[StJacques]

I guess none of us should be surprised at what is now transpiring in the immediate aftermath of Hugo Chavez's victory in an electoral campaign which saw the emergence of a viable, motivated, and well-organized opposition. Forget the rhetoric about Democracy, the truth is being revealed as we watch. The Venezuelan Congress is preparing to grant Hugo Chavez virtual dictatorial power and the role of the opposition in Venezuelan Democracy will be that they stand and watch.

In the few weeks since Chavez's reelection, he has moved forcefully to establish greater control over the communications media and telephone services. The head of CANTV, Venezuela's model phone company, has openly criticized the Chavez government for its move to seize control of telephone services, specifically raising the question as to whether this may be designed to enable Chavez to exercise control over the population, rather than attempting to address some need. And Chavez is moving against the communications media as well. The regime is closing Radio Caracas Television (RCTV), by refusing to renew its license, thus pulling the plug on their most important and popular critics. And Chavez has also promised to redraw the internal political map of Venezuela, which one prominent anti-Chavez Venezuelan blogger has described in the most serious terms. Chavez is preparing to destroy the municipal and state governments in the country in order to replace them with his own appointed bodies. These various objectives, and perhaps others equally nefarious, are behind Chavez's latest moves.

A tragedy is unfolding in Venezuela which should show very clearly that the Latin American Left is about anything BUT Democracy. But can we get that story told here in the U.S.? It was just a couple of months ago that I sat and watched guest commentators on MSNBC and CNN tell me that Venezuela's elections were more secure than those in the U.S. and that their model of Democracy worked better than our own. Can we do anything to bring these spokesmen for Chavez back on the air now to explain these recent developments? The answer is that we may expect to see little if anything at all in the way of such reporting in the American mainstream media, even though the Washington Post has surprised us all with making this known (see 2nd link in previous paragraph), so we are left with little to do but stand and watch as Venezuelan Democracy circles the drain.

[StJacques]

A Latin American Left Watch ping for you all.

Anyone wishing to be included on the ping list may either ping me from this thread or contact me via Freepmail.

[BenLurkin]

bttt

[SoCal Pubbie]

Hmmm, "enabling" legislation, where I have I heard that before. I think it was in 1933, but where....?

[AuH2ORepublican]

So the National Assembly of Venezuela is making de jure what was already de facto. Jimmy Carter must be ecstatic.

[patton]

Those who fail to understand history, are doomed to repeat it.

Didn't even require a fire this time.

[marron]

This is not new, Rule by Decree has been re-instated for this term of office, but it was actually granted to him several years ago shortly after he took office the first time.

He ruled de facto by decree during the transition period, between the time he revoked the old Constitution and the writing of the new Constitution (written by himself and his cronies). Once the new Constitution was in place, the congress passed a law "granting" him Rule by Decree. It seemed unnecessary at the time, since the new Congress was packed with his people, and the new Supreme Court was also packed with his people, and they already were acting as his rubber stamp. But really it was the other way around. It is Congress and the Supreme Court (and his made-to-order Constitution) that are irrelevant.

He rules over their heads, and has from the beginning. If they dare to question him, he threatens them with arrest (even including Supreme Court justices).

Anyway, the new Rule by Decree law is really a re-enactment of something they gave him 5 years ago.

[Enchante]

"enabling" law.... reminiscent of how Adolf Hitler proceeded to gut the shaky democracy of Weimar Germany in 1933..... Chavez, like Saddam Hussein, has modeled himself after both Hitler and Stalin.

About the objections of opponents who consider the special powers as a "totalitarian abuse" of power, Flores replied: "The are always going to fight tooth and nail and more when they know that these laws are going to give depth to the revolution."

translation: ....when they know this is how ruthless dictators get control of all the machinery of government....

[mylife]

Its Amazing that half the yukapuks at DU believe this is a fine move my a man who really cares and in the next breath declare GWB a dictator

[Chode]

he's gettin a work out tonight...

do I really have to say it???

[Candor7]

Chavez, the man who would be king.

I have a feeling that there is in his future, a rendezvous with about 3 onces of lead, cast from afar.

[Bender2]

As friend Chevez continued down his 'Bring Back Führerprinzip' tour, we can soon expect Juventud de Chavez for Venezuela's boys beginning at the age of six, and at age 10, entering the Gente Joven and serving there until entering the Juventud de Chavez proper at age 14. Boys will remain there until age 18, at which time they will enter into the Servicio de Trabajo

Venezuela's Girls will soon become part of the Maidens Jóvenes at age 10, and at age 14 be enrolled into the Liga de Maidens Venezolanos. Girls will remain in the LMV until age 21.

Now we can only wonder what South American neighbor will pay the price for Venezuelan Espacio Vivo.

I just hope to live long enough to see Chevez meet the same fate as old Adolf or Saddam.

That is unless Nancy P anoints Hugo to serve as Special Attorney General to get the occupied Red States in step with the Democrat Party Line...

Thanks to StJacques posting http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gleichschaltung for the base idea and http://babelfish.altavista.com/tr for help in my really, really poor Spanish.

And thanks to Homer...

for the Duff Beer!

[norton]

Thanks again StJ.

[Tribune7]

Jimmy Carter's legacy.