[Tahna Los]

Can you say CUBA?

[Rictor]

edit: colourized for easier viewing.

Emboldened by his resounding reelection victory on Dec. 3, Mr. Chávez announced plans this week to nationalize power and telecom companies as part of an accelerated move toward socialism.

Energy: Canada's hydro utilities are largely government owned and controlled. Only in the last few years have they opened up a hydro market, and then only to a very limited extent. Hydro is a crucial inftrastructure industry, many countries have a public as opposed to private electricity sector.

Telecom: France, Germany, Italy, Brazil and other such hotbeds of radicalism all have large state-owned telecoms. Woo-dee-doo. Again, it's nothing unusual, and if it were any other country doing it no one would even notice.

In the past week, he has purged his cabinet of ministers deemed insufficiently radical, bringing in a new group of loyalists that includes his brother, Adan. He has begun to merge the more than 20 parties in his governing coalition into a single force under his control. And, under a controversial new law, he is set to take control of nongovernmental organizations that could oppose his government.

The first sentence is politically loaded. How do they know the cabinet ministers were dismissed for being "insufficiently radical"? Maybe they were dismissed for reasons of corruption, which is rampant in Venezuela? Or maybe they were dismissed because, as the President, Chavez has the right to re-shuffle his cabinet for any damn reason he likes.

Also, consolidating the various leftists into a single party is a non-event. You can't exactly force them into it. If they are all willing, and have been working together for years anyway, why not? In case you forgot, the US has exactly two big parties. So you'll forgive me for rolling my eyes at claims that Chavez is "consolidating power". It's a voluntary process. Again, if it happened anywhere else no one would bat an eye.

Chávez is also moving to take control of civic groups, some of which have been critical of his government. Under a proposed law now in Congress, NGOs will have to reregister with the government, even if they have been operating legally for years. Foreign funding will have to pass through the government, and NGOs would have to open their files to anyone that requests it.

NGOs are hardly all angels. For example, the good people at Freedom House (such a wonderful name) were headed for many years by a former CIA director. Real impartial, right? NGOs have been used to overthrow governments in the service of certain nations and financial intersts. Russia has also passed a similar law, and I support it. Have you ever heard of the colour revolutions? Georgia, Kyrgystan, Serbia and Ukraine all had their government overthrown by NGO financed by the West. The same thing happened in Venezuela. Sumate, the most prominent opposition NGO, recieves US money and their leader was present at the Presidential Palace when Chavez was overthrown in 2002.

How would you feel if China or Russia started financing opposition groups who's intent is to overthrow the government through any means necessary? I'm not saying all NGOs are pawns or fronts, not by a long shot, but some are.

Chávez is also gearing up to change the constitution to allow his indefinite re-election - and has vowed to remain in power until 2021.

We'll see. Last time I heard, he was only saying that to scare the opposition out of boycotting the elections again. I don't thik he's that stupid, and the who issue is kind of vague. But presenting it in the most sinister way possible sure is a good tactic.

With political passions on the rise, Chávez's opponents say they are bracing themselves for a renewed crackdown. Some of the 3.5 million Venezuelans on a political blacklist compiled by his government two years ago say they have noticed a recent upswing in harassment by government officials.

Says who? The opposition who claimed the 2004 referendum was rigged even when it was certified by EU observers? And while I won't defend this measure, I will say that many of the people on that list are not innocent opposition-types who are being savagely repressed, but are people who supported either the 2002 coup or the 2003 oil strike which crippled the economy.

"We're heading toward socialism, and nothing and no one can prevent it," he said in a televised address after swearing in his new cabinet on Monday.

They're heading towards no such thing. Chavez is either playing to his base or doesn't understand the meaning of the word socialism. Private exterprise is blooming in Venezuela - it's only the large industries which are being nationalized, which is the case in much of the world. The government has helped to decentralize economic power by setting up coops and financing programs to create businesses. We can have a debate about the merits of private vs public ownership of certain industries, but the fact remains that the Chavez has made no moves to crack down on private enterprise which are more radical than your typical left-wing economy.

Also, even if they were heading towards socialism, that's apparently what the people want. For all I care they could be heaading towards a Zoroastrian theocracy. Chavez clearly has a mandate, the economy is booming - what more do you want?

SadisticSid is right - it's not the fact that we don't like the fact that he's making it a socialist state (although I'm sure some people out there are) - it's the fact that he's turning it into a dictatorship-style socialist state.

Dictators don't usually win 4 consecutive elections by a  margin of 60% or more. How many people has he imprisoned? How many people has he killed? Are there prison camps that I'm unaware of?

While I will admit that Chavez has a certain authoritrian streak, you equally can't deny that the opposition, far from being the pure-hearted guardians of democracy, are run by corrupt elites and oligarchs who are pissed that their personal kingdom has been taken away.

so, how many years before venezuelans ask western countries to help them rebuild their economy?

Considering the economy is growing by more than 10% a year, an achievement that few countries can claim, I would say quite a while. It's been growing steadily and rapidly ever since Chavez took office, with the only interuption being the devastating opposition-led oil strike. Check your facts, Chavez is great for the economy.

National socialism CAN work, if it occurs in moderation.

Tell me you didn't just say "national socialism".

[Mr. Vega]

You're right about the growth rate, but Venezuelas's inflation is terrible- 16% a year.

[Bobboau]

slight bump

[Nuclear1]

Goodbye democracy in Venezuela.

But oh well, what do you expect out of someone who represses the media, lies to his constituents, and intimidates--nay, eliminates--opposition?

[Bobboau]

surely you are not refering to Hugo Chavez!

that Hugo Chavez is one bad mothe-
you shut yo mouth!
I'm only talk'n bout Chavez.
we can dig it.

[NGTM-1R]

No more Shaft for you.

[aldo_14]

No more Shaft for you.

So you're no longer working on Friday nights, then?....

[NGTM-1R]

I thought that was you...

[Neo]

We know were America is heading once its done in Iraq.

[NGTM-1R]

And where is that, Comrade?

(Please note the Democrats currently overrunning the US Congress.)

[aldo_14]

I thought that was you...

It's hard work being a part time vice-policemanperson, but someone has to put transvestiate prostitute scum where they belong - daytime TV.