Hugo Chavez and the devil called Bush
If you missed the show, you must read the speech of this brave man called Chavez.
For the records (and to draw a smile on your face tonight), here it is:
Address to the United Nations, 20th September, 2006
Rise Up Against the Empire
By HUGO CHAVEZ
Representatives of the governments of the world, good morning to all of you. First of all, I would like to invite you, very respectfully, to those who have not read this book, to read it.
Noam Chomsky, one of the most prestigious American and world intellectuals, Noam Chomsky, and this is one of his most recent books, ‘Hegemony or Survival: The Imperialist Strategy of the United States
.’” [Holds up book, waves it in front of General Assembly.] “It’s an excellent book to help us understand what has been happening in the world throughout the 20th century, and what’s happening now, and the greatest threat looming over our planet.
The hegemonic pretensions of the American empire are placing at risk the very survival of the human species. We continue to warn you about this danger and we appeal to the people of the United States and the world to halt this threat, which is like a sword hanging over our heads. I had considered reading from this book, but, for the sake of time,” [flips through the pages, which are numerous] “I will just leave it as a recommendation.
It reads easily, it is a very good book, I’m sure Madame [President] you are familiar with it. It appears in English, in Russian, in Arabic, in German. I think that the first people who should read this book are our brothers and sisters in the United States, because their threat is right in their own house.
The devil is right at home. The devil, the devil himself, is right in the house.
“And the devil came here yesterday. Yesterday the devil came here. Right here.” [crosses himself] “And it smells of sulfur still today.
Yesterday, ladies and gentlemen, from this rostrum, the president of the United States, the gentleman to whom I refer as the devil, came here, talking as if he owned the world. Truly. As the owner of the world.
I think we could call a psychiatrist to analyze yesterday’s statement made by the president of the United States. As the spokesman of imperialism, he came to share his nostrums, to try to preserve the current pattern of domination, exploitation and pillage of the peoples of the world.
An Alfred Hitchcock movie could use it as a scenario. I would even propose a title: “The Devil’s Recipe.”
As Chomsky says here, clearly and in depth, the American empire is doing all it can to consolidate its system of domination. And we cannot allow them to do that. We cannot allow world dictatorship to be consolidated.
The world parent’s statement — cynical, hypocritical, full of this imperial hypocrisy from the need they have to control everything.
They say they want to impose a democratic model. But that’s their democratic model. It’s the false democracy of elites, and, I would say, a very original democracy that’s imposed by weapons and bombs and firing weapons.
What a strange democracy. Aristotle might not recognize it or others who are at the root of democracy.
What type of democracy do you impose with marines and bombs?
The president of the United States, yesterday, said to us, right here, in this room, and I’m quoting, “Anywhere you look, you hear extremists telling you can escape from poverty and recover your dignity through violence, terror and martyrdom.”
Wherever he looks, he sees extremists. And you, my brother — he looks at your color, and he says, oh, there’s an extremist. Evo Morales, the worthy president of Bolivia, looks like an extremist to him.
The imperialists see extremists everywhere. It’s not that we are extremists. It’s that the world is waking up. It’s waking up all over. And people are standing up.
I have the feeling, dear world dictator, that you are going to live the rest of your days as a nightmare because the rest of us are standing up, all those who are rising up against American imperialism, who are shouting for equality, for respect, for the sovereignty of nations.
Yes, you can call us extremists, but we are rising up against the empire, against the model of domination.
The president then — and this he said himself, he said: “I have come to speak directly to the populations in the Middle East, to tell them that my country wants peace.”
That’s true. If we walk in the streets of the Bronx, if we walk around New York, Washington, San Diego, in any city, San Antonio, San Francisco, and we ask individuals, the citizens of the United States, what does this country want? Does it want peace? They’ll say yes.
But the government doesn’t want peace. The government of the United States doesn’t want peace. It wants to exploit its system of exploitation, of pillage, of hegemony through war.
It wants peace. But what’s happening in Iraq? What happened in Lebanon? In Palestine? What’s happening? What’s happened over the last 100 years in Latin America and in the world? And now threatening Venezuela — new threats against Venezuela, against Iran?He spoke to the people of Lebanon. Many of you, he said, have seen how your homes and communities were caught in the crossfire. How cynical can you get? What a capacity to lie shamefacedly. The bombs in Beirut with millimetric precision?
