Chamo, que bolas tienes publicando estas mentiras.
So, you're telling me that all your sources here are from the Venezuelan government and we're supposed to believe this as the gospel truth?
C'mon, Dan. This is laughable. The Venezuelan government long ago lost any credibility as a source of true data on its own actions. They've been distorting or hiding figures for several years now.
If Venezuela is doing so well, as you advertise here, then why are so many Venezuelans so unhappy and frightened about the near future?
You either disprove the assesment or you formulate one of your own, ad hominem reasoning is unbecoming of you.
I would love to see the alternative statistic, or would you prefer that the subject be ignored when inconvenient?
GP,
You base your attacks on false numbers. Chavez has a 70% approval rating and has had it for quite a while now. Do you think he would have that if things were going poorly?
Whats more, the poverty numbers are very much in line with what would be expected. For two years while the economy decreased about 17% poverty went up 16%. Now that we have two years with the economy growing 27% is it all that unreasonable to see poverty decrease by 20%. It sure is consistent with how previous changes in economic performance have effected poverty as I pointed out in my previous posts. So while I dind't personally oversee the creation of these numbers and therefore can't attest to their accuracy it is clear that they are well within the range of reasonable expectations.
Yet now the numbers are doubted while before when they were more to the oppositions liking they were taken as the word of God. Sounds like your chosing your facts to fit your preconcieved notion of things rather basing you conceptions upon facts.
Oh, and last but not least, each time there has been a dispute regarding facts between the government and the opposition and it was investigated by outside auditors (ie the RR and Venezuela's oil production) it was found that the government was telling the truth and the opposition was lying. So tell me, who is it that lacks credibility?
...First, note that in the past year the number of people who are extremely poor has been sharply reduced whereas the number of those who are simply poor has actually even gone up a bit. This doesn’t mean that none of those who are poor are moving into the ranks of the non-poor. Rather, it means the number of people moving up from extreme poverty to poverty is greater than the number of poor moving into the ranks of non-poor.
This is a very important factor that should be taken in regard when others like our friend GP make arguments about rising poverty levels. It is better to be poor than extremely poor. So if levels of poverty are rising, that should be taken with the fact that extreme poverty is falling - as they fall (or become less extreme poor) these unofortunate people have "move up" to poverty. Our friends will go to great lenghts to forget about that little tidbit of information. Conveniently absent from any claims of rising poverty.
true, and getting people out of extreme poverty is indeed the most pressing matter.
But when discussing the numbers it is poverty and extreme poverty COMBINED that people discuss. And that is the number that has declined from 55% to 38.5% in the past two years.
Here is a marketing scheme I thought Id bring up at our next round table in Caracas 
Lets take that gold line in the graph and make it a mascot - you know have the gold line everywhere - bumber stickers, billboards, phone books.
Caricatures of Chavez holding it by the '97 end like whip and lashing a symbolic representation of poverty. I think its a winner.
ok, but another 4 or 5 years and that line will be at zero. Then what?
OK GP--now it's your turn. Come back here with facts that discredit the evidence that OW has presented here.
You call us liars but you never present counter-evidence.
This is the easy way out, the rightwing slug way of sliming and attacking, but never doing any hard work.
If you did not already question the opposition propaganda you wouldn't even comment here Parra. And you know , deep down that the Latin American rightwing and Bush's criminality are the road to hell.
You know it.
By the way, Alek Boyd published some trash heresay on Cuba giving Lula's campaign money a few years ago. Now Lula is suing the crappy rightwing source for this smear. Wonder if he will go after Vcrisis--or if Alek is decent enough to publish the fact that Lula is suing because of the info that Boyd was happy to pass along, without verifying that this info was accurate.
This is too typical of the rabid Chavez=haters: no lie is too outrageous to publicize. They don't need 'facts' and 'evidence' that are compelling when they are sucking off the trust fund.
ok, but another 4 or 5 years and that line will be at zero. Then what?
