El Presidente Para Simpre.

[Caroni]

The sooner that the Western world can shift to pure ethanol or hydrogen fuel, the sooner we can bankrupt these lunatics.

You are right, but remember that behind these lunatics there are millions that will suffer. If USA stop buying petroleum from Venezuela, our country will be doomed unless we find soon another way to get resources

 

[BoMac]

Chavez to U.S.: 'Go to hell, gringos!'

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) -- President Hugo Chavez returned to his weekly radio and TV broadcast Sunday, extolling the ideals of socialist thinker Karl Marx and telling U.S. officials to "Go to hell!" for what he called unacceptable meddling in Venezuela's affairs.

Chavez defended his government's effort to establish a socialist model and rejected U.S. concerns over a measure to grant him broad lawmaking powers, saying: "Go to hell, gringos! Go home!"

The National Assembly, controlled by the president's political allies, is expected to give final approval this week to what it calls the "enabling law," which would grant Chavez authority to pass a series of laws by decree during an 18-month period.

On Friday, U.S. State Department deputy spokesman Tom Casey said that Chavez's plans under the law "have caused us some concern."

Chavez, who this month announced plans to nationalize Venezuela's main telecommunications company and the electricity and natural gas sectors, says the law will permit profound changes in areas ranging from the economy to defense.

Relations between Caracas and Washington have been tense since a 2002 coup that briefly ousted Chavez, who accused the U.S. government of playing a role in the putsch. The Bush administration has repeatedly denied involvement, but recognized an interim government established by coup leaders.

Criticizing excessive consumption and self-indulgence, Chavez also announced plans to raise domestic gasoline prices and approve a new tax on luxury goods such as private yachts, second homes and extravagant automobiles.

"The one who will pay is the one who fills up the BMW," Chavez said of the gasoline tax.

He did not give details of the gasoline price hike, which he said would not affect bus drivers who provide public transportation, or the luxury tax. He said revenue from the new measures would be put toward government social programs.

In Venezuela -- one of the world's leading petroleum exporters -- gasoline costs as little as 12 cents a gallon thanks to government subsidies.

Fond wishes for Castro, comments on Hussein

In typical style, Chavez spoke for hours Sunday on his return after a five-month hiatus to the weekly program "Hello President," sending best wishes to ailing Cuban leader Fidel Castro and commenting on topics ranging from watching dancing Brazilian girls wearing string bikinis at a recent presidential summit and Washington's alleged role in the hanging of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.

"They took out Saddam Hussein and they hanged him, for good or worse. It's not up to me to judge any government, but that gentleman was the president of that country," Chavez said.

Chavez urged Venezuelans to embrace "21st-century socialism," which he said aims to curtail what he sees as U.S. cultural domination and redistribute the country's oil wealth to the poor through programs that provide subsidized food and cash benefits for single mothers.

"Socialism isn't going to fall from the sky. We are going to understand it, work on it, plant it, sweat it," said Chavez, praising Marx's ideals. "Socialism is built on practice."

Chavez said government officials were considering new legislation that would force businesses to set aside several hours a week for employees to study, and he recommended they read leaflets outlining socialist concepts.

A vociferous former paratroop commander who revels in the role of talk-show host, Chavez suspended "Hello President" over five months ago, saying that broadcasting the weekly program would have constituted unfair use of state airtime ahead of December's presidential election.

Chavez was re-elected to a six-year term in a landslide vote.

 

[Caroni]

A vociferous former paratroop commander who revels in the role of talk-show host, Chavez suspended "Hello President" over five months ago, saying that broadcasting the weekly program would have constituted unfair use of state airtime ahead of December's presidential election.

In change he speaks 12 hours on that channel

21 th Century sosialism is not more than 20 th century Castro-comunism

The idea of leaving the country is more tempting everyday, I don´t wa´t to go but this will get ugly for people that belong to the oppositon and certainly I don´t want to live in a country where they can take away your kids if they want to

 

[CTU2fan]

I like the idea of the luxury tax thing...

