Just out of curiosity... what do you guys think of Hugo Chavez and Venezuela?

[phatj]

He is VERY left.... beefing up Venezuela's military big-time... claims to have Venezuela's/latin america's best interest in mind....

What do you guys think of this man? Seems he's becoming increasingly powerful...

is he just trying to do what's best for the poor people of Venezuela?

 

[Strk]

He is just trying to sound tough. His power still resides in oil though and that's it. It is disturbing how much he is cuddling up with fairly unsavory people/countries. Let's hope he leaves office when he is supposed to.

 

[trance247]

Right up there with North Korea's own resident lunatic, not a war monger as much but defintely anti-american...but it's cool to be anti-american these days i guess

 

[BaliBabyDoc]

1) Won two elections albeit a little sketchiness involved.

2) Militaristic with a very "with us or against us" attitude.

3) Not a total tyrant but questionable behavior when it comes to domestic civil liberties.

4) Believes he has broad international support and tries to spread his POV despite the fact not many really share his views.

5) Legislature gives rubber stamps a bad name.

6) Opposition party largely MIA . . .

Wait . . . who are we talking about?

 

[MiniDoom]

Originally posted by: BaliBabyDoc
1) Won two elections albeit a little sketchiness involved.

2) Militaristic with a very "with us or against us" attitude.

3) Not a total tyrant but questionable behavior when it comes to domestic civil liberties.

4) Believes he has broad international support and tries to spread his POV despite the fact not many really share his views.

5) Legislature gives rubber stamps a bad name.

6) Opposition party largely MIA . . .

Wait . . . who are we talking about?

two sides of the same coin.

 

[Jaskalas]

Originally posted by: phatj
He is VERY left.... beefing up Venezuela's military big-time... claims to have Venezuela's/latin america's best interest in mind....

What do you guys think of this man? Seems he's becoming increasingly powerful...

is he just trying to do what's best for the poor people of Venezuela?

North Korea believes it did what is best for its people by building nuclear bombs. So perhaps Chavez is going to provoke us by taking the same actions as his good friends.

This would explain his constant harping about how we?re invading when we don?t really have any reason to do so - yet.

 

[Aimster]

isnt venezuela a democracy? Chavez was elected to power, no?

 

[jpeyton]

Originally posted by: BaliBabyDoc
1) Won two elections albeit a little sketchiness involved.

2) Militaristic with a very "with us or against us" attitude.

3) Not a total tyrant but questionable behavior when it comes to domestic civil liberties.

4) Believes he has broad international support and tries to spread his POV despite the fact not many really share his views.

5) Legislature gives rubber stamps a bad name.

6) Opposition party largely MIA . . .

Wait . . . who are we talking about?

:laugh: That post is gold!

 

[lozina]

America has treated Latin America like it's own backyard and tries to dictate what goes on there for a long time now. So when resentment builds up and leaders emerge who now have anti-American sentiment people here with short memories wonder why they would hate us and just dismiss them as lunatics or maybe even terrorists.

 

[Jaskalas]

Originally posted by: lozina
America has treated Latin America like it's own backyard and tries to dictate what goes on there for a long time now. So when resentment builds up and leaders emerge who now have anti-American sentiment people here with short memories wonder why they would hate us and just dismiss them as lunatics or maybe even terrorists.

It?s not that he is anti-American, there?s enough of that here and in Europe to go around.

The problem I see with him is he has made friends with Iran and North Korea, essentially joining into that alliance.

My prediction is that IF Iran announces that they have nuclear weapons, Venezuela will be next in line to obtain them.

 

[jpeyton]

Originally posted by: Jaskalas

Originally posted by: lozina
America has treated Latin America like it's own backyard and tries to dictate what goes on there for a long time now. So when resentment builds up and leaders emerge who now have anti-American sentiment people here with short memories wonder why they would hate us and just dismiss them as lunatics or maybe even terrorists.

It?s not that he is anti-American, there?s enough of that here and in Europe to go around.

The problem I see with him is he has made friends with Iran and North Korea, essentially joining into that alliance.

