If I had any reason to be in those countries, I would gladly go and with confidence. But I won’t be tweaked by the old love it or leave it stuff. What you are afraid of is largely inflated. And don’t my word for it. Heres a speech given by Congressman Serrano that fills in a lot of gaps, http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/2826 –but beware, it is a 13 pager, though very revealing indeed. As a teaser I’ll include the following, “…They’ve tried it all in Latin America. They tried military dictatorships. Then they tried regular dictatorships, if there’s such a thing different from a military dictatorship. But it didn’t work either. Then they tried something new for Latin America in many cases, –They tried democracy. They elected folks. But they elected folks who were very much tied to international corporate interests, who got elected, many in questionable elections, and then neglected the people, and they were getting poorer and poorer every day. So what have they done in the last couple of years? They’ve elected left-of-center candidates in Chile, in Argentina, in Ecuador, in Bolivia, in Venezuela.”

Also it appears that Spain is desperately seeking to repair the damage done by the King’s behavior, see http://www.voanews.com/english/2007-11-13-voa69.cfm

also, Sean McCormack, spokesman for the US State Department criticized Wednesday’s violent events, labeling the events in Caracas “an appalling act, although he admitted that they do not know who is responsible, or who fired the shots.” Apparently Police and journalists were also wounded and the man in custody has supposedly admitted to having a personal spat with one of the protesters from the other group. http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news/2815

At best, it is difficult to know where the truth lies, but know that most wars are fought first and foremost in the media………and the US media along with government agencies work hard to negatively portray Venezuelan politics in every instance. Venezuelans, like Americans, are strongly divided about their current Governments, however Chavez’s approval rating is still 60% while Bush’s is in the high 20’s.

There is no paradise, Domajot, only moments where grace seems to permeate the heart. Still, can’t you hear the gigantic training rumbling down the mountain, about to turn the corner?
–Spirasol

The US won’t do anything about it.

As a matter of fact, the USA has been very hands-off about all this, including the Kalashnikov factory and threat of export of unrest elsewhere in the hemisphere.

Chavez — payaso y pendejo.

The Usual Suspects will call the USA an imperalist oppressor (or just “fascist”), but the truth, as usual, is the opposite.

If the USA is a greater threat than Chavez, then try living in Venezuela. Try writiing critical commentary there, or in Cuba.

I disagree with US foreign policy, also.
But not for one moment do I mistake Chavez or Castro for good guys, just because they are not the USA.

BTW, it isn’t socialism that makes a man like Chavez dangerous. It’s the dictatorial governinane that comes with it, as well as his failing marks in money management.
I envy Europe for its socialistic health care and other programs, but they are struggling to pay for them. France has a strike every time it tries to find a reform that will help it pay its bils. There is railway strike right now, and ask the populace how happy they are about that.

Not everything that is not the US is paradise,

If that is all it takes to make another country a danger to us, well you better look around and in the mirror, for many countries view the USA as the premier terrorist threat in the world and unbridled capitalism (imperialism) as a much greater threat than socialism. The most successful countries in Europe are a combination of both, or “social democracies” as they are called. France, England and all of Scandinavia, for example all have unequivocally free health care for all their citizens.
–Spirasol

However, Chavez is more than “a bit nutty, a fruitcake, and egotistical too. “. as Spirasol describes him.
He is dangerous and has a coterie of admirers among Socialists and others disgruntled with the US.
With his oil money, he is capable of doing serious mischief at many points beyoind his borders.

With so many crisis conditions (Pakistan, Iran, Israel and always Iraq and Afghanistan), I’m just hoping that someone at the State Depts is still burning the midnight oil to keep tabs on him.

Heh, heh.

Who are we to go messing around in another countries sovereign affairs? I wonder what would have happened if Russia took it upon themselves to interfere with American affairs when the military shot dead those Kent State students? There are by now thousands of accounts of government infiltration into activist groups here in the USA and more than one police department has been accused of inciting the riot that occurred, encouraging violence, even being the first to engage in violent acts to encourage the others, not to mention the brute force and high tech toys they now have (pepper spray, rubber bullets, tazers) and seem to use without restraint.

There are rumblings that along with executive overreach, Bush does not wish to leave office. At the moment I would call the rumblings paranoid, but he does now have the power to declare marshal law, yes from the executive branch as I understand it…. yes, only in the case of disease or famine……….or disorder, much like Musaraf had to suspend the democracy until he can reorder the pieces to his liking……than we can all enjoy democracy again and he promises to divest himself of one or two or three key titles he holds.

Finally, apparently there is more to the Aznar flap or the upset Spanish king than meets the eye including a culturally indoctrinated Venuzulian disdain for Spain as it’s former colonizer, Aznar’s family’s fascist leanings, and the involvement of the King in Chavez’s near overthrow. Read here– http://www.counterpunch.org/kozloff11132007.html

But I do agree, he is a bit nutty, a fruitcake, and egotistical too.

– Spirasol

The US won’t do anything about it.

The US should do something about it if any US citizens are harmed there.

But even then, our government, with particularly strong oil interest ties, will not. What are we going to do, ask the Iranians to be nice to us and sell us some of their oil?

Incidentally, PEMEX, corruption, and all, Mexico’s leadership remains better-behaved than that of Venezuela. (Maybe it’s because they know down there that this nation is that nation’s safety valve as well as income source.)

US Crude Oil Imports

(Thousand Barrels per Day; that’s X thousand times a thousand.)

Country Apr-07 Mar-07
#1 CANADA 1,909 1,780
#2 MEXICO 1,460 1,621 (Yet, they spend as much as Haiti does on education for their people)
#3 SAUDI ARABIA 1,458 1,216
#4 VENEZUELA 1,182 1,036

“It’s the students’ fault,” of course, just as Ron Settles killed himself in Signal Hill — those officers there taking the Fifth meant nothing.