Venezuela Strengthens Alliance with Qatar and France

[Say_What]

France to become primary investor in Venezuela, if it isn't already, and check that comment about recuperating a multilateral world ;-)

Hey TortureBoy, checkmate.

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...After winding up economic discussions with officials from Total, Chávez met with several intellectuals and high-level business officials, after which he was received in the Presidential Palace by French President Jacques Chirac. The two presidents discussed development, political dialogue, alliances, the reform of the United Nations, the strengthening of the European Union, the progress of its member countries and the evolution of Venezuela and its projects.

The Venezuelan ambassador to France, Roy Chaderton, framed Chávez 's visit to France in the context of a worldwide effort to recuperate a multilateral world in order that there is not only one power that exerts its influence or makes all the decisions. In a press conference, Chaderton emphasized the profound links that unite both nations.

He went on to highlight that bilateral relations between the two countries are extremely beneficial to both parties and that France is about to become, if it is not already, the primary investor in Venezuela. According to Chaderton, French investment in the areas of energy, transportation, and agricultural development has surpassed $5 billion in the last few years. He affirmed that, "we are going to continue to grow."

"We are among brothers"

Prior to his visit to France, Chávez spent a day in Qatar, where he and the Chief of State Crown Prince Hamad Bin Khalifa al Thani of Qatar signed a "Memorandum of Understanding" designed to further strengthen relations between Venezuela and the Arab world. Upon arriving to the Middle Eastern nation, the Venezuelan president announced, "We truly have many expectations, arriving to Qatar. This is a home that we have here, in the Middle East. We are among brothers."

http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news.php?newsno=1538

[sally343434]

1. I'm sure it's been mentioned here before...

I'm sure it's been mentioned here before, but I'll say it anyway.

Stories like this have been bubbling up, mostly in the foreign press naturally, about many different "agreements" between countries regarding trade, energy, travel, even security. The common thread is that the US is not a part of any of it. Indeed, many of these seem designed to remove us from the equation.

We have become a pariah state, to be shunned and worked around. The world is unifying against us.

Since the moribund Congress (both parties) has willingly abandoned its role in governing, will it take some kind of action from abroad to unseat this criminal cabal? What would it take? Trade sanctions? (What would WalMart say about that?) Energy embargo? (Iraq can't pump all we use.) Invasion? (Our entire armed forces are tied up in one way or another in Iraq.)

With tax time coming up, I'm faced with paying a share of what is, in effect, a criminal enterprise. I wonder if it would get any attention if 49% of the country, the percentage that supposedly voted against this nightmare, just refused to pay their taxes. I know it's not a viable option, since most have already paid through withholding. But it would be something if the people could "override" the purse strings of Congress and just cut this whole thing off at its knees.

[Say_What]

3. What Is War Tax Resistance?

People have been refusing to pay war taxes for years. The price is high, the IRS can take assets, but there are people who do just that.

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What Is War Tax Resistance?

Very simply, it is refusal to pay some or all of federal taxes that pay for war. In the U.S. war tax resisters choose to refuse some or all of their federal income tax and/or the federal excise tax on local and long distance telephone service. Income taxes and excise taxes are deposited by the government into the general fund and at least half of those monies help to pay for the military budget, including all types of weapons of war and weapons of mass destruction.

Individuals take many roads to war tax resistance: some are protesting a particular war; some find it against their religious convictions to knowingly support war; some are horrified by massive U.S. military spending while human needs go unmet; some are or would be conscientious objectors if called to military service and, therefore, feel they cannot in good conscious pay for something they would refuse to do themselves. Most war tax resisters are motivated by a combination of reasons such as these and actively work for peace in many other ways too.

War tax resistance is an act of civil disobedience with a long history in the U.S. The most well-known war tax resister was Henry David Thoreau. While those of us who refuse to pay war taxes believe — and some cite in international law — this refusal is just and imperative, the federal government, through the Internal Revenue Service, considers refusal to pay these taxes illegal, and there are potential consequences through the IRS collection system. For most of us who resist, the dire consequences of voluntarily paying for war are far worse that what the IRS and government can do to us individually.

http://www.nwtrcc.org/what_is_wtr.htm

[Say_What]

4. Bush the Uniter, uniting the planet against 'muriKa

Compare this op/ed, written in November, and what Chavez has just accomplished in his agreements with Uruguay, India, Qatar, and France over the past week and the oil agreements he signed with China and Russia earlier this year. Consider also that Russia reported recently that they were interested in restoring ties to Cuba.

World to Bush: checkmate

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After Iraq it is oil rich Venezuela led by Hugo Chavez that has become the center for confrontation between America and the Euro Zone. Chavez is dead against America and Euro Zone needs him to keep the oil balance - the power symbol in 2005. But this time the equation is a little different. A new regional and super power coalition of India, China, Russia and Brazil is making a huge difference. Russian President is in the zone to pull Brazil in the coalition and influence on Chavez for mutual support.

While the whole world is focused on America and the Euro zone for the super power challenges, both these powers are looking small when you combine the powers of the new coalition Putin is building with India, China, Russia and Brazil. Add to that Venezuelan oil that supplies America a substantial crude oil, and now you have the actual scenario of confrontation.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is leveraging his country's oil resources to build new geopolitical relationships with key regional powers like Russia, China, India and Brazil.

Northern Andean region is where the new super power coalition is planning to influence most. It is in the corridor of America and rich with many natural resources. This is the region that America takes it for granted. For Russian, Chinese and other non-US. oil companies, the Chavez government's oil-based foreign policy also will translate into profitable investment opportunities in Venezuela in coming years.

http://www.indiadaily.com/editorial/11-27b-04.asp

[Frances]

2. It couldn't be any plainer

"The Venezuelan ambassador to France, Roy Chaderton, framed Chávez 's visit to France in the context of a worldwide effort to recuperate a multilateral world in order that there is not only one power that exerts its influence or makes all the decisions. "

Bush has united the rest of the world against us. Who would have thought that a South American country would be seen as a rival to the U.S.?