Venezuelan BFF

So let's get a handle on this Chavez fellow:

He took control of Venezuela in 1999.

Set himself up as a social justice Jesus...and managed to do it without the "accidental" halos from the Venezuelan media.

Quickly rewrote their constitution to give him more time in office and more power to put forth his social programs.

You know: the chicken-in-every-pot and gas-in-the-tank and pay-my-mortgage kinda socialism/communism thingy.

He replaced the elected congress with his own allies.

Called in troops to quell the protestors of his 2000 election.

In 2001, business and labor organizations in Venezuela got a little tired of Chavez's wealth re-distribution machine; so they did a "John Galt" and refused to produce.

In 2002 the oil workers did the same.

Things came to a boil and in a massive protest against Chavez's policies, 17 people were killed by Chavez's military.

Enough was enough...for a little while anyway.

Though Chavez was forced out of office, that international protest stuff started;
and lo and behold...Chavez got his crown back.
That wily Latino was still very popular with the poor.
And he promised them lotsa goodies for their support.

So in 2003, while those evil money makers called 'capitalists' worked to get a recall referendum on the dictator-to-be, Chavez raided the producer's pocketbooks and spent huge amounts for his social programs on those who were grateful not to have to work for a living.

Abracadabra...Chavez won his own referendum, which the opposition protested as fraudulent.

And once again the international observers gave Chavez a wink, a nod, and an okey-dokey from them...and he stayed.

Hey! What's a little election fraud among friends?

Moving on...

By 2007, Chavez had nationlized energy and telecomunications.
He shut down the main opposition t.v. station: Fox News...er, I mean RCTV;
and got the National Assembly to finally get rid of those pesky term limits on the presidency.

But our favorite dictator got a little trigger-happy in 2008 and replaced the secret police and intelligence agencies with the Chavez version--adding a happy little law that says anyone who does not assist said agency will enjoy some prison time.
...all in the name of national security, of course.

But, apparently even socialists have their limits and the hue and cry forced him to reverse those policies.

...does a dictator ever actually reverse policies?
hmm...worth looking into.
Based on his past performances, I'd say Chavez just tucked that little number away until a more opportune time.

Last year Chavez approved 26 new laws to increase his control in government; create a new military branch; take control of more private companies and fuel distribution; and last but certainly not least, won a referendum giving him the ability to steal...er, I mean run for re-election indefinitely.

Ta-da!

Now, I think I could ignore a tin-pot dictator foolishly stuffing his country into the dust bin of communism--if he was only interested in his own country.

But, alas...the tower of Babel mindset has never really left us; and Chavez has reached out to dictators large and small all over the world to join hands in building the new world order, just like the old world order after the Flood...but, um...newer.

Of course Chavez's best chance at gathering a dictator club-of-the-month is to first: denounce Israel and the U.S.
Let me give a few examples:

In 2006 alone Chavez gave a strange little speech at the U.N. in which he called Bush the 'devil' and said he could 'smell the sulfur' coming from America.

Next he went to China and accused Israel of genocide.

Then a stop to his new BFF's in Tehran where he called Israel terrorists and fascists.

Then on Obama's favorite news network, Al Jazeera, Chavez likened Israel to Hitler (huh?) and declared the U.S. the worst menace to humanity, with Israel as our instrument.

...dittos in Qatar and everywhere anti-American, anti-semitism reigns.

Chavez has quite an audience.

And he hasn't even gotten started.

Three weeks ago, Chavez went to Iran and in Tehran sat down with his buddy, Ahmadinejad, and agreed to a joint bank between Iran and Venezeula. At the same time he said "Tehran for us is like arriving at our home."

Okay....I guess that means Chavez has given Roman Catholisim the heave-ho.

And in ridiculing the G20 summit Chavez said:
"Capitalism has to end."
"We must take a transitional road to a new model that we call 'socialism'."

Pssst....Chavez, dude, I hate to rain on your socialist parade, but that new model you're so excited about...well, it's been around for awhile now and the engine is shot.

Of course, we who take the time to find out about history already know this.
And it's a good bet Chavez and Obama know it too
...which is why they're shaking hands.

redink