This is crossfire? He’s thinking of a western, when people would shoot from the hip and somebody would be caught in the crossfire.
This is imperialist, fascist, assassin, genocidal, the empire and Israel firing on the people of Palestine and Lebanon. That is what happened. And now we hear, “We’re suffering because we see homes destroyed.’
The president of the United States came to talk to the peoples — to the peoples of the world. He came to say — I brought some documents with me, because this morning I was reading some statements, and I see that he talked to the people of Afghanistan, the people of Lebanon, the people of Iran. And he addressed all these peoples directly.
And you can wonder, just as the president of the United States addresses those peoples of the world, what would those peoples of the world tell him if they were given the floor? What would they have to say?
And I think I have some inkling of what the peoples of the south, the oppressed people think. They would say, “Yankee imperialist, go home.” I think that is what those people would say if they were given the microphone and if they could speak with one voice to the American imperialists.
And that is why, Madam President, my colleagues, my friends, last year we came here to this same hall as we have been doing for the past eight years, and we said something that has now been confirmed — fully, fully confirmed.
I don’t think anybody in this room could defend the system. Let’s accept — let’s be honest. The U.N. system, born after the Second World War, collapsed. It’s worthless.
Oh, yes, it’s good to bring us together once a year, see each other, make statements and prepare all kinds of long documents, and listen to good speeches, like Abel’s yesterday, or President Mullah’s . Yes, it’s good for that.
And there are a lot of speeches, and we’ve heard lots from the president of Sri Lanka, for instance, and the president of Chile.
But we, the assembly, have been turned into a merely deliberative organ. We have no power, no power to make any impact on the terrible situation in the world. And that is why Venezuela once again proposes, here, today, 20 September, that we re-establish the United Nations.
Last year, Madam, we made four modest proposals that we felt to be crucially important. We have to assume the responsibility our heads of state, our ambassadors, our representatives, and we have to discuss it.
The first is expansion, and Mullah talked about this yesterday right here. The Security Council, both as it has permanent and non-permanent categories, (inaudible) developing countries and LDCs must be given access as new permanent members. That’s step one.
Second, effective methods to address and resolve world conflicts, transparent decisions.
Point three, the immediate suppression — and that is something everyone’s calling for — of the anti-democratic mechanism known as the veto, the veto on decisions of the Security Council.
Let me give you a recent example. The immoral veto of the United States allowed the Israelis, with impunity, to destroy Lebanon. Right in front of all of us as we stood there watching, a resolution in the council was prevented.
Fourthly, we have to strengthen, as we’ve always said, the role and the powers of the secretary general of the United Nations.
Yesterday, the secretary general practically gave us his speech of farewell. And he recognized that over the last 10 years, things have just gotten more complicated; hunger, poverty, violence, human rights violations have just worsened. That is the tremendous consequence of the collapse of the United Nations system and American hegemonistic pretensions.
Madam, Venezuela a few years ago decided to wage this battle within the United Nations by recognizing the United Nations, as members of it that we are, and lending it our voice, our thinking.
Our voice is an independent voice to represent the dignity and the search for peace and the reformulation of the international system; to denounce persecution and aggression of hegemonistic forces on the planet.
This is how Venezuela has presented itself. Bolivar’s home has sought a nonpermanent seat on the Security Council.
Let’s see. Well, there’s been an open attack by the U.S. government, an immoral attack, to try and prevent Venezuela from being freely elected to a post in the Security Council.
The imperium is afraid of truth, is afraid of independent voices. It calls us extremists, but they are the extremists.
And I would like to thank all the countries that have kindly announced their support for Venezuela, even though the ballot is a secret one and there’s no need to announce things.
But since the imperium has attacked, openly, they strengthened the convictions of many countries. And their support strengthens us.
Mercosur, as a bloc, has expressed its support, our brothers in Mercosur. Venezuela, with Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, is a full member of Mercosur.
And many other Latin American countries, CARICOM, Bolivia have expressed their support for Venezuela. The Arab League, the full Arab League has voiced its support. And I am immensely grateful to the Arab world, to our Arab brothers, our Caribbean brothers, the African Union. Almost all of Africa has expressed its support for Venezuela and countries such as Russia or China and many others.
