Anti-Chavistas: is it easier to become dictator by defying US corporations or playing ball?

[yurbud]

Pinochet played ball with the corporate types, spilled rivers of blood, and died of old age without seeing a prison cell.

Chavez stood against those interests, has endured an endless propaganda barrage against him and a coup that could have cost him his life.

A pragmatic dictator wannabe would look at how we treated Pinochet, Saddam, the Saudis, Musharraf, and others and see what it takes to keep the jackals away.

Chavez went the opposite direction.

[Ken Burch]

1. And what some of those who claim to be anti-Chavista because he's got "too much power" forget

is that Chavez sought those powers due to all the years of Latin American history when democratic progressive governments got in, assumed they'd be allowed to carry out their program like any OTHER government, and then were either paralyzed by U.S. intervention or capital strikes(or were forced to water their programs down to nothing, like Lula and Michelle Bachelet)or were overthrown.

In Latin America "democracy" is usually a code phrase for "let the rich have the upper hand".

[DadOf2LittleAngels]

2. has endured an endless propaganda barrage..

"Chavez stood against those interests, has endured an endless propaganda barrage against him and a coup that could have cost him his life."

And in response he has closed down opposition television stations (would be like shrub shutting down AAR) and passed laws that visitors cant speak ill of him...

[EFerrari]

3. AAR participated in armed insurrection, the plotters would be in Gitmo

not walking around as they are in Venezuela. And considering the vast disrespect the United States has for the elected leaders of other nations, maybe it's a good thing to have them spell it out for us. Maybe we'll learn something. Jesus, even Nancy Pelosi called Chavez a thug when his government has never engaged in thuggery.

[DadOf2LittleAngels]

4. The evidence that the television station had anything to do with that

is slight..

Are you saying that if tomorrow there was a national coup against * AAR would not be giddy in reporting it? If bush survived it would he be within his rights to shut them down for participating in the coup?

"And considering the vast disrespect the United States has for the elected leaders of other nations, maybe it's a good thing to have them spell it out for us"

disrespect for foreign leaders? thats something Hugo would know about. If you agree with him you're enlightened if not you're the enemy... sound anything like if you're not with us you're against us?

"even Nancy Pelosi called Chavez a thug when his government has never engaged in thuggery."

Nationalizing oil is understandable but hotels? and when he nationalizes a hotel he still charges the same rate? Lets not forget the 'your symbolic king disrespected me so if he odes not apologize now I'm going to nationalize Spain's investments in Venezuela"

The man is a thug. I can agree with someones policies and still see they are nothing but a power hungry bully.

[EFerrari]

5. The evidence is on film and installation of the new dictator

took place in their studio. And you seem to forget that before the pie fight started with Bush or with Spain, they both signed off on a coup that nearly cost Chavez his life.

And why shouldn't the state charge as much as a private company? Only old white men should make a buck? And, the Chavez government hasn't seized property. They pay for it at market value.

[yurbud]

6. opposition TV station took part in coup & bragged about it on TV

What would any American president do to a network that actively helped a violent coup?

[RaleighNCDUer]

7. You don't know what you are talking about. nt

[killbotfactory]

8. They didn't get shut down, they got bumped to cable and satellite

It was one station, RCTV, and the government chose not to renew their license to broadcast on public airwaves because of their history of irresponsible broadcasting, including, but not limited to, openly advocating the violent overthrow of the Venezuelan constitution.