Ahh But I am one step ahead of you tonight my friend: THEN We come up with a catchy slogan; I have on already in mind whaddya think of:
Force will be required
Huh Waddya think! Itll be like in Catholic church:
you say: "force will be required"
and I respond: "May the force guide you, and be with you always"
- or -
I say: "force will be required"
and you respond: "may the molten silver shine brightly in your eye"
"This is too typical of the rabid Chavez=haters: no lie is too outrageous to publicize. They don't need 'facts' and 'evidence' that are compelling when they are sucking off the trust fund"
Anyone heard anything of the two Bodyguards that defected when Chavez was at the UN?
Anyone?
Hellooooo?
Anybody?
Pulpo:
How dare you ridicule that esteemed journalist A.M Mora & Leon like that 
Actually, one of my favorites is when he said in the TDX that the OAS ratified the referendum results because Castro had compromising fotos of Gaviria with young boys!! Even some of the escaulido readers had to gag at that one.
"Actually, one of my favorites is when he said in the TDX that the OAS ratified the referendum results because Castro had compromising fotos of Gaviria with young boys!! Even some of the escaulido readers had to gag at that one."
I did see that - Although Id watch out on that one and give A.M. Moron y Peon the benefit of the doubt on that one he/she is deeply religious - Catholic methinks, and when it comes to matters of naked young boys accept no authority other than Micheal Jackson. So Mora y Peon may be speaking with a semblance of truth. But then How would Mora be so privvy?????
Seriously though, The crap that comes from that direction is incredible - funny a times but man what out and out lies. What gets me is that some people will repeat that sort of crap based solely on the source that it comes from, never once checking its veracity. So to the above average reader of this blog, when venturing outward and you see the name Mora y Leon stop reading! go directly to your basement, shed, or what have you, put on your shit-kickers and get a hefty shovel. Oddly enough I read the tid bit about the defectors in "the devils excrement" how appropriate! in this case devil=octavio bigger shovel please.
Yes, Daniel treated me like a tramp and a 'terrorist' for merely asking what their plan was to get the poor out of the decades of misery that their policies have wrought.
I was open to both sides. But now it is clear that these are some deeply deluded and unethical people.
Yeah, they are all closet Bush supporters. Wackos.
Well, back to my studies.
Another great post OW.
For some time the anti-Chavistaz could promote the poverty-numbers as bad news for Chavez (offcourse they forgot to mention the causes for the economic caos that raised the poverty-levels).
Now those days are over and its great news.
Hehe Pulpo yea i saw in some oppo-blog that "Force will be needed" to get rid of Chavez. Dunno what force though. US Air Force?
"Hehe Pulpo yea i saw in some oppo-blog that "Force will be needed" to get rid of Chavez. Dunno what force though. US Air Force?"
Yep, it would have to be the U.S. Air Force. That and the Navy are the only branches of the US military that aren't tied up elsewhere
But what is really hysterical is the opposition talking as if they are virginal when it comes to violence. As if they've been pure up to this point and acted only within the law!?!?!? Somehow they forget things like the coup, the oil strike, the street riots and what they did to this poor guy.
Anyways, violence won't get those swine any further this time than it did last time. They will just alienate more people and then sit around on the internet and talk about how they can't figure out why there are so many Ni-Ni's.
Why on earth would I waste my time presenting evidence and facts to people who see no irony whatsoever in calling themselves "revolutionary" while supporting the Cuban dictatorship?
I have no interest in convincing you or any of your impressionable young readers. I simply find your lies tiresome and I would like to make that known.
Proceed with the insults, self-deluded "facts" and propaganda.
Don't worry GP, we understand. Its hard to present what you don't have.
Anyways, I'm not the person that has to straight out lie like this person does:
http://www.11abril.com/index/
esp...ll20051031.html
Hell, they didn't even read the Oppenheimer article before they wrote their non-sense on poverty.
But I'll give Parra is a little smarter than this. He knows better than to discuss Venezuela - thats a losing proposition. So he changes the subject to Cuba instead. Thinking about it, that probably is their best strategy.
-----------------------------------------
Why on earth would I waste my time presenting evidence and facts to people who see no irony whatsoever in calling themselves "revolutionary" while supporting the Cuban dictatorship?
-----------------------
Dude that is just sad, what you do is called blind faith GP, it would be like me barging into a discussion about evolution vs creationism with this:
Why on earth would I waste my time presenting evidence and facts to people who see no irony whatsoever in calling themselves "scientists" while supporting evolution?
