It’s amazing that year after year we continue to play the international name-game, as if calling pigs “swine” makes them stink less.
This week, when Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez struck at the dwindling freedom of his people, American officials joined other world leaders in shocked amazement, as if we can be surprised when a snake slithers.
Short of revolution, the struggling people of Venezuela aren’t going to be free from dictatorial suppression for some time to come.
This week, the Associated Press reported that Chavez had used “a friendly lame-duck congress to seek broad powers to rule by decree for the next year — a plan that drew strong criticism Wednesday from the U.S. government and opponents who called it a blow to democracy.
“For almost five years, Chavez has enjoyed near total control of Venezuela’s National Assembly thanks to a strategic blunder by his foes, who boycotted 2005 elections. That untrammeled power comes to an end Jan. 5 when a new congress arrives, with enough opposition lawmakers to hinder some types of major legislation.”
But the South American dictator isn’t about to allow free elections to challenge his power — and his incredible wealth.
“Critics accuse Chavez of trying to sidestep those limits and neutralize his opponents by getting the outgoing congress to give him decree powers for 12 months — allowing him to impose laws on his own. They see it as a power grab by a president they say is steering Venezuela toward Cuba-style socialism.”
Chavez has long-since shown that is exactly what he longs for, for Venezuela to emulate Castro’s Cuba, except this time “Cuba” will have plenty of money to pay for terrorism through this hemisphere and around the world.
— Chuck Smith