 

[Justin24]

Ex-Chavez confidant a critic in Venezuela By JORGE RUEDA, Associated Press Writer
Wed Jan 24, 3:46 AM ET

CARACAS, Venezuela - President Hugo Chavez's political mentor — who once persuaded the fiery leader to seek power through elections after he led a failed coup — now says the regime has "all the characteristics of a dictatorial government."

Luis Miquilena, who helped guide Chavez to his initial 1998 election win and later was his interior minister, spoke out Tuesday five years after he left Chavez's Cabinet, while hundreds of government opponents held a separate protest over a congressional measure that would grant Chavez broad powers to pass laws by decree.

"This is a government with a hypocritical authoritarianism that tries to sell the world certain democratic appearances," said the 87-year-old Miquilena, who has maintained a low profile since resigning from Chavez's government in early 2002.

"The government is not abiding by any rule. It has all the characteristics of a dictatorial government," Miquilena told reporters during a ceremony at the newspaper El Nacional, which is highly critical of the government.

Chavez, who was re-elected by a wide margin last month, says he is committed to democracy and is overseeing changes that will give a greater voice in decision-making to poor Venezuelans. He regularly accuses his opponents of being backed by the United States, but he does not often refer to Miquilena.

Since his re-election, Chavez has accelerated plans to nationalize electrical and telecommunications companies, and is expected next week to be granted special powers by lawmakers to pass various laws by decree for 18 months.

Some 400 to 500 protesters, blowing whistles and waving flags, voiced their opposition to that bill in a peaceful protest in Caracas on Tuesday.

Lawmakers in the entirely pro-Chavez National Assembly, meanwhile, announced they would postpone until next Tuesday a session to approve the so-called "enabling law" allowing Chavez to enact laws by decree in areas from the economy to defense.

Plans announced by Chavez so far include nationalizing the country's main telecommunications company and imposing new taxes on the rich.

Miquilena said he sees a clear effort to "centralize power."

A former communist and pioneer of Venezuela's labor movement, Miquilena was a close collaborator who helped Chavez after he led a failed coup in 1992 against then-President Carlos Andres Perez.

Miquilena provided financial support to Chavez's family while he was in prison for the two years after the coup attempt and convinced the former paratrooper once he was released to seek the presidency through elections.

Miquilena helped Chavez found the Fifth Republic Movement and formed alliances with other parties.

As Chavez's interior minister in 1999, Miquilena earned the reputation as a conciliator between Chavez's fiery rhetoric and the nervous opposition. But he left the government in 2002 after quarreling with Chavez and denouncing his "autocratic style."

In recent years, he had largely disappeared from public view. Miquilena said Chavez's so-called "21st Century Socialism" has "no basis or doctrine of any nature, nor does it have a theory it is based upon."

"Nobody knows what it is, not even Chavez has it clear. Anything that occurs to him he puts in the minestrone," he said.

 

[J_NP]

Finally on a positive note for Anti-Chavez people and opposition , countries like Brazil which despite not being happy with crazyness from Mr Chavez , but kept quiet bout it , well recently Lula has left some indirect remarks , and few not so indirect , bout how He doesn't appreciate that , and that the nuts is startin to mess with democracy ....

Tell u this , it won't be long that the guy will become an island , He will get very isolated even in S America , In Time the only ones who will even stay or understand the fella is his nuts like allies > Evo Moralez , Iran's Presidente ......

I just wish that when he falls he doesn't take Venezuela with him

 

[Justin24]

More fun with Chavez. Now he wants to put all factories under his control. He wants to make GM and Ford National Assessets.

http://player.clipsyndicate.com/player/play_clip/76785?cpt=3&wpid=140

 

[Caroni]

I´m scared!!!! this is getting crazier and crazier it is hard to change a "capitalist" country into a comunist country, the worst part is that oppossiton people is resigned and Chavez people is ... crazy in my opinion, I don´t know what happens to them.