---------------------------------
I have no interest in convincing you or any of your impressionable young readers. I simply find your lies tiresome and I would like to make that known.
-------------------
Ok you are not evangelical, but you still always try to disprove things by just claiming it is not on the bible.
At some point you have to let go of faith and open your mind.
Dan,
What you don't seem (or want) to understand is that the issue of Cuba is central to what happens in Venezuela today.
This is not my invention. This is the result of the military, economic and intelligence treaties (public and secret) between the longest-running dictatorship in the world and another in a long line of Venezuelan caudillos.
When you have the level of Cuban influence at the very highest levels of the Venezuelan government that you see now, that is a factor that cannot be ignored.
I reiterate my stance: all of you explicitly avoid discussing the issue of Cuba's indissoluble ties to Venezuela at this moment. Your refusal to acknowledge that Castro is a dictator speaks volumes about your support for Yo El Supremo.
Then there's the fact that none of you are actually Venezuelan. (Flanker perhaps is your token Venezuelan.) But, alas, I'm resigned to knowing that from now on I will have to listen to non-Venezuelans tell me how great Venezuela is doing. That is what the chavista international marketing campaign (Patton Boggs, VIO, etc.) is about: selling their product to as many people as will buy it.
GP:
I don't "refuse" to talk about Cuba. I don't discuss Cuba because it isn't relevant to Venezuela, Iraq, or even oil. But let me humor you and state clearly that I do not support the Cuban government nor wish to see it replicated elsewhere,including Venezuela.
As to Cubans running Venezuela. Chavez, Rangel, Maduro, Lara, Bernal are all Venezuelans are they not? And the entire Cabinet, TSJ, A.N., CNE, military command, and on and on are Venezuelans. So where are these Cuban that you would have us reach the "highest" levels? Working in a clinic in Petare?
Further, even if the opposition rumors were true and there were Cubans in the Venezuelan military or security services so what? There were U.S. "advisors" in them before - does that mean previous Venezuelan governments were controlled by the U.S.? The French and British are famous for using foreigners in their security services. Do they risk foreign domination? I don't think so.
Lastly, you don't like to get your news from me. Fine. Here are some other sources that maybe you will find more appealing:
http://lubrio.blogspot.com/
http://2030ymas.blogspot.com/
http://carlchucho.blogspot.com/
http://yosmaryderausseo.blogspot.com/
There are others but that should get you started. They all have comments sections so please feel free to tell those Venezuelans how badly Chavez sucks. Please be aware though – they suffer neither fools nor foreign escualidos gladly.
"When you have the level of Cuban influence at the very highest levels of the Venezuelan government that you see now, that is a factor that cannot be ignored.
Speculation!
"Your refusal to acknowledge that Castro is a dictator speaks volumes about your support for Yo El Supremo.
Irrelevant!
"Then there's the fact that none of you are actually Venezuelan."
Neither are you - Whitey!
"But, alas, I'm resigned to knowing that from now on I will have to listen to non-Venezuelans tell me how great Venezuela is doing.
No really - all the major periodicals we link to can verify that for you or is Bloomberg, Forbes and the like not good enough for you? You suffer from selective truth reasoning.
"That is what the chavista international marketing campaign (Patton Boggs, VIO, etc.) is about: selling their product to as many people as will buy it.
If people seek the truth then what we say here matters not if corroborated by generally accepted newsworthy publications that echo what is said here. That you dont like it is another matter altogether, and speaks volumes as to your real standing on the matter. When reason leaves the equation you become as bad your oppo friends, a category I personally held you above, until recently. There seems to be a cantagion brewing in the oppo sites to where you would lose sense of coherent argument, and worse, one that I held in highest esteem calls for violence, reducing the charachter I had come to respect through no shortage of interaction to the likes of the Boyds of the world. For shame.
C'mon Juan Carlos,
We've been over this point endlessly. I've never denied I am mestizo. Yes, I'm a "whitey," yes I'm an "indian," yes I'm "black." So?
You are avodiing my comment, which is that chavismo spends millions of dollars each month marketing itself abroad. It does it very well.
