News Our Dictator Is More Dictatorial Than Your Dictator
posted by on January 31 at 11:11 AM
The top story on the New York Times website right now is about the Venezuelan Congress empowering Hugo Chavez to rule by decree.
A congress wholly loyal to President Hugo Chavez approved a law Wednesday granting him authority to enact sweeping measures by decree.Meeting at a downtown plaza in a session that resembled a political rally, lawmakers unanimously approved all four articles of the law by a show of hands….
Chavez, who is beginning a fresh six-year term, says the legislation will be the start of a new era of ”maximum revolution” during which he will consolidate Venezuela’s transformation into a socialist society. His critics are calling it a radical lurch toward authoritarianism by a leader with unchecked power.
Thank God we don’t live in some banana republic run by a power-mad crypto-dictator who rules by decree!
Oh, wait. We do. Ruling by decree, above the law.
And say what you will about Chavez and the advisability of “maximum revolution,” at least Chavez got his extraordinary powers approved by a supine Venezuelan Congress. Bush’s power grabs aren’t preceded by the formality a vote in our equally supine congress. (Yes, still supine—click on “law,” above.) Bush grabs, and Congress just sits there and does nothing. Man, we’re fucked.
is dan drunk? you ought to give that a quick read and tune-up.
You know, after reading that I remembered why I watched the state of the union. It is not that Der Fueher would say anything new. I am just waiting for him to address the Congress and walk behind the speaker and the V-P and pull down the American Flag to reveal a swastika or a hammer and sickle. At least the suspense of waiting for our liberties and rule of law will finally come to an end.....
Dan- the Venzuelan congress has no choice when it comes to loyalt to Chavez. His economically ill-advised populism has resulted in a public so Chavezmanic that an objector to Chavez's power-seizure would have no chance of reelection.
Think of the Authorization to Use Military Force or the Patriot Act. This sort of congressional approbation must be put in scare quotes.
Dan's breathless post reminds me of a piece that appeared yesterday in the NY Times' sister publication, the International Herald Tribune. Headline: "Elemental Caution in Immoderate Times." I can't link because it's under the Times' pay service, but I think I'm OK to quote the first two sentences:
Yeah, things could be--and have been--a lot worse here. But I do think it's relevant to point out that they're still pretty damn bad, and that countries such as Venezuela that are commonly viewed as autocratic are really not that much different from the US currently.
That said, these are worrisome moves by Chavez. Until now, I think he's been a pretty good model of a Latin American leader who can stand up to US corporate interests and enact truly progressive reforms. No matter how popular he is, though, ruling by decree is a step too far. It threatens to undermine all the good Chavez has done, and render him a useless cartoon enemy like Fidel Castro. I think that's what Chavez wants, unfortunately.
Congress *supine*? Prone is more like it, prone and ready to take it up the ass like a dull bottom - the kind that just lies there and moans.
By the way did you all catch the story circulating that the recent US/Iraqi victory over sunni insurgents was really an Sunni-iraqi massacre of a Shia tribe in which we participated becuase we didn't know any better. (The UK Independent summarizes the regional papers.)
We haven't had an Enduring Freedom / Dessert Strom named operation for a while. I vote for naming the troop surge Operation Invincible Ignorance.
As a lefty, I'm supposed to root for this anti-democratic dictator in the making, right? Sorry, Chavez has gone way too far.
#6 it was all over the news that U.S forces were going to train there gun sites on the Shia everyday in the last two weeks. Nothing new or shocking, except that were going to get shot at now by both sides even more in the next month. Everybody ready for the Iranian invasion. scratch that, sorry. Its like yelling bomb in an airport.
Troops home now! ASAP!
Deep breaths? Good idea. People are really going crazy! From the exploding, out of control anti-war movement to the constant protests and frenzied political action...oh wait
I do not understand the white liberal fear of Chavez. He has won in one landslide elction after another. He channels oil money into programs to the poor, etc etc. He is the type of leftie leader this country could use. Somebody with a spine and the will to call a spade a shovel, or Bush a facist. I for one would rather have ChAVEZ covering my back then "Impeachment is off the table" Nacy Pelosi.
Gary - many of the people on this Slog are not left - as in Dan - they are trapped Republicans.
All of South America is in economic boom and change. Thanks to the anti poverty God, and have little need for anything American except buyers.....at much higher international prices.
Hard to give up control for American business.....our economic colonies are one by one escaping.
And beware all the phony lefties in Seattle.
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