JCC Cancer overthrows Hugo Chavez in CIA-backed coup.

The difference is that one is Stalinist, one is not. Neither of them have anything to do with Marxism.

 

Jimmy Carter's statement was kind of nicey-nicey and ambiguous. He seemed to be saying "Good on with the social programs, but boo to the dictatorship."

 

you see no material differences between material conditions and political structures of venezuela and the material conditions and political structures of north korea. really?

 

Fair enough.

 

Let's hope the selling of oil cheaper to neighbours continues, as do the programmes in place to aid the people. But perhaps more of the nation's oil wealth going to the people would be nice given that unemployment and poverty are still widespread.

 

That's certaintly an understatement! Compared to what went on in the past, Bush was pretty hands-off.

I don't think Chavez was evil, but he was certainly not a saint. (My favorite moment was when the King of Spain told him to shut up. Heh)

 

golly gosh gee willickers aw shucks

 

He was one of my favourite characters in politics.

 

Whoa, Jimmy Carter being nicey-nicey and ambiguous? Who'dda thunk it?

 

Hah!


KMFDM? Wow. Takes me back to high school.

 

When discussing "objectionable regimes" it does well to critically compare them. It's not apples and oranges, it's closer to night and day.

As for his other shenanigans, well, I wholeheartedly approve of the charity he showed to some of the more impoverished Native communities here in the US, like the Cheyenne River Lakotas.

Our own government sorely lacks in that department. Even the Cobell settlement is rather tawdry by comparison.

 

I can respect that. I guess I was referring to what you referred to as relative awfulness, and I truly believe the level of suck and the level of good should be measurable and valid considerations.

 

Franklin Roosevelt schemed to pack the Supreme Court and interned thousands upon thousands of Japanese Americans, and yet he is (rightfully) considered the greatest American president of the last century.

Chavez was indeed no saint, but he improved the living conditions of impoverished millions while telling the international cartels to take a hike. For this, he has my respect.

 

Chavez...the guy just did not respect the idea of democracy.

 

CIA backed coup? I would have thought that a terrorist cell was behind it.

 

Thanks for reminding my why I hate Jimmy Carter so much.

Yeah, that billionaire sure cared about his people oh so very much.


EDIT. Here's the thing with Chavez: has he stood up to foreign countries and company's who would have plundered his country's oil reserves for their own profit? Clearly yes, and that would be commendable. But has he actually improved living conditions for his country's poor, or has he in fact only shifted his country's wealth away from those foreign "plunderers" and his own country's wealthy and into his own pockets?

 

Wait are you being serious about CIA cancer? I've heard some crazy people so I can't tell if you're being serious

 

That's what Venezuela's VP accused the US of doing: Giving cancer to Chavez through poison and then kicking out the last two US attaches from the country via this accusation.

 

'Plundering' implies theft without recompense. Pretty sure that mining companies of all kinds pay royalties to the government. Thus, it is not plundering.

 

Yeah I know he said that, was just wondering if anyone here - a real, seemingly sane, person - thought that was a legit.

It's all a bit Watchmen film, isn't it?