I thank you all warmly on behalf of Venezuela, on behalf of our people, and on behalf of the truth, because Venezuela, with a seat on the Security Council, will be expressing not only Venezuela’s thoughts, but it will also be the voice of all the peoples of the world, and we will defend dignity and truth.
Over and above all of this, Madam President, I think there are reasons to be optimistic. A poet would have said “helplessly optimistic,” because over and above the wars and the bombs and the aggressive and the preventive war and the destruction of entire peoples, one can see that a new era is dawning.
As Silvio Rodriguez says, the era is giving birth to a heart. There are alternative ways of thinking. There are young people who think differently. And this has already been seen within the space of a mere decade. It was shown that the end of history was a totally false assumption, and the same was shown about Pax Americana and the establishment of the capitalist neo-liberal world. It has been shown, this system, to generate mere poverty. Who believes in it now?
What we now have to do is define the future of the world. Dawn is breaking out all over. You can see it in Africa and Europe and Latin America and Oceanea. I want to emphasize that optimistic vision.
We have to strengthen ourselves, our will to do battle, our awareness. We have to build a new and better world.
Venezuela joins that struggle, and that’s why we are threatened. The U.S. has already planned, financed and set in motion a coup in Venezuela, and it continues to support coup attempts in Venezuela and elsewhere.
President Michelle Bachelet reminded us just a moment ago of the horrendous assassination of the former foreign minister, Orlando Letelier.
And I would just add one thing: Those who perpetrated this crime are free. And that other event where an American citizen also died were American themselves. They were CIA killers, terrorists.
And we must recall in this room that in just a few days there will be another anniversary. Thirty years will have passed from this other horrendous terrorist attack on the Cuban plane, where 73 innocents died, a Cubana de Aviacion airliner.
And where is the biggest terrorist of this continent who took the responsibility for blowing up the plane? He spent a few years in jail in Venezuela. Thanks to CIA and then government officials, he was allowed to escape, and he lives here in this country, protected by the government.
And he was convicted. He has confessed to his crime. But the U.S. government has double standards. It protects terrorism when it wants to.
And this is to say that Venezuela is fully committed to combating terrorism and violence. And we are one of the people who are fighting for peace.
Luis Posada Carriles is the name of that terrorist who is protected here. And other tremendously corrupt people who escaped from Venezuela are also living here under protection: a group that bombed various embassies, that assassinated people during the coup. They kidnapped me and they were going to kill me, but I think God reached down and our people came out into the streets and the army was too, and so I’m here today.
But these people who led that coup are here today in this country protected by the American government. And I accuse the American government of protecting terrorists and of having a completely cynical discourse.
We mentioned Cuba. Yes, we were just there a few days ago. We just came from there happily.
And there you see another era born. The Summit of the 15, the Summit of the Nonaligned, adopted a historic resolution. This is the outcome document. Don’t worry, I’m not going to read it.
But you have a whole set of resolutions here that were adopted after open debate in a transparent matter — more than 50 heads of state. Havana was the capital of the south for a few weeks, and we have now launched, once again, the group of the nonaligned with new momentum.
And if there is anything I could ask all of you here, my companions, my brothers and sisters, it is to please lend your good will to lend momentum to the Nonaligned Movement for the birth of the new era, to prevent hegemony and prevent further advances of imperialism.
And as you know, Fidel Castro is the president of the nonaligned for the next three years, and we can trust him to lead the charge very efficiently.
Unfortunately they thought, “Oh, Fidel was going to die.” But they’re going to be disappointed because he didn’t. And he’s not only alive, he’s back in his green fatigues, and he’s now presiding the nonaligned.
So, my dear colleagues, Madam President, a new, strong movement has been born, a movement of the south. We are men and women of the south.
With this document, with these ideas, with these criticisms, I’m now closing my file. I’m taking the book with me. And, don’t forget, I’m recommending it very warmly and very humbly to all of you.
We want ideas to save our planet, to save the planet from the imperialist threat. And hopefully in this very century, in not too long a time, we will see this, we will see this new era, and for our children and our grandchildren a world of peace based on the fundamental principles of the United Nations, but a renewed United Nations.
And maybe we have to change location. Maybe we have to put the United Nations somewhere else; maybe a city of the south. We’ve proposed Venezuela.
You know that my personal doctor had to stay in the plane. The chief of security had to be left in a locked plane. Neither of these gentlemen was allowed to arrive and attend the U.N. meeting. This is another abuse and another abuse of power on the part of the Devil. It smells of sulfur here, but God is with us and I embrace you all.
