[mburbank]

"Now do you see whyI hate Chavez?"

No. Not really.

Keep in mind, I'm not defending him. I have no problem admitting I'm not highly educated on the subject of politics in Venezuela. However, your statement in bold, "21 PERCENT UNEMPLOYMENT!!! MORE PEOPLE IN POVERTY THAN BEFORE!!! INVOLVED IN MILITARY COUP!!!" doesn't really impress me as being the reasons behind your hatred.

I haven't looked up the 'Acton institute' yet, but when I do I think I can make some near psychic predictions about what I'll find. It will be a fringe think Tank with strong lobbying concerns. If I were going to acquire the expertise I'd want on Venezuela if I were going to do anything as strong a hate their president and call for his 'elimination' by the US, I'd want to read history and indigenous sources long before I started drinking from as toxic a fountain as this guy.

Here's my tip off. An essay that begins "Liberty and democracy in (country) are crumbling under the dictatorial leadership of (countries leader)." has a very strong point of view. I have nothing against POV. I just want to be pretty firmly grounded before I sample it. I'm not from Venezuela, and post the mid eighties haven't followed the politcial scene down there. I'm pretty far left myself, and I wouldn't take an article that started off like that about W. as a great source of information. I might enjoy it, but I'd be skeptikal about everything it presented. I deffinitely want to know something about the author and who he was writting for.

3 million citizens signed a petition. How many people voted in the last election? What does their constitution as far as formal impeachment proceedings? In our own country a HUGE number of people signed a petition asking W. not to go to war without the full backing of the U.N. is his refusal signs our democracy is crumbling? No. we don't have system in place for state decisions being made on the basis of petition, and I'm geussing neither does Venezuala. I'm not familliar with Venezuellas political process and the author makes no effort to educate. That's his right, but it's also part o0f his intention. When swallowing an authrs efforts whole, it's good to look at how he's trying to manipulate his audience. All authors do it and you should always take it into account.

His involvement in a military coup bothers me, but I don't believe it bothers you. Are you equally full of hatred for other state leaders who came to power in military coups (let alone participating in failed ones) or just those who's economies don't float your boat? What was the nature of the government he was in an attemtpted coup against? How did he end up coming to power? I'd thought he was democratically elected.

"declaring Marxist class warfare in Venezuela and winning the presidency."

That's not analysis, it's a declaration. Do you question it at all.? Have your read anyone who disagrees? Was it on his bumper stickers "I declare Marxist class warfare?" What was unemployment before he was elected? What are the factors contributting to unemployment now?

"Last week, Chavez’s personal attempt to teach literacy classes to poor children via a live, two-hour broadcast from his palace was marred by his misspelling a simple verb."

Gol, OAO, maybe he's doing it deliberatley to create a more folksy image. You know, the way W. uses plurals and singulars incorrectly almost every time he pushes 'no child left behind'?

"The L.A. Times reports that Chavez is now providing basic reading and writing instruction for the poor. Hundreds of thousands of children are in school for the first time. Government credits are being issued giving poor families the ability to plant crops, organize businesses, repair homes, and so on."

Stinkin' dictator.

"A new state television network will soon begin operation because Chavez believes that private stations air programs and commercials directed against his government. "

If he ends up closing down other stations, that's bad. State television can certainly be used badly and I think the airwaves belong to the public. On the other hand, our President proudly states he doesn't read the papers or listen to the news. I'm glad we wouldn't do something like that in the USA, but do you think if it were allowed W. wouldn't be foursquare behind it?

I won't pretend to analyze the real reasons behind your hatred. Frankly I think you like red meat writting like this and get swept up by it, but don't know that for a fact. Similarly, I think the neo con angle in Venezuela has to do with this. We can't rely on them doing with their oil what we want. Every charge levelled in thsi piece can be levelled against scores of other countries. The shock and horro about what's happening to the people their doesn't ring true at all, and only when he speaks of 'property rights' do you begin to feel any true passion in his writting.

I'm not sure what it is about screed you find so captivating. I don't care what the slant is, be it pap like this or limp psuedo euro commi clpatrap. Screed is screed.

Shouldn't you be all up in arms over the fact Egypt has been under Marshall law for most of the last forty years? Isn't Pakistan a Military coup themepark? What's unemployment like in the Congo right now? I here the TV is Uzbekistan is not only state run, it really sucks.

My guess is you don't know much more about Venzuella than I do. My guess is that %100 of your info on Venezuella comes from essays like this.

Here's what I'll freely give you. You do know some more about Venezualla than I do. All my problems are with that essay. That essay ets off all sorts of warnings bells for me. I can feel the author trying to manipulate me, it's not even subtle, it's purpose is rabble rousing. As a reader, I immediately want to know why? And For a guy who nthinks he's such a smartypants Iconoclast. I want to know why you don't want to know why.