But this marketing effort reflects the double-faced nature of the Venezuelan government. Why does a government need to take out full page ads in The New Yorker magazine and The Boston Globe to sing its own praises?
Maybe to counter act opposition propoganda. Which, while we are on the subject of money why does the Venezuelan opposition need to get millions of dollars from US taxpayers? Why can't they finance their own movement. Could it be they don't have enough supporters who are willing to put their money where their mouths are?
And by the way, Dalila of Aporrea fame has her own blog now:
http://dalilabenedetti.blogspot.com/
Lots of poetry. And its a blog GP might appreciate - lots of poetry.
"You are avodiing my comment, which is that chavismo spends millions of dollars each month marketing itself abroad. It does it very well."
Do not confuse good will with marketing Guillo. Besides, what is wrong with making known a product that should be known by those who may benefit from them and at little to no cost?
Your beef lies with your obtuse perception that Chavez is Castro. Let me be the first to direct you to all the news articles relating how open industry is fueling the economy. I mean you make so many claims about Chavez but given your example, wouldnt marketing in foreign countries, in and of itslef, speak to the governments want of foreign dollars? Im glad you are in agreement with us in knowing that Chavez is nowhere near the communist others paint him to be.
SO you're part black now too? interesting. Is that the result of mother not knowing which one finished the job? (that was mean - but you deserve it - I like you though pana, I really do) is your middle name BarryWhite - Guillo BarryWhite Parra. Not true then about, "once you've gone black..."? Lets see 2005-34 = 1971 Hmmmm maybe a bit early for BarryWhite - Guillo IsleyBrother Parra? Nah that doesnt sound as good. Guillo Moonbeam Woodstock Parra? Yeah, now we're talkin!
Hey hows granpa? doin well I hope?
Nice chattin Guillo,
Love,
OW,
The only other country I know of that markets itself heavily in the US is Saudi Arabia (I've seen full-page ads in The New Republic, The Nation and other magazines & newspapers). You simply do not see governments advertising themselves in the US the way the Venezuelan government does.
It's one thing to promote your nation (through cultural exchanges, art, conferences, summits, tourism) but another thing entirely to market yourself to specific liberal and left wing sectors in the US.
A truly democratic nation does not need to market itself.
(On another note, I'll take a look at Dalila Benedetti's blog. Whenever a reconciliation is possible among Venezuelans, art & literature will play a crucial role in that process.)
Pulpo,
Wrong on the birth year, my grandfathers are both dead and I am indeed a mestizo. Most Venezuelans have some African ancestry, even ones you might consider "white."
And you do know that the Tainos landed in PR from Venezuela, so that makes us related. What's surprising is how you seem to have trouble understanding the notion of mestizaje, seeing as you're probably part black as well. No me vayas a decir, "No soy negro, I'm Spanish!" porque no te lo creo.
Now, when you call the slew of chavista marketing mere "good will" you are assuming I actually buy the myth of chavismo as a progressive movement.
Our posts are kind of crossing here but I have seen few ads by the Venezuelan government. I don't read the journals you mention but I do read the NYT and the only ad I have seen was the one by SMARTMATIC after the RR. So even if I generously count that as a government ad thats just one ad in a couple of years (if you have any hyperlinks to others I'll gladly look at them). Beyond that the main thing I see the Venezuelan government doing in the U.S. is Bernardo Alvarez writing aritcles and letters to newspapers which costs nothing and consulates sponsoring events which probably doesn't cost much.
And as for democracies not promoting themselves abroad - well the U.S. certainly does. What do you think the "Voice of America" is? And I believe they set up another Arabic language TV station.
Lastly lets note even the opposition realizes the importance of the battle of ideas and perceptions. Hence the huge amount of anti-Chavez adds they show in Venezuela. And of course the pro-Chavez forces respond with adds of their own. I really don't see that this is unseemgly. Its propoganda and everyone watching it should understand that but thats how these things go. And isn't that better than people beating each other up in the streets?
I agree OW. Words are always preferable to fists. However, chavismo is moving beyond words and it is building up a level of hatred and resentment among Venezuelans that could lead to a civil war.
And part of the reason for this dependence on violence as a tool for maintaining power is that chavismo is primarily a militaristic movement. Its roots are military.
