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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Climber who wrote (60673)	12/9/2002 2:21:10 AM
From: LindyBill	Respond to of 281500

Meanwhile, back in Caracas, it is getting really nasty. New York Times Chávez Vows to Regain Control of Oil Industry in Venezuela By JUAN FORERO CARACAS, Venezuela, Dec. 8 ? President Hugo Chávez, facing a volatile battle with opponents whose nationwide strike has nearly paralyzed oil production, vowed today to retake control of the oil industry. Tanker crews are in rebellion, workers at docks and refineries have walked off the job, and oil wells are starting to shut down, severely affecting petroleum exports to the United States. Mr. Chávez, a pugnacious former army colonel whose administration has been marked by political turmoil, vowed to "battle" his opponents to make sure oil production returns to normal levels. Leaders of the antigovernment movement countered by declaring tonight that the strike would continue through at least Monday, the eighth straight day. "They want to shut down the oil industry to generate chaos," Mr. Chávez said on his weekly radio program. "I call on all Venezuelans to defend our oil industry." There was still hope that the political turmoil in Venezuela, one of the world's largest oil exporters, could be settled in talks mediated by the Organization of American States. Both sides agreed to meet on Monday and discuss, for the first time in formal negotiations, proposals for a nonbinding referendum on Mr. Chávez's rule and a constitutional assembly to allow early elections, said a person involved in the talks. Here in Caracas, though, antigovernment rallies continued as residents hunkered down for another week of protests and the vitriolic speech that characterizes the debate over Mr. Chávez's administration. Today, National Guard troops in full combat gear were sent to watch gas stations here as a security measure. Government officials said the military would also secure installations belonging to the state-run oil company, Petróleos de Venezuela. But the outlook for controlling the situation appeared grim for Mr. Chávez, who was briefly removed from power in April after a similar strike. The government, after taking back an oil tanker on Saturday from a rebellious crew, could not muster a crew experienced enough to sail the vessel. It also remained unclear how the government would replace striking oil workers, many of whom are highly trained. Across the country, many gasoline stations have closed as supplies have dwindled. Of the 83 Chevron Texaco stations, for instance, about 10 percent are out of service and the rest are experiencing shortages, said Adrian Bendeck, a representative of the company in Venezuela. The walkout of office workers at Petróleos de Venezuela, he said, had left no one to process orders. The shortages have left people like Ernesto Travieso, 72, a cab driver, scrambling to find fuel. "There's no gas," he said. "I am sure tomorrow I will not be working."

To: Climber who wrote (60673)	12/9/2002 7:17:57 AM
From: Brumar89	Respond to of 281500

I have one quibble with Cohen's article: Western Christianity was undermined not only by Darwin but by the nineteenth-century search for the real Jesus of history. Not sure I'd say it exactly the way you did, but I certainly agree science has definitely not undermined Christianity. Christianity has declined in Europe but I wouldn't credit or blame that to science.