Venezuela, America's anti-universe

by soccerdad

Asia Times has an article today Venezuela, America's anti-universe by Ian Williams

He said that watching the Venezuela referendum on Chavez was like looking in a mirror, although a distorted one. Things are reversed compared to the US.

While we are invited to distrust Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez because he actually served in the military, even if he missed Vietnam, US presidential candidates are competing on the basis of who is the best animated GI Joe figure on offer

He notes that Conservative commentators distrust Chavez and have accused him of buying votes. Did he? Well only if you consider giving the poor education, work and health care a crime. But here is what probably bother the conservatives as well as the upper class in Argentina, he paid for his programs by raising taxes on the rich. How dare he? I can hear the conservative Repubs going nuts. But thats not the worst he's using the tax revenue as well as the revenue coming from record oil sales to actually pay down the deficit he inherited. Oh the horror

It is difficult to give wholehearted support for Chavez, despite amiably independent characteristics such as calling the president of the United States an "asshole", publicly hoping he loses the next election, and (oh horror!) thinking current high oil prices are "fair", while looking to a European social-democratic model rather than a Chicago School neo-liberal one.

After all, Chavez was the leader of a military coup in times past, and he shows a populist tendency to assume that he represents the will of the people, unlike Bush, who was the beneficiary of a judicial coup in 2000, and who assumes that he represents the will of God and the people.

It should be noted that Chavez helped change the constitution as to allow the referendum that he then won.

One almost wishes that John Kerry could at least as loudly and unequivocally promise social justice for the millions of Americans without health care, or access to proper education, or progressive taxation on the ultra-rich.

It might motivate them to turn out in the same numbers that the marginalized Venezuelans do, despite Fox, MSNBC and Clear Channel......

I think its clear why Bush and his neocon corporate cabal hate Chavez