If you've been in Caracas recently you have surely seen the Tupamaros or some of the more violent groups of chavistas who are sponsored and armed by the Venezuelan government. These armed & violent "revolutionaries" are the among the main reasons why I oppose chavismo.
I disagree. Venezuela is actually becoming more peaceful. There are wars of words and elections - but that is how ideas should compete.
Lets remember how things were only a couple of years ago. Fighting in the streets, strikes, murders, mysterious bombings, etc. That is largely gone. Has violence sometimes been used by Chavez supporters? Yes it has and that is deplorable. And I see nothing to say the government has sponsored it. Just as I don't believe the C.D., for example, was behind the opposition led violence.
In any event, I see a marked deescalation in voilence in Venezuela compared to past years. And that is a positive development.
"And you do know that the Tainos landed in PR from Venezuela, so that makes us related."
Yes I do - more than you care to know or I care to tell. But let it be suffice to say that it is part of the reason why i do not hold much against you, brother.
"... However, chavismo is moving beyond words and it is building up a level of hatred and resentment among Venezuelans that could lead to a civil war."
Where Guillo? Where have the words extended themselves beyond just that to warrant such hatred and resentment? To whom are those values accorded to? You will find that it is a small minority that shares in those sentiments to the degree that you describe them as.
Your notion of a civil war would, to me, be a manifestation of a "self described" disenfranchised few who would foment such an action, much like the coup attempt. What is critical in this understanding is that a civil war, like a revolutionary war, or insurgency of any kind, would necessarily require the the armament of the opposing force agianst any government. Who is going to do that Guillo?
Taking into mind modern day logistics and politics there are but two logical avenues of support: US and Colombia. The US would have to secure vast areas of sea territory to clandestinely supply by submarine making obvious thier intentions. ALternitavly they could support a like minded governemnt in support of clandestine network of supply chain stretching from Colombia to bases of operation along the western front of Ven territory. Hardly a Ho Chi Minh Trail, they would be cut off by ELN on northern latitudes and Farc on the south for sure. Where is the resupply for oppo civil war going to come from? Brazil channels in Guyana region? Good luck, youd better have a good amount of indigenous porters to travel slow jungle routes. Pray that the helicopters dont get received before then. Nasty Hinds, they even look evil. Civil War oppo insurgency will have to work within city limits, exposure to country side is, with Hinds, or Tucanos, for that matter, a risky venture. Maybe nasty alliances with islamic forces in the three border area? Hezbollah is known to operate in those circles, although they might side with gov. forces. What is your military strategy Guillo?
OW,
You say two things above that I simply see in a completely opposite manner:
1. "Venezuela is actually becoming more peaceful."
2. "Has violence sometimes been used by Chavez supporters? Yes it has and that is deplorable. And I see nothing to say the government has sponsored it."
3. "In any event, I see a marked deescalation in voilence in Venezuela compared to past years."
I don't know what your friends & relatives in Venezuela experience but every single person I know who lives in Venezuela fears the worst for the country. The crime in Caracas remains at levels that would horrify and make anyone in the First World completely paranoid and stressed out.
You are confusing chavista hegemony in Venezuela with actual peacefulness. Venezuela is undoubtedly becoming more violent. But on that point we will have to see who is correct.
I can give you proof of chavismo supporting violence: the Tupamaros in el 23 de Enero, who are now basically running the PM.
Pulpo,
My military strategy? To breathe, sleep, eat, work, read and write.
You forget that I'm not a politician or an activist. I will always choose people & books over guns. I abhor militarism (again, that's why I'm opposed to Yo El Supremo).
You ask: "Where Guillo? Where have the words extended themselves beyond just that to warrant such hatred and resentment?"
The lista de Tascon, which is still in use as a method for denying Venezuelan citizens to jobs, health care, education, passports, etc.
Yo El Supremo just recently stated (he's said it before) that he will "pulverize" people such as myself.
I do not interpret this as a metaphor.
