May 2, 2005
WHY HAVE PREDATORS IF WE AREN'T GOING TO USE THEM? (via Tom Corcoran):
Chavez Affirms Venezuela is Heading Towards Socialism of 21st Century (Gregory Wilpert, 02/05/05, Venezuelanalysis.com)
President Chavez once again affirmed that his government is taking Venezuela towards socialism, a socialism that still needed to be constructed for the 21st Century. Rival May Day marches took place again in Caracas and ended without incident.“It is impossible that we will achieve our goals with capitalism, nor is it possible to find an intermediate path… I invite all of Venezuela to march on the path of socialism of the new century. We must construct a new socialism of the 21st century,” said Chavez his speech at the end of the traditional May 1st workers’ day march.
Chavez had just returned from Cuba earlier that day, where his government and that of Cuba signed 49 cooperation agreements. In allusion to his visit, Chavez said that the Cuban revolution “vibrates to the same rhythm” as Venezuela’s Bolivarian revolution and that the changes have just barely begun.
Posted by Orrin Judd at May 2, 2005 11:51 PM
How convenient, he signs 49 agreements, El Barbudo rots in hell and American products are shipped via Cuba to him.
Posted by: Sandy P. at May 3, 2005 1:38 AM"We must construct a new socialism of the 21st century"
Ambitious. The achievements of socialism in the 20th century is a tough act to follow.
Posted by: David at May 3, 2005 1:40 AMPerhaps we should carpet-bomb Venezuela with Spanish translations of "The Road to Serfdom."
Posted by: Jeff Guinn at May 3, 2005 7:13 AMSo Venezuela's going to join the EU?
Posted by: MB at May 3, 2005 7:46 AMIt's joining the Cuba-China-North Korea-Iran axis of evil. Tough luck for the Venezuelan people. Chavez going public like this means he's secured the state and civil institutions and it's no longer possible for the Venezuelan people to resist. This would be a good time for us to offer asylum to them - give them a law like the one Cubans have.
Posted by: pj at May 3, 2005 8:24 AMChavez remains in power because of the money he gets from selling oil to the US. A reduction in our oil needs would topple him in short order.
Posted by: bart at May 3, 2005 8:41 AM"Tough luck for the Venezuelan people"
You reap what you sow. If I remember correctly there were sure a lot of people in the streets supporting this guy.
Posted by: BJW at May 3, 2005 10:16 AMThe anti-Chavez forces had him overthrown, and they let him back. Their lack of spine will be devastating for Latin America.
Posted by: b at May 3, 2005 10:55 AMBJW - It's a mistake to over-estimate the popular support of a tyrant: such governments can recruit a large supply of hacks and thugs, willing to be trade support for the regime for support from the regime.
However, it's true that perhaps a third of the Venezuelan public, mostly poor, are Chavistas. See an interesting analysis here: Caracas Chronicles - The Non-Sense Revolution
Posted by: pj at May 3, 2005 12:57 PMFrom the headline, I thought this was another story about deer or coyotes or evolution...