Posted on 02/12/2005 7:28:32 AM PST by David1
January 21, 2005
During a recent South American tour, a U.S. Senate delegation showed how futile it is to patronize despots. Members struggled to invent common bonds with Venezuelas authoritarian leader, and then promised what they couldnt deliver.
In Caracas on January 10, Senators Christopher Dodd (D-CT), Bill Nelson (D-FL), and Lincoln Chafee (R-RI) called on President Hugo Chávez, offering to repair testy relations with Washington if he would assure oil exports to the United States and cooperate with U.S. counternarcotics efforts in Colombia.
~snip~
At Rice's confirmation hearing these three Senators---all on the Committee---really pushed her to promise to make nice to Chavez. It caught the attention of we who were watching, that's for sure. Dodd's time at the hearing starts around here and he got right to Venezuela. Rice declined to say Chavez was someone we could work with.
The Communists will keep trying even though their ideas are throughly discredited. Not able to win with ideas, they lie, cheat, murder, imprison, torture, etc., until they subdue the opposition.
Never forget that is what the Democrats have become in this country, especially Hillary. Don't forget the law breaking, the lying under oath, the threats and intimidation of perceived enemies, the FBI files, the private investigators, the incorporation of Larry Flynt into their efforts, and the many suspicious murders during the Clinton/Gore administrations. Nothing has changed. We are at war for our lives and our way of life.
One of the things that hurt the Soviet Union in the 1980's was the deregulation of petroleum pricing by the Reagan Administration. The dramatic increase in supply dropped the price of oil from $45 to $12. This ruined a reliable source of hard currency for the bankrupt Soviets, and hurt their ability to provide oil to client states at a subsidized price.
Right now, a lot of Chavez' domestic support results from social programs funded by oil revenues. Perhaps if our government permitted drilling in ANWR, Chavez' support could be undermined.
Instead of lasting three seconds in a US onslaught he will actually last FIVE seconds!
We need to rethink high speed rail along the eastern corridor and other options that will eventually lessen our dependence on oil. Flywheel technology is an example of something that is waiting for advances in material science to become economically feasible for mass use. Solar power that relies on batteries will never be a viable solution. A long life reasonably priced flywheel energy storage unit would make solar power more cost effective and lead to rapid growth in installations.
Only by lessening the demand for oil and gas and driving the price into the basement can we remove the potential for mischief from those with oil. Energy independence is the solution.
Watch Guyana. Venezuela has a colorable claim to the western half of it. It's been a low level dispute for over a century. Hugo might see it as an easy win that would sure up his lagging numbers at home. Of course, such a naked violation of sovereignty would make it easy for the US then to intervene.
he is getting bad advise from his parrot...
i hope he invades it. just the pretext we needed...
Okay, goodpoint. Is that on the road to Chiapas, the Tzotz-choj Autonomous Zone?
If we stopped the War on Varios Drugas, Chavez would be easy pickings. As long as we keep the narco trade black it empowers thugs like he and Castro.
Anyway, much like Saddam's 19th province claim on Kuwait and the Argies claim on The Falklands, the history of this border is murky enough to encourage Chavez. After all, if he moves in the near term, he'd have a pretty solid SA block behind him or neutral. But the geography makes me almost hope he tries something conventional, rather than the more covert, and successful, means he's now using in Bolivia and Colombia. Park a carrier or two off the coast and watch Hugo's pricey new toys explode.
Hugo's got oil. He's Castro's new sugar daddy. Fidel tried to use drug revenue to replace the USSR's backing, but it just wasn't getting the job done. The Leftists are gaining ground in corners of LA where drugs are but a secondary issue.
I think you are onto something. I will watch with great interest. All of what you said, plus, Guyana has a reputation for attracting low-life-loser-KoolAid-drinkers.
I also find your use of the word, "colorable", fascinating in this context.
Not Castro. The illegal "right-wing narcoista" trade throughout Central America. Creates social and political dynamics that allow a Chavez standing. Massive corruption among the authorities.
...sounds a lot like the Democracks in Wash State, too, come to think of it.
the houston chronicle has an article today that chavez is inviting conocophilips in for an oil deal.
"propose that we move to the offensive, just like the imperialists have moved to the bloody and ruthless offensive. If you don't believe me, look at Iraq."
If nothing else, it has been worth the price to see these little dogturd despots wet their pants when they think about President Bush and the US military. Chavez, Jong Il, Gaddafi, the Iranian mullahs, all quaking in their silken slippers.
Buying 40 helicopters and 50 Mig 29's? That'll help the "lower masses" plenty.
Baloney - poverty has shot up since this thug got his hands on the oil. His oil benefits a few cronies on the ground and most of the billions are in Cayman island banks or safe with fidel who's suddenly gotten a bunch of billions no one knows how he managed to get. There are gonna be some big news stories out there coming soon about chavez's massive oil ripoff. By their results do you judge them and right now, despite record-high oil prices, venezuela's poor are poorer than ever.
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