RESOURCES FOR AMERICAN REVOLUTION II:

Hopeful signs - latest news:

California voters sue the state over Diebold:
www.VoterAction.org--just announced--is suing the state of California and 18 Calif county registrars on behalf of 25 California voter/plaintiffs, on the illegal Diebold "certification" by Schwarzenegger appointee Bruce McPherson.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2180496

Maryland rejects Diebold:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x418263

Florida - anti-trust accusations against Diebold, ES&S and Sequoia, re: heroic Florida election official Ion Sancho:
(FLA AG subpoenas the companies)
http://www.computerworld.com/governmenttopics/government/legalissues/story/0,10801,110192,00.html
http://www.tbo.com/news/politics/MGBKSY8W8LE.html
(info & discussion)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2183630

Utah county clerk fights back!
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x419226

-----

More resources for American Revolution II:

www.votersunite.org (MythBreakers - easy primer on electronic voting--one of the myths is that HAVA requires electronic voting; it does not.)
www.UScountvotes.org (statistical monitoring of '06 and '08 elections--they need donations)

(Activist sites with links to state activist groups or info)
www.votetrustusa.org (news of this great movement from around the country)
www.votersunited.org (good general info, and state links)
www.verifiedvoting.org (great activist site)
www.solarbus.org/election/index.shtml (fab compendium of all election info)

www.freepress.org (devoted to election reform)
www.bradblog.com (also great, and devoted to election reform)
www.TruthIsAll.net (analysis of the 2004 election)* :patriot: :applause: :patriot:
www.votepa.us (well-organized local group of citizen activists in Pennsylvania, where important legal issues are at stake, including state's rights over election systems)

The Voter Confidence Resolution
http://tinyurl.com/rlnr2 (“We Do Not Consent”)
http://guvwurld.blogspot.com (GuvWurld blog main page)
http://tinyurl.com/amryg (Voter Confidence Resolution

www.debrabowen.com (Calif Senator running for Sec of State to reform election system)
www.johnbonifaz.com (running for Massachusetts Sec of State on strong election reform and antiwar platform)

*Some tributes to TruthIsAll, who is very ill:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x417007
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x417231
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x675477

Congressional bills:

Russ Holt's HR 550 requires a real paper ballot, bans secret software in "voting machines", and has more than 170 co-sponsors, but the audit required is too weak, it promotes electronic voting and centralized power, and the secret software might be permitted to continue in the central tabulators (the bill is not clear). Pretty good; needs amendments. To sign the HR 550 petition: http://www.rushholt.com/petition.html
**Discussion of the dangers in HR 550 or any bill by the current Congress:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x421136
(Note: Senate Bill-SB 330 and House-HR704 simply require a "voter verified paper audit trail" (VVPAT), which may be best for the moment.)


Also of interest:

Bob Koehler (-- four recent election reform initiatives in Ohio, predicted to win by 60/40 votes, flipped over, on election day, into 60/40 LOSSES!--the biggest flipover we've seen yet; the election theft machines and their masters are now dictating election policy!)
www.tmsfeatures.com/tmsfeatures/subcategory.jsp?file=20051124ctnbk-a.txt&catid=1824&code=ctnbk

Bob Koehler's latest: "Take this box and stuff it" (3/16/06)
http://commonwonders.com/archives/col337.htm

Amaryllis (Diebold, ES&S, Sequoia lavish lobbying of election officials - Beverly Hilton, Aug. '05)
www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x380340

------------------------------------------------

Throw Diebold, ES&S and ALL election theft machines into 'Boston Harbor' NOW!

:think: :patriot: :woohoo: :patriot: :think:

-----------

"That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it." --Thomas Jefferson, The Declaration of Independence

"The time of the people has come." --Evo Morales

[Peace Patriot]

30. The best site I've found on developments in Latin America:

www.venezuelanalysis.com

[Gabi Hayes]

33. EXCELLENT SITE

The Op-Ed Assassination of Hugo Chávez
http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/articles.php?artno=1670

[killbotfactory]

45. Nice article and pic...

It's virtually impossible to find a non-biased article about Chavez in our press. 9 out of 10 times they throw in something like "who claims he's not a dictator". One time Nightline had an interview with him, which they prefaced as "He's not exactly a dictator...". It gets annoying.

[Joe Chi Minh]

48. When a national leader is under siege by very powerful and

totally unscrupulous enemies of the nation, domestic and foreign, together with its democracy, that leader is constrained by those enemies to assume much tighter personal control of the country. Not because he is under threat by his own people in a democratic election, but precisely the contrary. Get real, right-wing nut jobs!

[LoZoccolo]

31. I bet he's criticized Bush* before too!

Oh the horror of freedom and elections for the Iraqis, and not leaving children behind!

_{NOTE: This post is sarcastic.}

[bleedingheart]

34. I only hope that Mexico elects a Chavez ....because that would

pehaps actually address the real problem of immigration...the fact that the well heeled elite in Mexico don't give a shit about the poor.

[Zhade]

35. Wow, Ted Rall's lying about Chavez?

Well, there goes the last bit of respect I had for the guy.

[1932]

40. He supports Chavez. Read the article.

[IChing]

37. Ted Rall's new cartoon condoning ....bestiality

[SeaBob]

38. Ted Rall

I just read the contents of the link you posted. I think you are mistaken in saying T.R. is attacking hugo Chavez. It sounded to me as though he rather admired H. C for trying to get his people out of poverty. And that he was critical of those people who wanted to bring him down. I think your taking his final quote out of context
Perhaps you should re-read the item you posted

[JanMichael]

42. Oh for gawd's sake I was being snarky!

Hell I even alerted to the mods to add "SARCASM" in the subject line after the edit period ran out because SO many people got confused (And did they help? NO). I figured that the "evilgrin" and housing, healthcare and education for the masses would clue people in that I was KIDDING!

But alas no, I was mistaken and this is the umteenth time somebody has accused me of not getting the article...Hell I'm a fuckin' Socialist myself and LOVE Hugo Chavez so the irony is rich (No pun intended).

Oy vey...

[rman]

41. the threat of the good example, it's neocons' worst nightmare. nt

[slipslidingaway]

43. K&R! Thanks n/t

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

44. Please note the rather ironic click-on ad at the beginning of it

Lowermybills.com

Sheesh.... :rofl:

[Judi Lynn]

46. Kick!

:kick: :kick: :kick:

[malaise]

47. Ted should examine

the home front. Very good article. Thesuccess of the French youth will inspire others to stand up for their social rights.

Edit - add.

[spinbaby]

49. A kick for a great article

:kick: