Hugo Chavez bravely advances the cause of political freedom by restricting the use of his likeness

[Renew Deal]

Venezuela's government has banned the use of President Hugo Chavez's image for propaganda purposes without direct and prior permission from the leader.

The use of Mr Chavez's image on public buildings was also outlawed under the new decree.
<snip>

But now the Venezuelan government wants to take back some control of the president's image.

It has banned the use of the "name, image or figure" of Hugo Chavez on "infrastructure projects, constructions, educational establishments or public buildings of any kind" unless express permission of the president has been granted.
<snip>

The reason given for the law is that the president's image "should be employed under controls which permit his identification as such, in the honourable role of first leader".
<snip>

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-11818451

Hugo Chavez is a man of freedom and democracy. That's why it's important that his "image" is not recreated without permission.

[Billy Burnett]

1. That's too bad.

An image like this can be so useful ...



... for Venezuelan tea party rallies.

[leveymg]

2. Maybe, he doesn't want to become another Ronald W. Reagan.

BUILDINGS, STRUCTURES AND OTHER SHIT NAMED AFTER REAGAN:

Ronald Reagan Memorial Datatable
Ronald Reagan Memorial Datatable Buildings and Structures Roads and Highways Others
Ronald Reagan Presidential Library Ronald Reagan Expressway (IN)

USS Ronald Reagan
2 Ronald Reagan Federal Courthouses (CA) (PA) Ronald Reagan Turnpike (FL) Planet Ronald Reagan
4 Ronald Reagan High Schools (FL) (NC) (TX) (WI) 8 Ronald Reagan Highways/Freeways Ronald Reagan Memorial Governorship of California
Ronald Reagan Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm-Flailing Tube Man Emporium 2 Ronald Reagan Avenues (FL) (TX) Ronald Reagan Island
Ronald Reagan Adult Outlet Ronald Reagan Road (AZ) (TX) Ronald Reagan Cola
Washington National Airport (often mislabelled Ronald Reagan International Drug Importation Hub) Ronald Reagan Bridge (IN) The Mississippi River is now the Mississippi Reagan
Ronald Reagan Memorial House of Representatives 5 Ronald Reagan Parkways Ronald Reagan Harbour and Ronald Reagan Shipyard, Pago Pago (or just "Pago"), American Samoa

Since Reagan's death his most devoted groupie, Rover Nerdquest, has lobbied to name the universe after Reagan. In 2010, Alabama and Delaware are scheduled to be the first of the 50 states to be renamed "Ronald Reagan". If it was built after 1994, it's probably named after him. The only person who has more things named after him is Robert Byrd

[Billy Burnett]

4. Florida's Turnpike was renamed the Ronald Reagan Turnpike

[leveymg]

5. They should rename that the Hugo Chavez Tpke, and run it right through Little Havana.

Urban renewal, eminent domain, Godzilla in Tokyo, you know, all that good stuff. B-) :evilgrin: B-)

[Billy Burnett]

11. LOL

Good one. :thumbsup:

[EFerrari]

15. LOL

:rofl:

[David__77]

3. The problem is that local officials foster a personality cult.

And this measure would seem to aimed against that. I don't understand the snark.

[Billy Burnett]

6. snark? In a Hugo Chavez thread?

Snark is a big reason why I browse Chavez threads.
That and the kick ass posts Peace Patriot adds to them :thumbsup:

:hi:

[Greyhound]

7. Because President Chavez is a Socialist, Communist dictator, don'tcha know. n/t

:eyes:

[Igel]

13. Control.

Even Chavez' image is subject to both control and message control. Mustn't let the public image plastered everywhere be coopted for unapproved ends, which is to say, ends that don't advance Chavez' agenda--which, by definition, is progressive and in the public interest.

I think I remember a Vladimir Voinovich story in which the image of Stalin was used by a local group in ways that local party officials suddenly realized the upper echelons of the party might frown upon. Then it became, as most of Voinovich's stuff inevitably was, farce. (Could it have been in Chonkin? Pretender to the Throne?) To use the image in the way described might get them executed or sent off to the GULag. To destroy the image or repurpose might have the same result. And everybody had to mumble and hint their way around the issue.

Then there was the definitely Voinovich story that had a statue of Stalin erected with all the local Party officials terrified to realize that they had erected a statue of Stalin that would be drenched in pigeon shit on a regular basis. Would this get them executed--not that such a thing was possible. So without being able to discuss why they were suddenly afraid they all, IIRC, decided to have an umbrella there to protect his sacred image.

I find such things horribly amusing. Oddly, most of the people around me never do. (Of course, I also find *that* horribly amusing.)

[Peregrine]

8. He is working on becoming Mohammed

Soon it will be illegal to use his image because he will be the prophet Hugo.

[Billy Burnett]

9. Shouldn't that be Profit Hugo?

If you're going to bash Hugito, then you might as well go all out. ;)

[fascisthunter]

10. Pathetic and Infantile....

can't find anything to smear him with, so lets throw shit at a wall and see what sticks. The lengths the anti-chavez crowd go to smear him because he's socialist is pretty goofey and transparent. Reminds me of right wing smears against certain democrats....

[Renew Deal]

12. So you're saying that he didn't outlaw the use of his likeness as described?

Is it made up?

[EFerrari]

14. I know. It's hilarious.

lol

[naaman fletcher]

16. you are right

they are lying, this story isn't true

[Judi Lynn]

17. Another day the idiot class had to scrape the bottom of the barrel for vicious smears.

Had to fall back on something truly lame. One almost feels embarrassed for people who have so little of value in their "lives" that rising daily to find a new hot smear against a leftist is something they enjoy.

http://www.drawing-faces-and-caricatures-made-easy.com.nyud.net:8090/images/Elvis_Presley-mirror-image.jpg

Can't help falling in sneer with you, signed, Elvis.

http://stonezone.com.nyud.net:8090/images/biden_sneer.jpg http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk.nyud.net:8090/media/images/40934000/jpg/_40934679_idol_203b.jpg

[Peace Patriot]

18. I don't call them the BBCons for nothing. They are as bad as the Miami Hairball on...

...the subject of the Latin American Left.

-------

"However, dozens of pro-Chavez graffiti groups - many of them government-sponsored - are unlikely to stop painting pictures of the man they call 'Comandante'"--the BBCon (end of the article)

They had to get that word in there. Their corpo-fascist bosses said write to that word, and they did. Fucking twisted the whole story around to make it SEEM "dictatorial" that the "Comandante" DOESN'T WANT to be used or perceived that way!

And get this twisting twist: "While opposition leaders have long criticised what they see as the expropriation of public spaces using pro-Chavez murals in Caracas and other cities, this step is unlikely to have been taken in order to placate them."

"...unlikely to have been..."???! What kind of fucking reporting is that? Did they ask Chavez or anybody in his government if they were, in fact, responding to such criticism? Did they ask opposition leaders what they thought of the government trying to REDUCE "Chavez worship" and to REMOVE his image from public buildings? No! They SURMISE what the motive wasn't, in their own opinion.

Like the New York Slimes, this once-respected news source has just turned to shit, on Latin American topics. This is shit writing--merely LOOKING FOR an angle with which to slander, demean and demonize Chavez AGAIN.

[Billy Burnett]

19. The RWers here don't cotton to details - like actual quotations.

NYSlimes should put Judith Miller on the Latin America desk, just to be Fair and Balanced™.