May God bless us all. Good day to you.
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27 Comments on “Hugo Chavez and the devil called Bush”
Thanks a lot Haitham.
What a tremendous speech and what a tremendous effort by you.
Don’t be deterred by the Zionists and neo-Nazis who try to compromise your effort
Thanks again
Hugo Chavez is a tinpot wannabe dictator. You may like his fiery anti-Bush rhetoric, but anyone who supports him now is going to have a hard time explaining in five or ten years why they were cheering him on even as he dismantled one of the oldest and most successful democratic systems in Latin America. The man has already arrested, intimidated, and effectively silenced almost all of his critics in the Venezuelan media. His supporters are a bunch of thugs.
Even though Venezuela was a net oil exporter, he has so mismanaged the oil industry in Venezuela that Venezuela must now import oil from Russia to export to Venezuela’s customers to prevent the country from defaulting on its contracts. He is a little wannabe Putin. Or maybe a wannabe Castro.
Truth hurts.
mike,
I do not claim to know much about Latin America politics, but listen to this:
“My enemies enemy is my friend”.
Have you heard of this saying before? If not, I prefer to be on the side that is supporting me openly than be on the side that is killing me in day light while claiming to be the messenger from God (aka Bush).
Thanks, Abu Shreek.
I’ve come across your blog few days ago, and was really impressed. I’ve added it to my reading list (which you can see on the sidebar when you are visiting the main page).
Keep it up, Abu Shreek
“My enemies enemy is my friend”.
That’s absurd Haitham. You are better educated than that. That expression is one of the reasons for some of the violence in the M.E., and is regarded with disdain outside the M.E.
In our last exchange you mentioned the Taliban and Al Queda. How did that work out for the U.S.?
Simple, David.
Osama and Bush are both my enemy, Chavez is not, he is a friend who did nothing to us but support.
From my pint of view, Osama and Bush are ‘one’ evil, with ‘two’ faces. They compliment each other, neither of them can live if the other is gone!
The primary difference is that Al Queda has threatened the Gulf states, including Bahrain. Bahrain is host to the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet. So, essentially, Bush is protecting you.
Chavez may not be your enemy, but given you claim concern for peoples Human Rights, you probably shouldn’t support Chavez, Bush will be gone soon, Chavez will not be.
Bush is protecting his business, not that I invited him to protect me. Plus, that is Bahrain government business, not mine, and I don’t have the right to tell Bahrainis what is right and what is wrong for them.
As for protecting me, no thanks, I can protect myself. But if you see him so nice guy, I have a suggestion. Why isn’t he protect the Palestinians and Lebanese from the Israeli terrorism? Opss.. I know… I missed something… Israel and Bush are one thing!
Haitham again, you are better educated than that and have a more sophisticated mind than that. Bush will soon be gone. Oil as energy is not going to last forever.
You cannot protect yourself or your family against a suicide bomber any better than anybody else.
I think you are mistaken about Bin Laden and Al Quedas motivations. Let’s say that the Palestinians and Israelis achieve peace. Israel and Lebenon achieve peace. Everybody is happy with the agreements, including you. Do you honestly believe that will put an end to Al Queda? I don’t believe so. In fact, I think a peace agreement with Israel would only futher anger Al Queda.
Further, if the above were to happen, Palestine and Lebenon would both wish for aid from the U.S. and the west. Both financial and military.
You chose to live in Bahrain, not Iran. So I don’t think you really admire the Iranian regime. I don’t think you want your daughter to live as Al Quida, the Taliban, or Iran would have her live. I don’t think you want Iran to be the regional power without U.S. and western forces to reign them in.
- Listen my friend, when Bush is gone, I’m afraid that it is going to be another Bush coming (praying that does not happen, but I don’t think in my life time).
- I can’t protect myself against a terrorist, yes, but neither I want Bush protection because he is nothing but another terrorist.
- You don’t believe that peace will defuse terrorist, that is you looking through Bush eyes, but not me and others here. As I said before, each is giving the other a reason to stay, business for business, win-win situation for both terrorism acts. Your statement as a fact that peace will anger Al-Qaida is not based on any facts. When was the peace a reason for anger? That is not logic, and it is my turn to tell you that I thought that you are better educated than that. This is the way warmongers spread their lies and hate which is based on no logic but creating for of the unknown. And your assumption is something unknown and not logic.
