Venezuela's Hugo Chavez

Montag · Post by **Montag** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 2:20 pm

What do you think of Hugo Chavez? I threw out the Eduardo hook, because I really want his opinion on this. I think Chavez nuts and is causing a lot grief for the region. Venezuela's certainly has had and still has corruption, but I dont think this "benevolent" dictator is the answer.

LawBeefaroni · Post by **LawBeefaroni** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 2:26 pm

I'm sorry, I really don't have much to add but if you're looking for EdX just say, "The nation of Comumbia."

Mr. Fed · Post by **Mr. Fed** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 2:28 pm

He's got Halloween on the run.

docvego · Post by **docvego** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 2:39 pm

My Mom's sister's best friend's cousin's 3rd wife's gardener said they have WMDs!

Rip · Post by **Rip** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 2:52 pm

docvego wrote:My Mom's sister's best friend's cousin's 3rd wife's gardener said they have WMDs!

My wife says you should send me down to see. Back in school I always found Venezuela on the globe in geography. I also had a year of Spanish!

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 3:58 pm

He always reminds me of the whack job dictator in woody allen's "Bananas".

"Everyone under the age of 17 is NOW 17!"

"All underwear shall be worn on the OUTSIDE of clothes!"

jblank · Post by **jblank** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 4:16 pm

Yeah, he's a loon, but he did help us out right after Katrina, so I give him props for that.

Kiam · Post by **Kiam** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 4:56 pm

Precarity is a beautiful thing...

Montag · Post by **Montag** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 7:44 am

I wanted to resurrect this poll and see how people's opinions have changed. I think I voted mostly harmless. Now I would struggle between whack job or new axis of evil. I would likely go with whack job.

I hope that some Venezuelan paratrooper decides to try to save the nation and have a coup real soon.

The Mad Hatter · Post by **The Mad Hatter** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 8:26 am

Chavez is a mixed bag. He is certainly authoritarian and veering towards the hard left, and is using anti-Americanism as a tool to further his own power. On the other hand, there are excellent reasons to be anti-American in that part of the world, and the incompetence of the Bush administration (botched coups and all) has only deepened his hold on the country. He also seems to be taking real steps to improve the lives of the poor majority of Venezuelans. It’s the decades of exploitation and indifference that make it possible for these kinds of people to take power, just as they did in Cuba.

noxiousdog · Post by **noxiousdog** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 11:02 am

The Mad Hatter wrote:Chavez is a mixed bag. He is certainly authoritarian and veering towards the hard left, and is using anti-Americanism as a tool to further his own power. On the other hand, there are excellent reasons to be anti-American in that part of the world, and the incompetence of the Bush administration (botched coups and all) has only deepened his hold on the country. He also seems to be taking real steps to improve the lives of the poor majority of Venezuelans. It’s the decades of exploitation and indifference that make it possible for these kinds of people to take power, just as they did in Cuba.

Venezuela had the oldest democracy in South America. If there are recent decades of exploitation and indifference, it's of their own doing.

Carpet_pissr · Post by **Carpet_pissr** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 11:51 am

Could you clarify: "Mostly harmless"? To whom? Venezuela, US or rest of the world?

I say mostly harmless to us. Lots of angry anti-American rhetoric so he can get national and regional support from the lower classes, but I have always had the sense he is doing it for own self interest, and not as he claims, for the people.

VERY harmful to Venezuela imo, esp. if he continues on the way he has been. Country is a complete freaking mess right now.

OTOH, he's got his own cereal (with his image plastered on the box), so he can't be THAT bad, can he? (Dang, I wish I could find that image, but alas my Google-fu is weak.)

The Divider · Post by **The Divider** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 1:37 pm

When do we break out the Monroe Doctrine?

noxiousdog · Post by **noxiousdog** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 2:45 pm

Carpet_pissr wrote:Could you clarify: "Mostly harmless"? To whom? Venezuela, US or rest of the world?

I say mostly harmless to us.

Do you feel that the domestic economy can't be considered harm to the US?

Poleaxe · Post by **Poleaxe** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 6:19 pm

The Divider wrote:When do we break out the Monroe Doctrine?

It's a matter of time, but we'll use clients.

Grifman · Post by **Grifman** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 6:36 pm

The Divider wrote:When do we break out the Monroe Doctrine?

When a non-American power is involved