"I don't know what your friends & relatives in Venezuela experience but every single person I know who lives in Venezuela fears the worst for the country"
I think the key word there is "fears". In other words they are afraid the country will become a dictorship or there will be violence. I think its a legitimate question as to how much of that is based on their own real experiences and how much is based on the non-stop hysteronics of anti-Chavez media. One thing I found interesting in the articles in the New York Review of Books was the author saying she felt oppressed by the politics and that the country "was living in Chavez's head". Well, if you go to a country, sit in front of the TV 24/7 and spend your remaining time talking to Petkoff and Granier you could get that impression. But here is an experiment: go to Venezuela, don't watch TV, don't read newspapers, and don't go on the internet and its amazing - no politics. It is all just peacefull people going about their lives (BTW, the same thing works in the US too).
"I abhor militarism "
That is a very respectable position. But isn't the society you live in far more militaristic than Venezuela? Doesn't it spend more than $400 billion every year on the military and weapons (this is your tax money)? Doesn't it then turn around and actually USE the military to attack and invade other countries - something I don't believe Venezuela has done in decades if ever. Just in the last couple of decades the U.S. has attacked/invaded Iraq, Afghanistan, Yugoslavia, Somolia, Panama, Lebonon, Sudan, Panama, Grenada, and Libya. Thats a pretty long list. In the U.S. you have the Boy Scouts, the ROTC, and now even the Junior ROTC in high schools. Isn't that militarism? I have often heard people in the U.S. say things like "we should just kill them all", or "nuke 'em", or "just wipe their whole fucking country out". How often have I heard a Venezuelan make similiar comments? Never. The U.S. was founded on agression and violence. Native Americans were wiped out, Mexico had half its land taken at gun point, and Canada was told "fourty four forty or fight".
So to the extent militarism is a concern for you you should worry more about the country you live in than Venezuela.
"I do not interpret this as a metaphor"
GP, violent language can unfortunately lead to real violence at times. So indeed it would be nice if both sides used less of it. In that light I hope you are concerned about the posters the PJ people were putting up with the names of prominent Chavista politicians on tombstones saying "rest in peace". Or the pumpkins with the letters saying "next time this will be a bomb". These may also not be metaphors, just as the womens panties sent to military officers prior to the coup weren't.
Again, I do not know of any paramilitary groups loyal to W in the US going around intimidating and attacking individuals who dissent against W.
So because you are a US citizen and not on the recieving end of violent U.S. militarism its ok if people in other countries get killed by it?
And in Venezuela people are attacked for their political believes? Please. Did that little old lady on the Norwegian TV calling Chavez "garbage" look afraid for her life?
The topic of US imperialism is obviously the central topic in the world today. No, I do not agree with the violence inflicted by the US on others (Iraq, Afghanistan, etc). Like many Americans who oppose W, I am in a moral bind, living under a government whose foreign policies I find deplorable.
Yes, in Venezuela people who oppose Yo El Supremo are indeed attacked for their beliefs.
It has happened to my friends and family and to myself.
"It has happened to ...myself."
If you don't mind, what happened?
GP: "Again, I do not know of any paramilitary groups loyal to W in the US going around intimidating and attacking individuals who dissent against W."
They wont be out in the open like in Colombia but they do exist. You ust think outside of the realm of traditional paramilitary forces and keep in mind thier overall objective.
In the case of the US paramilitary forces one would expect that these forces would serve to protect an interest, as most paramilitaries do. It is not too much of an extension of the mind to realize that the US main interest lies in its money making agencies that operate throughout the world. Where the law may prohibit outright military intervention or to employ force without congressional necessity the US relies on the same structures to provide force in the preservance of the same. It is for this reason that the US has a propenderance of private soldiers, mercenaries, if you will, that work for corporations that are hired by the government to do its really dirty work when traditional military force would not be feasable and or wanted by the general public.
"Mercenary / Private Military Companies (PMCs)
The term mercenary is applied to a variety of historical situations which do not appear to have elements in common. Casca, the eternal mercenary, pulled the duty of nailing Christ to the Cross and was doomed to spend eternity as a soldier, a career that can lead to billets like sitting on five-gallon water cans in the cold desert wind on Christmas Eve in Saudi Arabia.
Estimates of the number of private international security personnel range from 15,000 to 20,000. That is as much as 15 percent of the total US presence of about 130,000 soldiers. These private contractors -- who most often work for corporations, diplomats, or journalists -- have no accountability to the US military. These private security contractors can earn up to $1,000 a day. NATO forces have used private soldiers for security in the Balkans. But the proportion of private security personnel to regular military soldiers was no greater than 10 percent.