How is that surprising? Haven't you heard the saying "the enemies of my enemies are my friends"?

That plus the fact that making friends with Iran is probably the underlying goal for many developed countries around the globe. Energy runs commerce, and Iran has immeasurable wealth in oil and natural gas.

 

[Polish3d]

I don't think Venezuala wants to make friends with Iran for energy purposes

 

[Albatross]

Originally posted by: lozina
America has treated Latin America like it's own backyard and tries to dictate what goes on there for a long time now. So when resentment builds up and leaders emerge who now have anti-American sentiment people here with short memories wonder why they would hate us and just dismiss them as lunatics or maybe even terrorists.

what prevents Latin America treating US like it`s own back yard?

 

[Genx87]

He is trying to rally the worlds last dictators together for a reunion tour.

Him, Castro, and Kim Jong are the 3 stoodges of socialism.

 

[yllus]

He's doing horrible things to the political system in Venezuela and will no doubt not be leaving office for at least ten years' time. He's a dictator in all but name already.

That said, there's extremely little that the U.S. or any agency of the West can do to stop him - there's too much bad blood between the U.S. and South America from the past. The worst possible scenario has China becoming fast friends with a united South American socialist state, but that probably won't happen either. Chavez knows better than to play politics above his level.

 

[GrGr]

Originally posted by: jpeyton

Originally posted by: BaliBabyDoc
1) Won two elections albeit a little sketchiness involved.

2) Militaristic with a very "with us or against us" attitude.

3) Not a total tyrant but questionable behavior when it comes to domestic civil liberties.

4) Believes he has broad international support and tries to spread his POV despite the fact not many really share his views.

5) Legislature gives rubber stamps a bad name.

6) Opposition party largely MIA . . .

Wait . . . who are we talking about?

:laugh: That post is gold!

Except that he enjoys broad support from the common people and it is the rich elite (the "opposition") that are screaming bloody murder.

 

[Fern]

is Venezuela a force to be reckoned with?

Are you kidding? No, its not a "force".

 

[Strk]

Originally posted by: Genx87
He is trying to rally the worlds last dictators together for a reunion tour.

Him, Castro, and Kim Jong are the 3 stoodges of socialism.

Would the guy in Belarus be Shemp?

 

[BaliBabyDoc]

Originally posted by: GrGr

Originally posted by: jpeyton

Originally posted by: BaliBabyDoc
1) Won two elections albeit a little sketchiness involved.

2) Militaristic with a very "with us or against us" attitude.

3) Not a total tyrant but questionable behavior when it comes to domestic civil liberties.

4) Believes he has broad international support and tries to spread his POV despite the fact not many really share his views.

5) Legislature gives rubber stamps a bad name.

6) Opposition party largely MIA . . .

Wait . . . who are we talking about?

:laugh: That post is gold!

Except that he enjoys broad support from the common people and it is the rich elite (the "opposition") that are screaming bloody murder.

Eh, the double entendre falls apart if I include that one.

Chavez has broad support amongst the common people for the same reason Castro does . . . if the guy before you sux . . . it's a low bar to be loved. As with Cuba, the rich elites in Venezuela have themselves to thank. You can only kick around the little people for so long.

 

[irwincur]

How is that surprising? Haven't you heard the saying "the enemies of my enemies are my friends"?

It really does not make much sense to treat your best customer as your worst enemy.

The guy is stupid.

He cemented power when he removed the opposition and basically forced the legislature into voting for his new consititution - which essntially removed all power from the legislature. So believe what you will, but comparing his actions to those of GW is foolish - he is a real threat. I guess the only good news is that when he essentially removed the military he made a lot of enemies within the nation and within their old professional military.

Not long before he gets knocked off in my opinion.

 

[Colt45]

Originally posted by: jpeyton

Haven't you heard the saying "the enemies of my enemies are my friends"?

Thats US official policy isn't it?

 

[BaliBabyDoc]

Originally posted by: Colt45

Originally posted by: jpeyton

Haven't you heard the saying "the enemies of my enemies are my friends"?

Thats US official policy isn't it?

Stupidity has been our official policy since late Jan 2001 . . .