and exceeding George Washington's precedent (not in the Constitution for our first 180 years) of two terms as President, by RUNNING FOR and WINNING **FOUR** terms as President of the United States. Were those things "unfair"? "Unfair" to the SOBs who crashed the U.S. economy, maybe. Did they deserve "fairness"? (No more than Exxon Mobile does!) But then you probably approve of the little fascist Alvaro Uribe proposing CHANGING THE LAW so HE can run again in Colombia--Bush's favorite country in South America, where they torture and kill thousands of union leaders, small peasant farmers, political leftists, human rights workers and journalists, with impunity, and rake in billions of our tax dollars in military aid through Bushite fingers. THEIR president can propose running again, but not Chavez. Your blind spots are glaring, Robcon.
Denying a TV broadcast license to use the PUBLIC airwaves? Gee, Bush's "free trade" pals in Peru did that four times over the last several years. It is a ROUTINE action of government to regulate the PUBLIC airwaves and grant and deny licenses. The Chavez government had more cause to do so, with regard to RCTV, than any other government on earth--since RCTV actively participated in the violent rightwing military coup attempt against the legitimate, elected government, which kidnapped the elected president, and suspended the Constitution, the National Assembly, the courts and all civil rights--a coup supported by, and probably funded by, the Bush Junta. Talk about your "suppression of free" speech! How about NO Constitution? How about NO civil rights? RCTV hosted meetings of the coup plotters, and lied and distorted events on their behalf, during the coup.
Good riddance to RCTV! We could use that kind of tough-minded, anti-global corporate predator government here! The airwaves belong to the PUBLIC. The PUBLIC has a right to regulate their use in its own interest--not just to staunch violent overthrow of the government, but also to encourage diversity, to insure wide spectrum political debate, to provide FREE air time to candidates--to get rid of this filthy campaign contribution system--and to insure that the public receives at least some information that is not dictated by the corporate rulers. We had far, far better broadcast journalism in this country back in the era of the Fairness Doctrine, when opposing political views were given equal time--REQUIRED by government regulation. The Left STILL doesn't have equal time in Venezuela--and now it has NONE here. The Venezuelan airwaves are filled with rightwing propaganda, even without RCTV. I'd be for a Fairness Doctrine there, if I were Venezuelan. And corporatists would likely fight it tooth and nail, because they DON'T WANT fairness. They want people only to hear THEM and their loudmouth, MINORITY corporate/fascist viewpoint.
There is NO evidence--none, zero, zilch--that the Chavez government is corrupt, and there is overwhelming evidence that it is using the oil profits exactly as it promised that it would, to bootstrap the poor, with education, medical care, small business loans, land reform and other social programs, and to pull Venezuela out of its "neo-liberal"-induced Depression. Venezuela now enjoys a 10% growth rate, with the MOST growth in the PRIVATE sector, the near elimination of illiteracy, and a 40% reduction in poverty, not to mention the liveliest political culture in the western hemisphere--due to the government's encouragement of maximum citizen participation--and it has a President with a 70% approval rating. They furthermore have elections that put our own to shame for their transparency.
Corrupt? Bush is corrupt, or hadn't you noticed? Cheney is corrupt. Our entire political establishment is a cauldron of corruption--Democrats and Republicans alike. Or hadn't you noticed? That's why the middle class is failing, here, and the poor are hopeless. That's why millions of jobs and our manufacturing capability have been outsourced to China, India and the other cheap labor markets. That's why so many of our industrial towns are ghost towns. That's why we're facing a TEN TRILLION DOLLAR deficit, with our treasuries looted for a corporate resource war in the Middle East, and for tax cuts for the super-rich. That's why we have done no planning for global warming. That's why we have "trade secret," privatized, corporate vote counting. And that's why we DON'T have decent broadcast journalism, or any other kind of professional journalism, to expose these fuckers for what they've done! To warn us. To be vigilant. To help us keep the war profiteers and the corporate predators, and the politicians, accountable to the people.
Corrupt? Tell me THIS isn't the height of corruption, and evil...
"The Smart Way to Beat
Tyrants Like Chávez," by
Donald Rumsfeld, 12/1/07http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/30/AR2007113001800.htmlWho are the "tyrants," RobCon? Who are the corrupt? Who are the unelected? Who are the greedy? Who are the conniving, lying predators who have ruined our country, and slaughtered 1.2 million innocent people to get their oil?
Answer: The ones who hate Hugo Chavez, and hate and fear his supporters--just as they hate and fear the majority in this country. The ones who are pouring OUR tax money into fascist groups in Venezuela, Bolivia and elsewhere, to TOPPLE democratic governments--governments "of, by and for the people." These are the "tyrants" and "dictators" and the corrupt. Not Chavez, nor his allies in DEMOCRATIC Bolivia, Ecuador, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Nicaragua and throughout South America.
Chavez may be ambitious. He may be full of himself. He may seek more power. So did FDR. So was FDR. That is typical of most politicians. But both ran lawful, elected governments in the interest of the People. Ambition, self-confidence and power are essential for leadership and governing. You want WEAK leaders? That is bullshit. We need strong and accountable leaders, acting on our behalf. That's what the Venezuelans have, and I wish to God we had that here!
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