Posted on 11/22/2007 3:21:12 PM PST by knighthawk
La Herradura (Espania), 22 Nov. (IPS) The problem with uneducated, ignorant, populist leaders like Hugo Chavez of Venezuela or Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran is that not only they use words which they ignore the true meaning, but also, thinking they are more intelligent than other mortal human beings, they do not need to open a dictionary and look for the signification of the idioms they use.
In their recent common press conference in Tehran, Chavez and Ahmadinejad promised the “end of American imperialism!”, mistaking “imperialism” with “colonialism” and ignoring certainly that being a phenomenon as old s the existence of man, imperialism cannot be “finished and buried”, as they promised.
“When we would have finished with the imperialism of the American Dollar, we will then work to eradicate American imperialism”, Chavez told correspondents, ignoring that not only it would take decades before the US money is toppled by another one as the international instrument for the calculation of the prices of most of the world’s commodities, let’s say Euro or Indian Rupiah, but then that money will exercise its own “imperialism” over world’s markets.
Except an irrational hate of the United States – not necessarily imperialism – and an insatiable desire to be the leader of their respective regions, an aversion for a free press and democracy, a thirst for lengthy, tiring, meaningless speeches, megalomania, narcissism, an acute complex of inferiority that brings them to lecture other leaders of the world – as seen by the letters Ahmadinejad has sent to American, German and French president leaders, informing them his readiness to be their advisor, teaching them how to be good governors – and taking their wishes for realities, like forming a world axis aimed at ending the supremacy of Washington over the world, there are few things that the two men have in common:
Ahmadinejad is a fanatic Shi’a Muslim, believing in the resurrection of Mehdi, the twelfth Imam who went hiding when eight years old and is said he would return when the world is saturated with sin, corruption and immorality – very much like today – As a faithful emulator of Fidel Castro and Simon Bolivar, Chavez is an atheist. The Venezuelan President is a powerful dictator; Ahmadinejad is a nominal President, a Chief of Executive owing his power to his boss, Ayatollah Ali Khamenehi, the leader of the Islamic Republic who has the last word on every major national and international issues. Chavez can stay in power until he is toppled by a military coup; Ahmadinejad’s life a president cannot exceed eight years (provided he is re-elected for a second term). Chavez has a rather long history of political struggle and is an experienced survivor. Ahmadinejad had no experience with politics until he was propelled as president.
Same is true with the two countries: In Latin America, Venezuela is a second rank nation owing its importance and influence to its oil, which it uses to buy the allegiance of poorer nations like Bolivia or Nicaragua. Its regime is a copy of Hitler’s National Socialism plus populism.
In the Middle East, Iran is the real super power, in term of population, military force, highly professional cadres, educated and qualified population, intellectual, political, social, scientific and cultural elite of international caliber. Contrary to Venezuela, in Iran, where the regime is a mixture of Islam and Revolution, there is a rainbow that starts from the darkest aspects of Nazism, Fascism and Stalinism on the right, to genuine aspects of democracy on the left; and despite enormous limitation imposed on public sand individual freedoms by Islam and despite widespread crackdown on the dissidents, critics, press, women and students, there are more space of liberty of expression than in most nations of the region except Israel and Turkey.
Historically, culturally, geographically, Iran and Venezuela are completely different from each other: Iran is one of the oldest nations of the world, one of the cradles of civilization along with China, Egypt and Greece. Venezuela is a rather young nation carved out of the vast Spanish territories in the American continent. The great majority of Iranians are Muslims, the Venezuelans Catholics. Geographically and strategically, Iran controls the Persian Gulf, one of the world’s most vital lifelines from where transits more than 40 per cent of the oil needed by tens of nations, industrialized or not. Venezuela has no strategic value except for its oil – especially in these days where the black oil is nearing 100 US Dollars a barrel --.
However, there is one major point that distinguishes the two men: Like it or not, Chavez has some charisma; Ahmadinejad provokes revulsion.
“Chavez and Ahmadinejad repeat and reiterate that they would defend each other in case attacked by another country, in this case the United States. But in fact, there is no way for any of them rushing to other’s rescue, due to their geographic situations, their lack of military transportation and modern weapons, to name some of the obstacles in the way of their reciprocal military assistance”, Observed an Iranian political analyst who follows the strange marriage between Tehran and Caracas.
So, why this parody of fake show of “brotherhood” and “togetherness for the life” and slogans like “vinceremos”, if not the situation of a blind conducting another blind?
“If a blind can eventually help another one avoiding obstacles, there is absolutely no way these two blinds could do helping each other in case one of them is endangered”, he said, adding: “One military coup in Caracas or a possible defeat of Ahmadinejad in the forthcoming Iranian presidential elections in 2009 and the marriage would be over”.
Ping
Good to see you taking up the slack, while folks here in the states are too stuffed to think or post.
flaky stuff
Iran? Venezuala? What are they going to do? float a cuban flotilla to Iran??? Vice versa, is Iran going to send a armada of 20 foot speedboats to Venezuela?
Sure they can limit the flow of oil for THREE days,max. Given their economy and financial strength is just better than 60 percent of Texas...
Their yap gets way too much air play.
We cannot however, deny their *5 year program* to devote all their resources to nuclear weapons which has to be dealt with.
They are married by their hatred.
The author lost me when in the last few paragraphs he says that Iran has roots in NAZISM and Stalinism (”on the right”) and democracy on the left. That does not compute.
They are married to China, together against us.
Ping.
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