Hugo Chavez is dead (1 Viewer)

[Kal El]

Another one bites the dust.

 

[Plorfu]

I need a new someone to demonize and irrationally fear. Whatcha got?

 

[Fennis]

I need a new someone to demonize and irrationally fear. Whatcha got?

Obama FTW

 

[NutterButter]

I need a new someone to demonize and irrationally fear. Whatcha got?

Obama FTW

If he's not already #1 on your list, then you're not a true american.

 

[eurotrashman]

Another one bites the dust.

Pray for his soul?

 

[FlapJacks]

I need a new someone to demonize and irrationally fear. Whatcha got?

big oil companies?Haliburton?

Cheney?

Carbon Dioxide?

 

[Smack Tripper]

What about the other despots and dictators we prop up? Why have you knuckleheads ginned up this outrage for a non factor

 

[jonessed]

Not a great guy necessarily, but not sure he entirely deserves the terrible reputation he has in America. Just browsing on Wikipedia, it seems he was fairly successful in addressing the countries' issues with poverty, malnutrition, illiteracy, while growing the economy.

Poverty decreased under Chavez, as it has in even poorer countries such as Bolivia, but he did it the wrong way. You can't just give money to people and expect the economy to prosper long-term. You can't scare away entrepreneurship without consequences. Poverty in Asia and Latin America has shrunk because of job creation and capitalism. The Chilean and Peruvian models of economic prosperity leave the Venezuelan and Cuban models in the dust.

I think he solved some problems with a short sighted approach. Now the country is dealing with the long term effects. Still, misguided economic strategy in an attempt to increase education, lower food prices and reduce poverty does not make a leader evil.

He was a dictator who crushed opposition through imprisonment and corruption. He made himself the only option. Democracy prior to Chavez may not have been perfect, but it at least it existed.He was bad for Venezuela, but he didn't destroy the country so they have a chance to catch up to the rest of South America now.

 

[MaxThreshold]

And the American left mourns their loss. Seriously? I f#n hate Sean Pean.

 

[Fennis]

I disagreed with his nationalization policies.

I agreed with his George Bush is the devil policies.

Mixed bag.

 

[Smack Tripper]

And the American left mourns their loss. Seriously? I f#n hate Sean Pean.

Serious question, what are your thoughts on this pic?http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/Believer's%20Corner/bush_holding_hands.jpg

And i say this not to condone the left, but lets keep the perspecitve ledger balanced in that we are all little beeotches to the oil gods. But Hugo wouldn't dance in time with us so he gets hung up in a negative light.

 

[Fennis]

And the American left mourns their loss. Seriously? I f#n hate Sean Pean.

Sean Penn is the "American left?"

 

[SoBeDad]

And the American left mourns their loss. Seriously? I f#n hate Sean Pean.

Penn is an idiot when it comes to politics. He never had to listen to a 6 hour Chavez or Castro speech. Doesn't he believe in free press? Poor people did lose a friend, but Penn should go to Lima, Santiago or Bogota, and not Havana or Caracas, if he wants to see how to reduce poverty long-term.

 

[Insein]

Any word on if Rodman will be a pall bearer?

Post of the thread.

 

[Bottomfeeder Sports]

True, but there is no doubt that he has decimated the oil industry in Venzuela. He amassed a 2 billion dollar personal fortune on the backs of the people. And, even worse, he created and supported a socialist government that was so replete with corruption (not a surprise here) that approximately 100 billion of the 1 trillion dollars of produced oil money was siphoned away to bad actors.

Sounds like privatize profits, socialize loses corporate America, though I'm not sure it is appropriate to call stock holders "bad actors".

 

[Rayderr]

I agreed with his George Bush is the devil policies.

Whenever I see comments like this, I always imagine Hitler down in hell saying "What?! 46 million people are dead because of me, yet people are saying this Bush guy is the Devil? WTF man?"

 

[Fennis]

I agreed with his George Bush is the devil policies.

Whenever I see comments like this, I always imagine Hitler down in hell saying "What?! 46 million people are dead because of me, yet people are saying this Bush guy is the Devil? WTF man?"

I get your larger point, but my post (and I didn't expect anyone would get it) was an homage to the Simpsons when Sideshow Bob ran for Mayor.It's election day. Homer steps behind the curtain in front of a voting booth.

Homer: [looks at ballot information] Hmm...I don't agree with his Bart-killing policy, but I do approve of his Selma-killing policy. [votes for Bob]

Krusty: Well, he framed me for armed robbery, but man, I'm aching for that upper-class tax cut. [votes for Bob]

-- Springfield voters, "Sideshow Bob Roberts"

 

[MaxThreshold]

And the American left mourns their loss. Seriously? I f#n hate Sean Pean.