I never thought that Venezuela would be a second Cuba, not this Country were the process of freedom of five latinamerican countries started (with Bolivar BTW).


I don´t know what I´m gonna do, I really don´t wanna leave my country but it is getting more dangerous everyday, specially for us (oppossition), I´m afraid for my family, for our patrimony, for my Country.

 

[BoMac]

Venezuelan lawmakers give Chavez sweeping powers



CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) -- A congress wholly loyal to President Hugo Chavez approved a law Wednesday granting him authority to enact sweeping measures by decree.

Meeting at a downtown plaza in a session that resembled a political rally, lawmakers unanimously approved all four articles of the law by a show of hands.

"Long live the sovereign people! Long live President Hugo Chavez! Long live socialism!" said National Assembly President Cilia Flores as she proclaimed the law approved. "Fatherland, socialism or death! We will prevail!"

Hundreds of Chavez supporters wearing red -- the color of Venezuela's ruling party -- gathered in the plaza, waving signs reading "Socialism is democracy" as lawmakers read out passages of the law giving Chavez special powers for 18 months to transform 11 broadly defined areas, including the economy, energy and defense.

"The people of Venezuela, not just the National Assembly, are giving this enabling power to the president of the republic," said congresswoman Iris Varela, addressing the crowd.

Lawmakers discussed the law by each of its four articles, approving one after the other by a show of hands. At the end, they stood and cheered.

Chavez, a former paratroop commander who easily won re-election in December, has said he will use the law to decree nationalizations of Venezuela's largest telecommunications company and the electricity sector, slap new taxes on the rich and impose greater state control over the oil and natural gas industries.

The law also allows Chavez to dictate unspecified measures to transform state institutions; reform banking, tax, insurance and financial regulations; decide on security and defense matters such as gun regulations and military organization; and "adapt" legislation to ensure "the equal distribution of wealth" as part of a new "social and economic model."

Chavez plans to reorganize regional territories and carry out reforms aimed at bringing "power to the people" through thousands of newly formed Communal Councils. With these, Venezuelans will have a say on spending an increasing flow of state money on neighborhood projects from public housing to road repaving.

Chavez's opponents, however, argue the law dangerously concentrates power in the hands of single man.

"If you have all the power, why do you need more power?" said Luis Gonzalez, a high school teacher who paused to watch in the plaza, calling it a "media show" intended to give legitimacy to a repugnant move. "We're headed toward a dictatorship, disguised as a democracy."

Chavez supporters said the law will help align the country's government and economy for a swift move toward a more egalitarian society.

"That law is going to allow the president to accelerate the process so that government becomes more efficient," said Ruperta Garcia, a 52-year-old university professor in the crowd.

Vice President Jorge Rodriguez ridiculed the idea that the law is an abuse of power and argued democracy is flourishing. He thanked the National Assembly for providing "gasoline" to start up the "engine" of societal changes.

"What kind of a dictatorship is this?" Rodriguez asked the crowd, saying the law "only serves to sow democracy and peace."

"Dictatorship is what there used to be," Rodriguez said. "We want to impose the dictatorship of a true democracy."

Historian Ines Quintero said that with the new powers, Chavez will achieve a level of "hegemony" that is unprecedented in Venezuela's nearly five decades of democratic history.

Chavez has requested special powers twice before, but for more modest legislative changes.

In 1999, shortly after he was first elected, he was only able to push through two new taxes and a revision of the income tax law after facing fierce opposition in congress. In 2001, by invoking an "enabling law" for the second time, he decreed 49 laws, including controversial agrarian overhaul measures and a law that sharply raised taxes on foreign oil companies operating in Venezuela.

This time, the law will give Chavez a free hand to bring under state control some oil and natural gas projects that are still run by private companies -- the latest in a series of nationalist energy policies in Venezuela, a top oil supplier to the United States and home to South America's largest gas reserves.

