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To: The Vet who wrote (26140)	12/30/2003 9:53:46 PM
From: jrhana	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 39344

<Very few "people" in other countries are concerned> I have to disagree with you there I have not been influenced by the US rightist press because I never read it. The Latins I know are indeed very concerned about Chavez. Every Venezuelan I known thinks that he is a raving lunatic. I am not talking about the wealthy but rather middle class families-small businessmen etc. I have my impression of Chavez not from the US press but rather from conversations I have had with Venezuelans. In fact the US press is dominated by liberals who lean over backwards to portray every leftist leaning dictator in the most favorable light. Your link is a good example. Someone like Pinochet is villified on the other hand. The truth is a complicated matter. I personally think it is a crime that most of Latin America seems to be such a basket case. (one of the few exceptions may be Chile-an ironic legacy of the evil Pinochet). Corruption and anrachy have robbed the Latin countries of the ability to enjoy the fruits of their natural resources. There is absolutely no excuse that Venezuela, for instance, should not be a stable and prosperous country-instead of living in a scale of poverty that some have called worse than Haiti's.

To: The Vet who wrote (26140)	12/30/2003 10:54:53 PM
From: marcos	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 39344

No, my reference to 'people' is to speculators, who would be assessing political risk of the enterprise ... as for who is concerned about the situation beyond that, well include me and quite a number of latinos i know here in BC and in México Careful about getting channelled down to a bogus binary choice between 1. Chávez, or 2. US-Somoza style return to fascist oligarchy ... both sides would like us to see it that way, but it's a trap, and unnecessary .... actually there has been quite a bit written on a Ni-Ni sentiment that was growing strong in the fall, venezolanos are not stupid, their main problem may be this false dichotomy that sets up such polarisation into warring camps ... as long as it doesn't slide into violence i think there is hope they'll work it out ..... eventually When i look at the chavistas, with these Círculos Bolivarianos and all, i just about puke, it reminds me so much of the Paz y Justicia types around the south of México ..... hang around an area like that and you'll see what led to their organisation, and they do have legitimate functions, but they get to be like little local Gestapos, each valley with its Inquisicion ..... Chávez certainly has points to make about how the oligarchy treated the country, sure, there is no question about that ... however, that does not mean he is, or has, the solution .... standing up to the US is necessary, but not enough by itself - there is something blatantly suspect about a 'leader' who would embrace Castro to such an extent, it's like applauding the old prick for putting dissidents in jail It is a bare-minimum standard for a society that its citizens have full right to free expression, imho .... Hugo's buddy won't permit his society that, and those Círculos aren't exactly aiding it in Vz either .... look at Chávez a few weeks ago, pointing out anybody who signed the petition would have their name recorded, and be 'noticed' ... little neostalinist dickhead ... i don't like any of em Vet, colour me ni-ni, there's got to be something better out there ... and in fact, certain of the opposition have made sensible statements admitting sins of the oligarchy, who's to say if they might retain any integrity in office, but i'm not convinced that a successful referendum would be a bad thing [edit] - forgot to read your link .... well, first thing, Palast is a partisan polemicist, consistently way too leftie for me .... scanning the piece, yes he makes a few valid points ... but then he tries to stretch them too far, and buys right into the bogus binary choice thing .... nah, i'll stick with None of the Above for now .... cheers