http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSDAH23660020070702?feedType=RSS&rpc=22&sp=true



is anyone worried about Chavez and Alphabet forming an "Axis of unity" against "North America"? This Chavez guy is a two bit dictator who thinks he has more clout then he does, and seeing the same people who constantly say Bush is Hitler and yada yada yada stand up for and defend Chavez as some sort of humanitarian who is only in power because he keeps getting voted in is retarded. (that means you freethinker)

Though in most cases i agree with Chavez, sometimes i think he is trying too hard to protect the world from american ambitions. Venezuela and Iran have surely huge potential for cooperation, but there is lack of pragmatism (esp. in Iran). All that axises and empires of evil and unity, democracies and dictatorships make me sick. Nobody rememberes the lessons of cold war. Idiotism.

is anyone worried about Chavez and Alphabet forming an "Axis of unity" against "North America"?
I'm shaking. Hold me, Free. (thanks, Brooks)

I will not listen to a word Chavez says as long as his state run oil company, Citgo continues to operate in the US. He has no right to condemn everything American, but be happy to make billions off of our country.

I don't expect anything less from Iran-- their religious leaders are running the country and religion has a history of insanity.

http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSDAH23660020070702?feedType=RSS&rpc=22&sp=true



is anyone worried about Chavez and Alphabet forming an "Axis of unity" against "North America"? This Chavez guy is a two bit dictator who thinks he has more clout then he does, and seeing the same people who constantly say Bush is Hitler and yada yada yada stand up for and defend Chavez as some sort of humanitarian who is only in power because he keeps getting voted in is retarded. (that means you freethinker)

How is Chavez a dictator in your view if he won two elections and a recall vote, and has the highest support of any political leader in Venezuala's history?

Chavez's policies, including his socialism are an example of real democracy in action.

Pfffftttt - LOL! Whatever, tool.

i guess his having his goons shoot to kill into a crowd of peaceful demonstrators and shutting down opposition television channels is also an example of his love of Democracy, right, Deepest Red.

Don't even waste your time, Frogger. He's an obvious kook.

If you wanna refute his brand of "socialism", then look at than how equitable his business practices are (can you say flat-out communist?). He's a two-bit charlatan and thief, bet hey, at least he’s a thief who’s "for" the people, right? :rolleyes:

who cares what venezuela and iran do. it is called self determination.

look at iraq, etc. stick your nose where it doesn't belong and bam, you get smacked.

germany and hitler don't count because he and it were created by ww1 and before. wonder if everyone kept to themselves before then if things would have turned out different? like euros should have stayed the fuck in europe.

Friendship just while an enemy existing.
I won't have it, but some people only have it.

I can't understand american foreign politics. It is so spoiled with ideology that it is even worse than in 50's. Nationalization of oil industry is not dictatorship, untill its own venezuelan oil, not american. State department calls everybody whom they can't or don't want to get along with dictators, while somehow those dictators have way more bigger popular support than american president in the US. Any of them, even Ahmadinejad! And there are absolutely no benefits from such tactics, neither for United States nor to its opponents. It is beyond my understanding.

I can't understand american foreign politics. It is so spoiled with ideology that it is even worse than in 50's. Nationalization of oil industry is not dictatorship, untill its own venezuelan oil, not american. State department calls everybody whom they can't or don't want to get along with dictators, while somehow those dictators have way more bigger popular support than american president in the US. Any of them, even Ahmadinejad! And there are absolutely no benefits from such tactics, neither for United States nor to its opponents. It is beyond my understanding.

I agree that nationalization of the oil industry is not dictatorship. But nationalization and seizing the assets of pre-existing businesses without any sort of compensation is tyrannical behavior. Chavez is also centralizing all power in himself by removing the protections in place for both the legislative and judicial branches in his government. And don't forget his reduction of freedom of the press.

Now, let me be clear: I'm not saying that Chavez is necessarily a bad leader (besides being unprofessional and obnoxious); I believe he is seriously acting in the best interests of his people. But he's setting up shop for a dictator to come to power sooner or later. Chavez won't be around forever...what happens when they get a really nasty leader in office? There will be little to stop him, and if you study your history, you know the nastiest of dictators make unpopular leaders like Bush look like pussycats.

And seriously, how can you compare the popularity of leaders without free press to the popularity of leaders who understand the importance of a free press? Do you not think you can make yourself out to be a great guy if control what all of the newspapers are printing and what all of the news stations are reporting? If not, you lack imagination.

Well said, Leper. (And you put it far more mildly than I would've.)

If he doesn't give any compensations, let oil companies apply to WTO if they think it's a crime. Yes, likely in this case Chavez will make conditions of nationalization even more strict, but there are measures of economical pressure. If it hurts american economic interests, some sanctions may follow from the United States. But they must be explained as a punishment for nationalization, because when Bush starts to mix everything with the his stupid ideology (like it was with banning american military aircrafts for Venezuela), he ruins everything and makes people all over the world think that United States is a dictator and blackmails small socialist Venezuela only because it is socialist. Chavez uses this and that's why he stays unpunished.

Speaking about the free press, i think it is important when it comes to accountability of officials to the people. If people cannot afford themselves to spend more than 5 bucks a day for food, they should know who is guilty in wrong economic policy. I don't know exactly how it is in Venezuela, but in Russia (as soon as it is also often accused in that) we have that kind of freedom of press, where they say who made wrong decisions, who stole money from the budget, who takes bribes and who gives them. In this case i fully support the free press, and if it is called democracy, than i am a democrat.

But when freedom of press pretext is used by one country for political pressure on another one, it only damages the idea of free press. Because i don't see how lack of press freedom in Venezuela may hurt US citizens.

Because i don't see how lack of press freedom in Venezuela may hurt US citizens.
That's not the point.

That's not the point.


What IS the point?

That's not the point.
No, that is the point. Explain please, why the United States act like a policeman if in some country press is partly or fully controlled by government. Does it hurt the United States or not?

No, that is the point. Explain please, why the United States act like a policeman if in some country press is partly or fully controlled by government. Does it hurt the United States or not?

Huh? How is the U.S. policing Venezuela? On the contrary, it seems that it's Venezuela that wants to police the U.S....You said it yourself: "i think [Chavez] is trying too hard to protect the world from american ambitions."

Huh? How is the U.S. policing Venezuela? On the contrary, it seems that it's Venezuela that wants to police the U.S....You said it yourself: "i think [Chavez] is trying too hard to protect the world from american ambitions."
Nobody denies that Chavez uses the split to increase his popularity, but we were talking about the principles which the United States are guided by in their politics towards Venezuela. So what about freedom of press, how it deals with american interests?