Chavez has said oil companies upgrading heavy oil in the Orinoco River basin -- British Petroleum PLC, Exxon Mobil Corp., Chevron Corp., ConocoPhillips Co., Total SA and Statoil ASA -- must submit to state-controlled joint ventures, as companies already have done elsewhere in the country.

The law gives Chavez the authority to intervene and "regulate" the transition to joint ventures if companies do not adapt to the new framework within an unspecified "peremptory period."

 

[Caroni]

we are doomed

edit to say: There´s always hope and miracles

 

[J_NP]

And the nuts general is now indeed a dictator , and one of the worst , a dictator with the constitution with him ..........

 

[Caroni]

You are wrong, HE is the constitution

 

[hiphop]

Someone mentioned Bolivar.

I haven´t been to Venezuela. If the poor people support Chavez, he apparently has done something for them that worked well.

I don´t know how how large or how rich the "middle-class" in Venezuela once was, I just know that in many South American countries there were a few rich people and many poor people. A "middle-class" like we know (the typical European or American middle-class citizen, maybe about 50% of society) exists to a much lesser extent in many South American countries.

When rich people lose part of their wealth, I´m not sorry for them. I´m sorry for the poor who have nothing to eat, no hospitals, no education.

Many socialists and communists turned into dictators. Still, to say that all of them did, is a gross misinterpretation of history. Some of the revolutions have worked, even if the people had civil war for decades. Take a look at Nicaragua, where Simon Bolivar is still an idol. After the Sandinistas had won in Nicaragua, they reigned the country for some years, but stepped down when the people democratically elected a medium-right conservative government. That´s one example that actually has worked, after a long and exhausting civil war against the Contras, sent by Reagan, who fought for re-installing a dictatorship.

Chavez was right to monetize the rich oil resources Venezuela has. What speaks against chasing away multinational corporations who controlled the rich resources of the country?

I, for one, do not want the oil resources of this planet controlled by a few powerful Exxon companies who are greedy enough to ruin our water, wildlife and fauna & flora just because a couple of their damn oil tankers break in pieces. That´s the other side of the picture: capitlists who don´t give a shit for loss of life just to boost their profits.

I do not like power concentration, and Chavez, while catering to the poor, might be quite obsessed with power. Anyway, do not forget that some Americans who are apparently a little more extreme than this man, want(ed) to see him dead. With lots of bullshit propaganda about a "new dictatorship". Well how can someone officially elected by a large majority of people be a dictator. So I´m not really buying the "independent" media stories of Murdoch or anyone else.

I think Chavez is not really dangerous. I haven´t heard stories of him bringing 4,000 political oppponents in a stadium, torturing and killing them. Now who did that... remember? Lovely Pinochet. And Pinochet was whose puppet? Remember, Chicago Boys, Kissinger..

In 1973, Chile’s unemployment rate was 4.3%. In 1983, after ten years of free-market modernisation, unemployment reached 22%. Real wages declined by 40% under military rule. In 1970, 20% of Chile’s population lived in poverty. By 1990, the year Pinochet left office, the number had doubled to 40%.

Pinochet did not destroy Chile’s economy all alone. It took nine years of hard work by Milton Friedman’s trainees, the Chicago Boys. Under the spell of their theories, the General abolished the minimum wage, outlawed trade union bargaining rights, privatised the pension system (sounds familiar?), abolished all taxes on wealth and on business profits, slashed public employment and privatised 212 state industries and 66 banks.

Freed of the dead hand of bureaucracy, taxes and union rules, the country took a giant leap forward into bankruptcy and depression. After nine years of economics Chicago style, in 1982 and 1983, GDP dropped 19%. The free-market experiment was kaput. Yet the scientists of Chicago declared success. In the US, Reagan’s State Department issued a report concluding, “Chile is a casebook study in sound economic management.” Milton Friedman himself coined the phrase, “The Miracle of Chile.” Chile was a showcase of de-regulation gone berserk.

