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Blanketing opinions that I'll probably regret soon.
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
Hugo Chavez is Bullshit and Americans Who Like Him are Bullshit Too
I've been going to the gym for the past month with my old friend J.C. who's from Venezuela. Since I've known J.C., he's shared stories from his family who are living under the Chavez regime. I am constantly amazed at the authoritarianism that goes on that you never hear about in the USA.
Here are two pieces of commie bullshit that J.C. has mentioned about Venezuela to me in the past week:
1) Venezuelans cannot send their own money out of the country. They are also restricted by a government-imposed spending limit of $2,500 per year when they travel abroad. J.C.'s father, sister and brother sometimes travel to other countries and they have to be strict with keeping all their receipts to avoid fines and government harassment if they exceed the foreign spending quota. J.C.'s father carried a three-ring binder when he recently traveled to Spain so he could keep receipts for things as small as a cup of coffee. Chavez maintains a black list of 600,000 people who are suspected of somehow sending money out of Venezuela.
2) The mayor of Caracas is in the opposition party so Chavez created a pro-Chavez governorship in the Caracas district. This would be like if the mayor of DC, Adrian Fenty, was a Republican, so Obama just decided to create a DC governor out of thin air to reduce Fenty's power.
I've never met a Venezuelan who likes Chavez but a fair share of American lefties who do. Weird how that works.
Here are two pieces of commie bullshit that J.C. has mentioned about Venezuela to me in the past week:
1) Venezuelans cannot send their own money out of the country. They are also restricted by a government-imposed spending limit of $2,500 per year when they travel abroad. J.C.'s father, sister and brother sometimes travel to other countries and they have to be strict with keeping all their receipts to avoid fines and government harassment if they exceed the foreign spending quota. J.C.'s father carried a three-ring binder when he recently traveled to Spain so he could keep receipts for things as small as a cup of coffee. Chavez maintains a black list of 600,000 people who are suspected of somehow sending money out of Venezuela.
2) The mayor of Caracas is in the opposition party so Chavez created a pro-Chavez governorship in the Caracas district. This would be like if the mayor of DC, Adrian Fenty, was a Republican, so Obama just decided to create a DC governor out of thin air to reduce Fenty's power.
I've never met a Venezuelan who likes Chavez but a fair share of American lefties who do. Weird how that works.
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I never understood that either, Not to sound paranoid, I always thought it was a right wing BS move to claim lefties like this guy, I have never met anyone who does? Although most republicans or "rightwingers" seem to like personal attacks instead of going after the issues They have a real "my way or the highway" mentality. How did we become so polar? I would love to see a counter opinion from any liberal who supports this guy?
Guys like Chavez get into power, sometimes because they have reasonable objectives for helping their depressed countrymen, but once in office they begin to like power more and more, and that desire begins to overwhelm/surplant the very ideals that drove them to seek and achieve the power position. When the latter happens the outcome is, more often than not, a complete screw up of the society they came to save. Thereafter, the phrase "corrupt asshole" begins to fit nicely, as it does for Chavez today.
# posted by 
: 12:35 PM
: 12:35 PM
I have given this a bit more thought, and I tend to blame the right, or republicans, I do not think being conservative makes you bad just republican. I believe this really is a distortion of truths that liberals like this guy. Some may do but they are very few. My case in point is health care.
Since I have relocated to WV I listen to a lot of republican talk radio, just for fun. Recently they were critisizing Obama as usual and they were pointing to failed ideas, like National Health Care. They brought up the usual arguments that service is poor waiting etc.. What got to me is what the talk host said, "The are hundreds of canadians who come to the US every year to get better health care" Now I have a canadian wife with a large extended candaian family some in the US most in Canada. None of whom would ever consider coming here for medical nor do they know anyone who would, The ones here in the US go back to Canada because they claim the care is faster better and cheaper! I believe that there maybe some people who did not have a good experience, Nothing is 100% but republicans like to exaggerate to their own means.
BTW we are still on a waiting list to get a family doctor for our daughter, We moved here in Feb, and they will not see new patients till June, Hmmm sounds a lot like the republican idea of canada to me!
Since I have relocated to WV I listen to a lot of republican talk radio, just for fun. Recently they were critisizing Obama as usual and they were pointing to failed ideas, like National Health Care. They brought up the usual arguments that service is poor waiting etc.. What got to me is what the talk host said, "The are hundreds of canadians who come to the US every year to get better health care" Now I have a canadian wife with a large extended candaian family some in the US most in Canada. None of whom would ever consider coming here for medical nor do they know anyone who would, The ones here in the US go back to Canada because they claim the care is faster better and cheaper! I believe that there maybe some people who did not have a good experience, Nothing is 100% but republicans like to exaggerate to their own means.
BTW we are still on a waiting list to get a family doctor for our daughter, We moved here in Feb, and they will not see new patients till June, Hmmm sounds a lot like the republican idea of canada to me!
I am not supporting Hugo, but I would guess you are more likely to meet his detractors in the US since they decided to leave.
I wouldn't say you never hear of authoritarianism in Venezuela. A quick google search brings up plenty of stuff, including a story about Chavez' "Democratic Authoritarianism." Again, not supporting Hugo, but the socialists, communists, fascists, whoever, don't seem to have a monopoly on the bullshit.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/12/05/opinion/main3577979.shtml
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/12/05/opinion/main3577979.shtml
You should try looking in Venezuela, where apparently enough Venezuelans like him to get him elected.
That fact, though, shouldn't really be a statement on his merits, since our own election and re-election of G.W. Bush demonstrates that even criminal morons can be elected multiple times.
That fact, though, shouldn't really be a statement on his merits, since our own election and re-election of G.W. Bush demonstrates that even criminal morons can be elected multiple times.
I would look at any popularity Chavez has in the US as a symptom of the Bush years. Put simply, the enemy of our enemy is our friend. I don't support Chavez in any way, but I think this is how he has gained any kind of support in the US. And if you think about it, opposing Bush is a great way to gain popularity for anyone, its like shooting fish in a barrel.
# posted by : 11:36 AM
: 11:36 AM
CS,
Yes, Chavez continues to win and has managed to pass an amendment that could guarantee he'll stay in power for life. When you have the dominance as someone like Chavez over a well-fragmented opposition (mostly by his own underhanded doings, like that Caracas mayor situation), it's not hard to stay in power as long as he does.
It's like Cambodia, where you have a president who has managed to remain in power since the late 1970s mainly due to his dominance and dirty tricks. Cambodia has elections all the time. What does it even matter?
Yes, Chavez continues to win and has managed to pass an amendment that could guarantee he'll stay in power for life. When you have the dominance as someone like Chavez over a well-fragmented opposition (mostly by his own underhanded doings, like that Caracas mayor situation), it's not hard to stay in power as long as he does.
It's like Cambodia, where you have a president who has managed to remain in power since the late 1970s mainly due to his dominance and dirty tricks. Cambodia has elections all the time. What does it even matter?
Chris,
Many American lefties do -- or at least are serious apologists for him. I actually have old friends who support him.
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Many American lefties do -- or at least are serious apologists for him. I actually have old friends who support him.
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