Question about Chavez (not related to the whole "devil" thing)

[Sammy Pepys]

All the recent talk about Chavez has encouraged me to take a look at some of the things Chavez has done since becomeing President in Venezuela. Frankly, there are some unsavory policies he's implemented, to say the least..some of them even slightly mirroring the things we think Bush is planning behind closed doors.

For me the jury's still out on this, and I want to read more. So I guess my question is actually two questions:

1) Can anyone recommend a good, academic-style biography or overview of Chavez?

2) What do you guys think of some the policies he's championed in Venezuela, both good and bad? Any particulars you can offer would be helpful, but not necessary. Thanks!

[dkofos]

1. Could you be more specific as to the unsavory policies??

[larrysh]

5. One of my customers just got back from a year in Venezuela

working for Exxon. He says many of the Chavez policies seem aimed more at extorting money from the oil companies currently there, than planning for the future benefit of the Venezuelan people. Contractors are forced to hand out contracts to Chavez cronies (whether they are qualified to do the work or not), supression of public dissent, armed groups roaming around the countryside levying "taxes" on just about any commercial enterprise they come across. My customer is a pretty straight up, educated fellow (geophysicist), and told me just last Friday the only reason he has agreed to go back is his wife is a Venezualan citizen (he is Italian) and so they can live on the economy and keep a low profile, opposed to those foriegners who do not speak the lanquage and live grouped together in easily identifiable enclaves. My customer is fluent in Italian, French, and Spanish. He is no dummy and claims to be a Democrat so I can't envision him lieing about conditions down there. Not only that, but he's been coming into
my business since before Chavez was elected and had nothing but good things to say about Venezuela before.

He also said alot of the anti-Bush rhetoric is intentionally designed
to keep the peoples minds off the fact the oil money is flowing just as quickly into leftist Swiss bank accounts as it did under the oppostion.
Sounds like same shit, different ruler to me!

[Poppyseedman]

2. Do not stray too far from the template

Chavez is good. Chavez is brilliant. Chavez champions the poor. Chavez should be the US President.

A tin horn dictator is still a tin horn dictator even if he disses our tin horn dictator

Don't look to close, you might not like what you see.

Personally, I think he made an ass of himself.

[Selatius]

3. There's a problem of police brutality in Venezuela

That's one of his greatest failings thus far, but I would say police brutality has been a systemic problem for Venezuela for decades that won't be cleared overnight, and many of the police forces aren't even Chavez supporters. Decades of lax controls on the police in the past have developed an atmosphere of impunity and callous disregard among too many police officers for citizens and protesters alike.

There's one or two cases I read in the past that appear to be the case of somebody within the government abusing his or her powers to persecute political enemies. I'm not sure Chavez knows about that though, but it's expected in such a polarizing atmosphere. There are lots of blind zealots who can go overboard in their zeal for Chavez. I'm a qualified supporter of Chavez, btw, but I'm no Hugobot.

On the economic front, he's basically their equivalent of FDR with all the social programs for the poor and infrastructure improvements.

[Wilber_Stool]

4. This isn't what you want.

This is just home grown opinion but it is informative.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x2183955#2185003

Be sure to check out #80 and #111.

[bananas]

6. permalinks to posts 80 and 111

That's a very long thread, here are those two individual posts:

80. and most that ran Venezuela before Chavez were
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=2183955&mesg_id=2184516

111. i just get sick of people talking about what they know nothing of..
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=2183955&mesg_id=2185003

[MoseyWalker]

8. wow. thanks!

I'm still reading, but thanks for the response! I hadn't seen these.

[Flanker]

7. What in particular do you want to know?

I am well informed, as for bios I would avoid them like the plague they are extremely biased for and against.