[Zhukov]

Well I see why OAOA hates Chavez, it is because he only reads the lies.

3 million citizens signed a petition.

You have to remember that the opposition was required to collect 24 million for the referendum to take place, and that the whole 'referendum law' was put in place by Chavez.

One anti-Chavez group in Veneuela, 'Sumate', claimed to have "collected 27 mllion signatres in one day", but it was later found out that most of them were were gathered through fraudulent means, including photocopied from bank records and credit card receipts. Sumate, BTW, received US$53400 for "Electoral Education", the funds were to "train citizens throughout Venezuela in the electoral process and to promote participation in a recall referendum." Also, the opposition was handing out US$100 bills to get people to sign, which is the norm. If the author openly admits that "many in the Venezuelan business community have not been concerned about producing quality products and providing a dignified work environment", how can anyone expect them to be any fairer than the US ruling class for elections?

we don't have system in place for state decisions being made on the basis of petition, and I'm geussing neither does Venezuala.

Like I just said, Chavez put forward the "referendum after half time" idea (Which still isn't enough - govt workers should have to face imediate recall). I suppose that isn't really an example of state decision making, but Venezuela is still growing. I suppose.

The article conviently does not mention the Bolivarian Circles, in which workers, peasants, students and soldiers get together to administrate their communities. This can be called real democracy, and the Bolivarian circles are Venezuelan version of Soviets.

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

The author i trying to trick people into thinking that Chavev is blocking TV stations or destroying peoples radios. If you read the "interview with Chavez" thread, OAO, (which is gone, I have noticed - ?) then you would realize that while Chave does believe that the corporate TV stations are counter-revolutionary, he is not closing them down. Except for one.

The new state television network will have more input from the people (through th Bolivarian Circles) than the BBC, CBC and ABC combined. What is the staion for the people in the US? Not being nasty - genuine question.

While there were millions of Venezulans taking to the streets to put Chavez back in power after the coup (a real one in April 2002 ) the big private stations were showing cartoons instead of News.

State television can certainly be used badly and I think the airwaves belong to the public

This wont be state televison like USSR, USA, whatever propoganda - this is publicy owned TV in which everyone will be able to participate and be able to ue to discuss issues. I hope.

What was unemployment before he was elected? What are the factors contributting to unemployment now?

I'll find out for you. What pops out of my head when I see 'MORE PEOPLE IN POVERTY THAN BEFORE!!!' is '80% of people were in poverty before Chavez was elected'. Im in the process of finding where I got it from :/

Venezuela’s Constitution allows a petition for a recall halfway through a president’s term of six years

Here the author is making it sound like the Constitution is somethig like the US constitution, and that previous Venezuelan presidents all managed to abide by this constittion. By popular vote, the old constitution as scraped and a new one was written up while Chavez was in office. Every citizen has a copy and every citizen was encouraged to partcipate in its conception.

The recall effort has won the full support of the Catholic bishops conference of Venezuela.

This is really pathetic. BECAUSE THE CATHOLIC BISHOPS LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE.

But under his reign, poverty has actually increased. In addition, corruption and violence are now the norm.

lies. Notice how corruption and violence is linked to...

There have been several national strikes crippling the oil industry,

The oil industry was indeed crippled, during Dec 2002 - Feb 2003 Venezuela was economicaly devestated. The strife caused 10 billion dollars
in losses to the country and lasted 64 days. However, it wasn't a strike! Th bosses had organised a workers lock-out. They shut the doors and prevented workers from working! Unfortunatley for them, the workers took control of the oil factorys (are they called factorys?) and managed to produce a reasonable amount of... oil... before the bosses decided to stop their lockot. The private owners obviously got scared that the workers would think that they could do work witout their bosses.

As a champion of Cuba-style communism and a friend of the deposed Saddam Hussein and his regime,

He also has links to al qaeda and is planing to use WMDs. Good luck to anyone wishing to find a Chavez/Saddam alliance. Cuba is also not Communism

Chavez is merely dangling a carrot in front of the poor promising to use force to bring down those who produce the nation’s wealth

Workers prodce wealth. The poor are the workers.

Moreover, there is no effective check on the power of Chavez and his government.

Except for the big fucking recall hanging over his head.

The Venezuelan Constitution ratified by its citizen—not the opinions of the Chavez inner circle—must be the basis of law.

Yeah well it is.

His involvement in a military coup bothers me

I'll provide some backgroun on the coup soon, I have to sleep.