Part of the US Occupation force in Iraq, the in-country commander, LTG Sanchez decreed that federal civilians will not carry weapons. But being well acquainted with some fellow federal civilians, if they were armed over here it would scare the "you know what". Consequently, every time civilians leave their "safe area", they must have what are called "shooters" with along. They are sometimes the mercenary security teams who are hired and paid by the contractors. Other times they are young American men and women in the US Army."
http://www.globalsecurity.org/mi...a/
mercenary.htm
They dont necessarily need to be for bush GP, they need to preserve the structure of the economic system. ANd in that effort these private armies are in every sense of the word paramilitary.
OW,
Myself and family members were detained at Maiquetia accused of some ludicrous technicality on our US passports in 2002. We were denied the right to leave the country despite the fact that we are US citizens. We had to consult with the US embassy for assistance (they couldn't do much for us), had to spend money we didn't have and go through days of Kafkaesque paranoia & absurd negotiations with the DIEX.
It was a minor incident but enough to make me realize the inherent militarism of the current Venezuelan regime.
It was the moment I realized I would never again see eye to eye with any aspect of chavismo (keep in mind that in 1999-2001 I was willing to give Yo El Supremo a chance).
Pulpo,
We live in probably the darkest age in the history of humanity. That is not reason enough to support a demagogue and militaristic gangster such as Yo El Supremo. He is simply another manifestation of the evils that assail us.
GP,
Doesn't sound like fun. But based on the little you said it doesn't necessarily sound political. The GN and police will always ask for papers for example and if they aren't perfectly in order give you a hard time. Mainly its a way for them to engage in petty corruption by hitting people up for money. Not a good thing for sure but its not political and its been that way since way before Chavez's time. Same goes for the authorities at the airport.
"We live in probably the darkest age in the history of humanity."
Are you really serious with that comment? Yeah, there is a lot of nasty stuff going on in the world but I definitely don't think its worse than what came before.
OW,
I am a pessimist when it comes to our age, an age of genocide, poverty and senseless, unendidng wars. Not to speak of the ecological devastation of our planet.
GP,
I don't think your pessimism is well founded. I'm fairly pessimistic but there is no doubt the average human being now lives better than they did a hundred or so years ago. Thats not to say things can't get worse again, but they have been improving.
Oh, well... now Americans say capitalism is bad and maybe we would have to try communism... upside down world!!!
You are not serious. But you can still travel to Venezuela and SEE with your own eyes that you are believing in Chavez lies!
Sorry to use this method - could not find another way - Could you update your link to venezuelasolidarity.org.uk (broken at the mo)
Superb website
andy
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Economic Democracy; The Political Struggle of the 21st Century
by J.W. Smith
Smith basically repaints the history of the world. He shows why the history of the world has been the history of the control of trade. It continues today with NAFTA, CAFTA, FTAA, the World Bank, IMF, the World Trade Organization, and others. The powerful nations, throughout history have always sought to control the terms of trade in ways that have benefitted them. The English sought to dominate the American colonies, and for that the United States fought for its independence. The Spanish controlled Latin America for centuries, getting rich off the exploitation of those countries. They eventually fought for their independence too, but never achieved economic independence. The same general story continues today with the developed world controlling and exploiting the resources of the underdeveloped, poor countries.
Economic democracy, that is, freedom from economic oppression, and the freedom to choose their own economic system and economic policies, is what is needed for poor, underdeveloped nations. They have never been allowed to choose their own path of development, nor have they ever been freed from economic domination. (IMF, World Bank, FTAA, WTO) In short, the underdeveloped world has never been allowed to develop significantly to achieve economic independence. The developed world sees the development of the underdeveloped world as a threat to their position of hegemony. Economic democracy is what the nations of the third world need to eradicate poverty, and it is exactly what many of them are fighting for!! (Venezuela is a good example!) This book is definitely worth taking a look at, as it will give you a new perspective on history, and how things really work!
Read more about the book and download a 2004 edition copy of this book for free here:
http://www.ied.info/
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