History tells me Chavez´ accumulation of power is tiny compared to the power of Wall Street. I haven´t heard the news of secret Chavez´ police troops slaughtering political opponents. That leads me to the (natural) conclusion that rich Venezuelans do not have fear of the person Chavez per se, but fear of losing comfort, priviledges or money.

But I have to admit I don´t know much about the Venezuelan middle class. What exactly did the middle class loose and/ or gain?

 

[Caroni]

Someone mentioned Bolivar.

What exactly did the middle class loose and/ or gain?

This points concerns to every Venezuelan:

First of all, we already lost peace, he has spread this hate message among Venezuelans, that didn´t exist before.

Freedom, he will close one of the main TV channels that we have, and that is just the first. Let me tell you, a country where only one opinion (his) is listened, can´t be free, in other hand we, oppossition people (and this is my greatest critic), are beeing discriminated from works because we signed a referendum agaisnt him.

We will lose the rigth to raise our own kids, since the new education sistem will be based in socialist (comunist) thougths, instead of teaching them different systems so they can choose, they will be capable take away your child if they want (as people that know about laws are saying)






We, middles class: we are loosing private property rigth, just today, my brothers had to go to solve a situation where people were trying to invade one space my father inherited us!. in the future they will be capable of take our second house. Is not a luxure to have a second house, we live from that rent!!!


We will lose the rigth to private education, wich will be bad because the public education here, well, sucks, I can say the same about public health, whay we can´t get benefits of private clinics that are 10000000 times better than public hospitals



At the end all reduces to lack of peace and security and even money


I don´t critizice taxes for richer people, and I like that poor people are finally being taken into account, but is the presure over the opossiton that make me mad, is that hate languaje he uses, believe me, you have to live here to feel and to know what is really happening.

Someone mentioned Bolivar.

I´ll let you with this Bolivar Proverb:

Huyan del país donde sólo uno mande, porque ha de ser un país de esclavos

Runaway from a Country where just one person rules, because it is a country of slaves


So I guess we are a country of slaves allready

 

[Caroni]

And, BTW sorry if I have made some mistakes in my writing

 

[J_NP]

Someone mentioned Bolivar.

When rich people lose part of their wealth, I´m not sorry for them. I´m sorry for the poor who have nothing to eat, no hospitals, no education.

Mate u hold such a rosy picture of Communism , guess u never had the experience of it , neither had I , but lemme tell you , the bloody thing doesn't hit only the wealthiest , but everyone , middle class everything , Everyone goes to the same level , and a fucking guy in the charge does not

So tell me according to ur view , that people who worked hard their whole life to buy a nice house , a nice car , all honestly with their hard earned cash , then comes a MotherF....er and says it's gonna be communism for all , u didn't vote for the guy , but the government comes and says everything will be sold to re-pass the money .............. For any kind of person

There's even a better view , so there was the class-rom , 2 guys , one is paying attention , givin up his life to study , so he enters in Med School , while there's that little fella who's sleeping in the class and only want to party . Years Later There is the doctor gettin money from his honest sweat , and there was the party boy who turned to be washin dishes , So comes the gov , And say they must be financially equal

Yeah Communism is extraordinary

 

[Caroni]

^ I couldn´t say it better, thanks!

 

[Justin24]

Well I have been saying look out for Chavez for months now. And we finally get to see what he is really all about. The next 60 year Castro.

 

[Vincent Vega]

Uh, that would make him 122 when he leaves.




I hope, but I know that's not realistic, he won't make it too long.
But that's really not realistic.

Don't wait too long, Caroni. Those regimes get out of control too fast.

 

[Caroni]

^I hope so

 

[Justin24]

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=2922835

Chavez Calls Envoy 'Professional Killer'
By ELIZABETH M. NUNEZ

CARACAS, Venezuela Mar 4, 2007 (AP)— President Hugo Chavez on Sunday said he believes enemies including the CIA are out to kill him, and called U.S. diplomat John Negroponte a "professional killer."