However, who is saying not to kill Osama and his gang? Go fu*k them up, who cares? But again, I’m surprised that this is not happening, and will never happen, because Bush and his gang don’t want it to happen, not because it is impossible.
Further, when peace comes, which I don’t think will be in the near future, I don’t believe that Palestinian and others will ask aid from U.S., because I don’t believe that the U.S. will ever have a say in any peace in the region. History tells so!
- I’ve chosen to live in Bahrain because my career got me here. And I respect this country’s people and culture and abide (willingly) by it. if my future takes me to Iran, then I will abide (willingly again) to their culture, and so on. If you are in Rome, act like Romans.
Last but not least, you said it, Iran wants to be a regional power, so does U.S., which is what I’m saying every day. U.S. is not here because they love us and care for us, but because they don’t want regional powers but their’s. However, for me, living under the regional power of Iran is much safer than living under the power of the Dollar!
Haitham, I’m basing what I say about Al Queda on what Al Queda says, not what my government says. Al Quida has already offered us and the west peace if we pull out of the M.E.
We went into Afganistan because of Al Quida, not because we covet anything in Afganistan. Prior to Al Quida’s attack, we and the rest of the world only made diplomatic statements against the Taliban, much to humanities shame.
The Palestians have for years received our money, much of which has been wasted, some of which is in Paris with Mrs. Arafat. If they don’t want our money, we will cheerfully keep it. As a practical matter, they will accept aid from the U.S. Whatever Palestinian government that is formed will wish to rapidly improve things for their people.
The next President won’t be another Bush, I doubt it will be Republican. Not just because of the wars, but many other issues important to the U.S. population. The only thing stopping the Democrats is they have not articulated any real policy other than they are not Republicans. The composition of Congress will likely swing more Democratic party as well.
There is a growing belief in the U.S. that we need to have our energy needs be met by domestic means. Even if it means nuclear power, which hasn’t enjoyed much support for years. Not just because of the war, but concerns about the environment. Even some enviromental activists are calling for nuclear power, at least as a temporary measure till we get off oil.
Plant based diesel is also increasingly gaining momentum, as are solar, wind, and wave sources of energy. One bit of recent news, they have found a new source of oil in the Gulf of Mexico. It’s further offshore and deeper than our current oil wells, but not impossible to get to. Estimated production is 2010 to 2012, but that timeframe could be reduced if we had to.
We also have undeveloped sources in Alaska, off the coast of California, and off the coast of Florida. We also have oil shale. These sources haven’t been touched because of environmental concerns and cost, but I’m guessing economic survival will trump environmental laws.
When we leave, I don’t think the M.E. is going to enjoy having Iran as the neighborhood power. It impacts you more than me. If Iran gets nuclear weapons, maybe they will use them on us, or Europe, or Israel. The retaliation would be horrible. Are you aware that France has already, bluntly, told Iran that a nuclear attack agaisnt France would be met with a nuclear response from France?
Almost forgot, we also have coal. Lots and lots of coal. I remember reading somewhere that we had coal that could last for centuries.
I would highly recommend the book, “Armed Madhouse” by Greg Palast if one would like to find out more about Hugo Chavez (amongst other issues)http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/05/15/1334249 (hear interview with Palast on Democracy Now concerning the book) In this book, the author points out that Chavez is a devout Catholic who comes out of the Latin American Liberation Theology movement
http://www.landreform.org/boff2.htm (excellent article) about the subject) Chavez is NOT a madman and also is not a tinpot dictator.
http://www.alternet.org/story/16255/ (another excellent article).
