David Frum summed it up quite well in a tweet: "Anti-imperialism is the greatest alibi ever invented for corruption and theft." Btw, Chavez's estimated net worth: $2,000,000,000 ¡viva la revolución!
I rarely agree with Frum, but he's certainly right about corruption. Giving the government more of the country's pie to control just means there's more room for it.
My first roommate once said the CIA would give world leaders cancer by getting the room next to them in a hotel when they were traveling abroad, and put a bunch of microwaves against the shared wall, take off the doors, and leave them on.
I heard this morning on the radio - though I find the source dubious - that Chavez suffered from an extremely rare form of cancer (the name escapes me right now, unfortunately) that affects only 4 in 1,000,000 people. This type of cancer metastizes quickly because it spreads through the circulatory system and in most if not all cases, it is always fatal. And that even though remission of that type of cancer is possible, it can come back, more aggressive than ever. Now I'm not the smartest or more scientific mind here, but when you take that into consideration, of course anyone could think of that cancer as some sort of biological weapon. But yeah, the CIA isn't that good. Regardless, I don't honestly know or care that much about the man to have an opinion about him. He seemed to me like a petty dictator prone to give absurd if not totally unintelligent speeches, yet he seemed to be genuinely loved by a good chunk of his countrymen. Like in so many cases, the truth may lie somewhere in the middle. So to him I can only say, requiescat in pace. And I can only hope that his country may be free of turbulent moments in the days to come.
I've not heard or read any credible source claiming the CIA gave Chavez cancer, I've read and heard that the CIA gave him a post-op infection. How much is George Bush Snr worth?
No idea, but no where near $2 billion. Sucks not having an entire country's oil reserves at one's personal disposal.
According to this, 41's net worth was $23 million. I never claimed to know it was a specific mount, just that i was pretty sure he was nowhere near a billionaire. As for Chavez, via David Frum
My family (we're Colombian American) were all a tizzy about this. The Chavez deathwatch had been in full effect for a awhile.
Interestingly, LBJ and JFK are the richest two presidents of modern times -- both Democrats. Clinton stands at #3 on that list, but I have to imagine that's all post-presidency so it doesn't really count.
I need to write a book and get that Clinton money. Anyways, what's the word on what post-Chavez Venezuela will look like?
All those independent island states just off the coast, you'd intuitively assume they'd just belong to whatever country they're next to, but no. Apparently not in South America.
The US owns islands in the middle of the Pacific, nowhere near our national boundaries. They're called territories. Guam, American Samoa, Palmyra, which is 1,000 miles south of Hawaii, and some that are closer to Australia than the US.
It's the same reason as the one for all those square borders in Africa (hint: it rhymes with baloneyialsm). I was mostly making fun of the fact that, historically, the U.S. will support anyone as long as they're anti-communist/anti-socialist(/anti-Islamist post-1979)/favor U.S. corporate interests. Hence why I said that the CIA would probably back cancer if they could. Anyone. Anyone. Anyone. Anyone. Anyone.
Yeah, yeah, I know that angle. A lot of countries have overseas territories, many far away and even halfway across the world. That makes it, IMO, even stranger that, for instance Trinidad and Tobago, which is almost connected to mainland Venezuela (look how close it is), is a separate country, rather than being Venezuelan territory. And looking at that map, there are other examples too, although not as remarkable as T & T. It's a little unusual.
Who would have thought that Fidel Castro would outlive Hugo Chavez? Watch Fidel live another 30 years
