[marshmallow]

Chavez is a real throwback to the '60s and '70s. A communist dictator caught in a time warp. He's in love with anyone who hates America, hence his love fest with Ahmedinejad the other day. Islamic fundamentalism would eat up Chavez, yet he sees in it an ally which hates America as much as he does.

Now that Castro is about to kick the bucket, the torch has been passed to Chavez to continue as the western hemisphere's resident rabble rouser. However, I disagree with those who say he should be "offed". That just gives the left a martyr. Far better to leave them in power and give them all the rope they want. Just as we have with Castro. Now he's about to fall off the perch under his own steam as a sad, tired old man who has reduced Cuba to an impoverished third world backwater. His abject failure is there for all to see. Same as Mugabe in Zimbabwe. He's ruined the place and will die soon. An utter failure.

Same goes for Chavez. Put him on a plane back to Caracas and allow him to continue his demolition job on that country. We'll open the beer and pretzels and sit back. It won't be pretty for Venezuela but it will be entertaining watching this rabid dog.

[stockstrader]

There is a big difference between Castro and Chavez, though. WE NEED CHAVEZ'S OIL (at least until the democrats stop stonewalling our efforts to find, drill and use our own).

Without oil, Chavez could not fund his 'socialist heaven'. Without oil money, Chavez is nothing,,,irrelevant.

Just another reason that we MUST wean ourselves off of dependence on foreign oil. Our unwillingess (meaning democrats) to drill ANWR, drill off both coasts, drill more on Fed land out west--only feeds his ego, his socialist system, and his anti-Americanism.

[areafiftyone]

Chavez should keep on talking - the more he talks the more uglier he looks. Evil just spews from his mouth.