Aside from the presentation he gave at the UN yesterday, it is important to remember that Venezuela is vieing for the two-year temporary seat on the UN Security Council. The vote on this seat is coming up in December. The US does NOT want Venezuela on the Security Council and is backing Guatemala, a true chiquita banana republic with a US-friendly government. One must also remember that Venezuela is an OPEC member. Chavez has been hinting that he wishes to sell his oil in euros rather than dollars. Remember who else was getting ready to do the same before an illegal invasion was undertaken by the US? Saddam Hussein. Venezuela is the world’s fifth largest oil producer and it now has a president who is an adherant to liberation theology selling cheap home fuel to impoverished cities in the US http://www.mindfully.org/Energy/2005/CITGO-Delahunt-Chavez25nov05.htm
Here is another article from the online journal “From the Wilderness” http://www.fromthewilderness.com/members/091206_venezuela_caracas.shtml
I assure you, Hugo Chavez is NOT crazy. At first when I read this transcript yesterday, I’ll be honest, I laughed my head off. Many in the audience did the same. The US had no representative in the room, only a stenographer taking notes. Get past the laughter and anyone can see that Chavez spoke the TRUTH. Wake up America, this is how the world sees us, has for a long time, and is only become MUCH worse. Chavez is a man to be watched, that is until the CIA gets their hands on him like they have done with every other LA government they didn’t like. LA has been out of the main news for a while (not to them, but to the rest of the world who only talks about the ME) But there was a time when LA was VERY much in the news, remember Iran-Contra? Allende, Nicaraqua, El Salvador, Chile, you name it. The US has had their hands in LA affairs since the day the Monroe Doctrine was signed. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monroe_Doctrine declaring US hegemony over all the Americas. This has only BEGUN to get interesting.
Afghanistan: http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig/sardi7.html
David,
Remember that coal burning is also contributing more to global warming than oil.
Yes, the US is giving money to the Palestinians. Only a fraction of what it gives Israel. Most of the money to Israel goes to weapons. On top of that, Bush complains that Iran & Syria are giving weapons to Hezbollah & Hamas. Is this a double standard?
Yes, the US invaded Afghanistan to fight the Taliban. Then they removed most of their troops to invade Iraq. Now they are talking about attacking Iran.
How many wars are you going to start before Bush is satisfied?
And still they lie about Iraq, even though they have been proven wrong about what they are saying.
They keep saying that they will help the ME into freedom and democracy.
Somebody help us all!
The people in the US are free and living in a democracy. But they follow and believe a despot and his lies. That is not what I would want.
I would want a country that is willing to understand and listen and work with people.
Diplomacy is better than attacking and killing.
This tactic of the US only serves big business and the rich.
It is the American way.
You can have it!
Sorry, the Democracy Now link didn’t post, worth a listen
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/05/15/1334249
I heard Palast on the radio today, he was explaining that Chavez is a devout Catholic and that the “sulphur” statement comes straight out of Revelations chapter 20. It is also important to note that Catholics do NOT take the Bible literally. On a personal note, I am extremely allergic to sulphur. I always KNEW there had to be a reason that I react physically whenever I see Bush speak. Thank you Hugo Chavez for explaining it to me!!! (as if seeing him speak wouldn’t make anyone ill :))
Wow, stunning cartoons. Thanks for your composition.
Ben
Hi Kimmey, we already get about half of our electricity from coal. It’s also a lot cleaner now. But that’s beside the point. My point is that we have alternatives to importing oil. We are going to have to stop our dependency on imported oil anyway. For three reasons at least.
1. Reserves are decreasing. Energy needs in the western nations will only increase, and this is without considering China and India’s increasing energy needs.
2. It’s getting too expensive. Future sources will only be more expensive. And that’s not including military spending. So, oil is just not worth it.
3. Oil is not the only game in town. The world uses it because the technology is easy to understand, it’s easy to transfer oil energy, and it was relatively abundant and cheap. That is no longer so.
The sources of energy I listed in my previous post are an intermediate step to new forms of energy, we need science to create the new technologies needed to collect energy. Energy is abundant.
The Palestians also bought weapons, and many of the leaders transfered it for their own benifit. It’s our money to give or not give.
I’m not interested in bringing democracy to the Middle East. I don’t see a lot of interest in democracy in the M.E. anyway. They can decide their own fate. It’s not worth our blood, and our money can be spent at home on other things. For example, energy.
Iran is not our problem. Much of the world is concerned about Iran’s nuclear ambitions, not just the U.S. Thus, the world can take care of Iran. Egypt just announced that they too are interested in nuclear energy. Expect to see Saudi Arabia express interest in the very near future.