Chavez said Venezuelan officials have intelligence that associates of jailed Cuban anti-communist militant Luis Posada Carriles also are involved in plotting to assassinate him.

He said the death plot idea has "gained weight" due to various factors, including the recent appointment of Negroponte, the former director of national intelligence, as deputy to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

"Who did they swear in … there at the White House as deputy secretary of state? A professional killer: John Negroponte," Chavez said.

Chavez did not elaborate, but his government has previously accused Negroponte of playing a key role in the Contra war against the leftist Sandinista government of Nicaragua when he served as ambassador to Honduras a haven for clandestine Contra bases from 1981 to 1985.

U.S. Embassy officials could not immediately be reached for comment, but they have denied Chavez's repeated accusations that they are plotting to oust him.

Chavez was asked about reports of assassination plots during a televised interview.

"They have assigned special units of the CIA, true assassins, who go around not only here in Venezuela, in Central America, in South America," Chavez said, without elaborating.

He added that while Posada Carriles, a former CIA operative, remains jailed in the U.S. on immigration charges, "Posada Carriles' people are very active in Central America and searching for contacts in Venezuela … They are going around searching for explosives in large quantities, thinking about a sort of car bombing or searching for ground-to-air missiles, thinking about the presidential plane."

Chavez did not give details. His government has demanded that the U.S. extradite Posada Carriles, a naturalized Venezuelan, to stand trial for allegedly masterminding the 1976 bombing of a Cuban airliner that killed 73 people. Posada Carriles denies involvement in that incident.


Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

 

[Caroni]

This is more of his

 

[hiphop]

Mate u hold such a rosy picture of Communism , guess u never had the experience of it , neither had I , but lemme tell you , the bloody thing doesn't hit only the wealthiest , but everyone , middle class everything , Everyone goes to the same level , and a fucking guy in the charge does not

So tell me according to ur view , that people who worked hard their whole life to buy a nice house , a nice car , all honestly with their hard earned cash , then comes a MotherF....er and says it's gonna be communism for all , u didn't vote for the guy , but the government comes and says everything will be sold to re-pass the money .............. For any kind of person

There's even a better view , so there was the class-rom , 2 guys , one is paying attention , givin up his life to study , so he enters in Med School , while there's that little fella who's sleeping in the class and only want to party . Years Later There is the doctor gettin money from his honest sweat , and there was the party boy who turned to be washin dishes , So comes the gov , And say they must be financially equal

Yeah Communism is extraordinary

Privjet JNP

yawn.

mate you probably should go ask some people who lived in Russia or in Eastern Germany instead of relying on mythical comparisons.

It wasn´t a rosy time at all I agree and corruption coupled with powerful suppressive state power

But how come you imagine that communism or socialism was going to take away your private property? This is a misconception many people seem to have.

Comrade, if you owned a bottle of Vodka in communist Russia it belonged to you, not to the state. It is a myth to think that communism did not allow private property - eveyone could have this - communism did not allow commercial property. That means, you couldn´t own a company, or a power plant, or a bank. Commercial property was forbidden. Private property was restricted but allowed.

I´ll leave you with a nother yawn and pls go check your history book or maybe some info before you make such generalised statements. you haven´t even commented on the historical examples i outlined, you just threw in phrases that sound like mc carthy propaganda.

 

[A_Wanderer]

But how come you imagine that communism or socialism was going to take away your private property? This is a misconception many people seem to have

So the rich can continue to live their lives with all their investments and properties after the revolution?

How is wealth able to be created when free enterprise is restricted - can the state provide the incentive to generate the supply to meet the demands of every citizen?

 

[hiphop]

So the rich can continue to live their lives with all their investments and properties after the revolution?

How is wealth able to be created when free enterprise is restricted - can the state provide the incentive to generate the supply to meet the demands of every citizen?

A discussion about the Pros and Cons of Communism is really boring - and this is not the thread for it.

I merely replied to some very general statements of another poster since I was quoted.