This was simply wonderful, wasn’t it? Chomsky’s book going from #20,000+ to the top ten overnight. What’s great to watch is how the media haven’t gotten into the substance of it at all. The way they’ve presented it is to try and make a link between their already incorrect perception of Chavez as another “anti-American” “Hitler” (It’s only okay if we call folks names remember), and the even more naive perception which a few of the more naive illiterates in society think of as Chomsky’s “anti-Americanism” which is equally non-existent. One thing is for certain. They will probably NOT allow Chomsky on the tube, or anyone familiar with his works anyway, who can point out that most of the substance which Chomsky writes about, and which Chavez, along with most of the rest of the world already know, is, in fact, accurate. It will probably get about as deep as allowing some pseudo-patriotic Oliver Kamm-type liar on the tube to try and discredit both Chavez and Chomsky simultaneously, thereby, and ironically, re-confirming most of Chomsky’s theses about the media anyway. The more they attack Chomsky, the more his writings will be confirmed. Let’s sit back and watch. By the way, notice how when the media keeps repeating the “Chavez continues to believe that the U.S. was behind the coup…” they never give any reasons why this might be considered a plausible notion. I mean, only the entire history of the U.S. intervening in South and Central American coups wouldn’t be any reason to consider this as plausible. Must just be a mixture of irrational machismo and paranoia. Hmmm…. Just where IS that “liberal media” which I keep hearing about? I smell sulfur, too!KB
Chavez is simply the next Castro. He’s already ruining Venezuelas economy and oil industry. He’s already threatened foreign investors, so expect to see foreign investment drop. Expect to see the educated immigrate to other countries. But at least he makes comments against Bush and the U.S. Entertaining, but hardly valuable to the average citizen of Venezuela.
Chavez is also calling for OPEC to raise the cost of oil, demonstrating what a complete idiot he is. So he hurts the U.S. economy. So what, he also hurts the E.U. and China’s economies. I doubt that will win him many friends.
So play the oil as weapon card. It won’t destroy the U.S. In fact, it would be good for the U.S., it is probably what it will take to force the U.S. to find alternative forms of energy. We eventually have to get off oil anyway. And then how valuable is oil to anyone?
Bet George is chewing the carpet.
“What color is a blue sky?” The tough quesions first, eh?
Better translation of HG speech from the original Spanish here:
http://ratbaggy.blogspot.com/2006/09/hugo-chavez-speech-to-un.html
Plus some other stuff on Chavez…including Greg Palast interview.(Video)
Hey guys,
Here is a great article that I think explains a lot of how the relationship between Pres. Chavez and big oil works.
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/09/24/MNGNSLBRUG1.DTL&hw=chavez&sn=002&sc=866
It provides insight not only into the alturistic nature of Pres. Chavez but also some of his anti-democratic power grabs. What do I think of the guy? Like all people he is full of contradictions. I believe he helps many poor folks around the world (even if it is poliically motivated) but hasn’t helped out his own nation that much (building an economy on one export is silly and dangerous, ask Argentina.) I believe he had a right to condemn Pres. Bush, but maybe not in those exact words. But hey, I think calling folks Islamo fascists is ridiculous too. He will keep getting voted in to power as long as the oil wealth holds, but I think the damage he is doing to Venezuela’s economy is going to be legendary. So, overall, he is the duly elected leader of a nation but I am not too fond of everything he does. At least he hasn’t bombed anyone, though.
LOL.
Peace be with you all.
Hey guys,
Don’t forget how the US is taking oil from Canada in the name of NAFTA.
In the same breath the US uses NAFTA to stop or slow down the lumber trade with Canada.
If it helps the US, it is good. If it hurts the US, it is bad. There is no reasoning with the US. Fair is fair is not in the US mentality!
Bush only supports his big business friends and not the people of the US and even less anyone elsewhere in the world!
Kimmy, the U.S. is buying oil from Canada, not taking it. Canada is our largest trading partner, regardless of NAFTA. The lumber trade has nothing to do with buying oil, and at any rate has been agreed upon. Start reading the business section of a newspaper or online.
Hugo Chavez is but one of the most recent Latin American leaders to run up against the US. Less than 50 years after declaring independence, the Monroe Doctrine was penned which declared hegemony over the entire Western Hemisphere. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monroe_Doctrine. The most important amendment to the Monroe Doctrine came in the early 1900’s and was known as the Roosevelt Corollary, simply put “The Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine was a substantial alteration (called an “amendment”) of the Monroe Doctrine by U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt. In its altered state, the Monroe Doctrine would now consider Latin America as an agency for expanding U.S. commercial interests in the region, along with its original stated purpose of keeping European hegemony from the hemisphere.” Subsequently, the “Good Neighbor Policy”
implented by Franklin Roosevelt in 1933 and was in affect during his term stated “In the field of world policy I would dedicate this Nation to the policy of the good neighbor — the neighbor who resolutely respects himself and, because he does so, respects the rights of others — the neighbor who respects his obligations and respects the sanctity of his agreements in and with a world of neighbors” It was essentially,an attempt by the US government to put a “nice face” on our policy towards Latin America where we had been meddling for years on behalf of our own business interests and to gain their support and promise of non-interference in WWII. Since WWII the Good Neighbor Policy has been tossed away, not longer of strategic use, and the US has overthrown democratically elected leaders in Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Chile, Bolivia, Honduras, amongst others who dared to nationalize their country’s national resources. This film, “US Foreign Policy, Secret Wars of the CIA” http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8061307149260436858&q=US+terror
is actually a series of several documentaries disclosing CIA activities in countries around the world, including Asia, the Middle East and Latin America.
This film, “This Revolution Will Not Be Televised”
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5832390545689805144&q=The+Revolution+will+not+be+televised
is an amazing documentary about Chavez “HUGO CHAVEZ ELECTED PRESIDENT OF VENEZUELA IN 1998, IS A COLORFUL, UNPREDICTABLE FOLK HERO, beloved by his nation’s working class and a tough-as-nails, quixotic opponent to the power structure that would see him deposed. Two independent filmmakers were inside the presidential palace on April 11, 2002, when he was forcibly removed from office. They were also present 48 hours later when, remarkably, he returned to power amid cheering aides. Their film records what was probably history’s shortest-lived coup d’état. It’s a unique document about political muscle and an extraordinary portrait of the man The Wall Street Journal credits with making Venezuela “Washington‚s biggest Latin American headache after the old standby,” This is an amazing film documenting the first coup of the 20th century, a coup orchestrated with CIA aid and giving an insight into Chavez and why he is deemed a threat to US interests (business)
The Middle East shares much in common (as does the rest of the world)
with Latin America in their struggle for sovereignty against the forces of the United States government which in fact is the struggle against US business interests. In 2003, Adolfo Perez Esquivel of Argentina and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1980 wrote the following letter to President Bush http://www.counterpunch.org/esquivel04302003.html
which began “I don’t know if you will read this letter, not because it will not reach you, but because you are incapable of reading it. Your heart is so hardened by hatred and fear, that you have neither capacity nor courage to open your mind and your spirit to compassion. In spite of all that, however, I cannot keep from sending it to you, because if you do not read it, I am sure it will be read by many men and women, those who ask you to stop the massacre of the people of Iraq. When you decided to invade Iraq, in spite of the opposition of the people of the world, you did not listen to their cries, “NO TO WAR, YES TO PEACE;” you closed your ears and your heart when the United Nations, churches, humanitarian and human rights organizations demanded that the rule of law and the consideration of the people had to prevail. You were not interested in hearing it.” the rest of the letter is available at the link.
Chavez is but the latest and perhaps most vocal Latin American leader to speak out against the US on behalf of peoples of the world suffering from US aggression. If anyone would be interested in reading one of the most renowned Latin American authors, Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Columbian), winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature (1982), his book, “One Hundred Years of Solitude” is the novel for which he was finally nominated for the prize after years of writing.
When David says that we only went to Afghanistan bacause of the Taliban, I’d like to point out a couple things:
1.
Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, and some of those other ‘Stans sit on some of the largest untapped oil and natural gas reserves in the world, and the Taliban turned off the damn pipes. Halliburton built the pipeline, kids.
2. The Northern Aliiance are the biggest opium dealers in the world (but hey, there’s just no rational way that the CIA, aka Wall Street’s secret police, would want in on the biggest cash crop in the world, right?)
3. The Taliban, like much of the Islamic fundamentalist movement, was supported and built with American money, either directly financed by American tax dollars, or in a roundabout way through the Saudis, with the purpose in mind of fighting a proxy war against the Soviets.
4. Most of the Arab world thinks al qaeda is full of bs! Bush and Bin Laden are like mirror images of eachother, minds polluted with morally bankrupt reductivist messianic crap, and a total belief in their own cultural superiority. They deserve eachother, two arch conservatives in a pod…I hope they never realize how similar they are…or we’ll all be in trouble.