Sean Penn is the "American left?"

It's not just Sean Penn.[QUOTE='United States, Rep. Jose Serrano, D-N.Y.]In the United States, Rep. Jose Serrano, D-N.Y., who represents a largely Hispanic district, tweeted his condolences: "Hugo Chavez was a leader that understood the needs of the poor. He was committed to empowering the powerless. R.I.P. Mr. President."
[/QUOTE][QUOTE='Jimmy Carter]Nevertheless, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter also paid tribute to Chavez, and said in a statement that he "will be remembered for his bold assertion of autonomy and independence for Latin American governments."
[/QUOTE][QUOTE='Joseph P. Kennedy II]"Our prayers go out to President Chavez's family, the people of Venezuela, and all who were warmed by his generosity."
[/QUOTE]And all you have to do is look at some of the sympathetic posts from our resident FFA liberals in this thread to see that the American left is, indeed, mourning the loss of one of their icons.

 

[MaxThreshold]

I agreed with his George Bush is the devil policies.

Whenever I see comments like this, I always imagine Hitler down in hell saying "What?! 46 million people are dead because of me, yet people are saying this Bush guy is the Devil? WTF man?"

Stalin is probably pretty upset too. As well as Pol Pot.

 

[The_Man]

And all you have to do is look at some of the sympathetic posts from our resident FFA liberals in this thread to see that the American left is, indeed, mourning the loss of one of their icons.

Link?

 

[Kal El]

Another one bites the dust.

Pray for his soul?

It's a little late at this point.

 

[Wrigley]

Ozzie Guillen the next Venezuelan President?

 

[Leroy Hoard]

And all you have to do is look at some of the sympathetic posts from our resident FFA liberals in this thread to see that the American left is, indeed, mourning the loss of one of their icons.

Link?

 

[mad sweeney]

Yup, here's that American Left praising Chavez all right.

 

[SacramentoBob]

1.04 Ivan the Terrible used to read bedtime stories to poor kids.

 

[GroveDiesel]

I heard Sean Penn went to Citgo this morning, gave the full serve guy a $5 and told him to pour one out for his homie.

 

[GroveDiesel]

1.05 Mao used his spare time to whittle cute chopsticks for the orphans created during his Great Leap Forward

 

[pittstownkiller]

1.06 Hitler re-gifted…okay, he was just a bad person.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

1.07 Son Of Sam always remembered his father.

 

[Rayderr]

1.06 Hitler re-gifted…okay, he was just a bad person.

[not shtick]Enacted environmental policies, animal rights and protection of endangered species, extensive social welfare programs, the autobahn, anti-tobacco movement... But yes, very bad guy.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

I need a new someone to demonize and irrationally fear. Whatcha got?

I always enjoy posts like this. Nobody in this thread, as far as I can tell, had any particular fear of Hugo Chavez. And if any president carried out the same policies in the US that Chavez carried out in Venezuela, there would be virtually 100% support for impeachment and criminal proceedings. But for some reason those of us who recognize this and point it out are the villiains here.

 

[Hang 10]

I need a new someone to demonize and irrationally fear. Whatcha got?

Obama FTW

He said, irrationally.

 

[pittstownkiller]

1.07 Son Of Sam always remembered his father.

...and played with the neighbor's dog.

 

[The_Man]

I need a new someone to demonize and irrationally fear. Whatcha got?

I always enjoy posts like this. Nobody in this thread, as far as I can tell, had any particular fear of Hugo Chavez. And if any president carried out the same policies in the US that Chavez carried out in Venezuela, there would be virtually 100% support for impeachment and criminal proceedings. But for some reason those of us who recognize this and point it out are the villiains here.

Maybe not in this thread, but it's been clear in recent years that the right has tried to set up Chavez as some kind of Western Hemisphere threat to democracy, like it used to do with Castro before his total impotence made him not so scary any more.Here's the first thing I found on Google, a representative blurb from ABC News from last year's campaign, that kind of summarizes it:

The comment has drawn fire from conservatives, including presumptive GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney, who have been eager to portray Obama as negligent in addressing the Iranian threat.

“I was stunned by his comments,” Romney told Fox News’ Neil Cavuto this afternoon. “This is Hugo Chavez who has invited Iran in, who has invited Hezbollah. Hezbollah, being a surrogate and a proxy for Iran that would have access to weapons that could be used against us.

“The idea that this nation, this president, doesn’t pose a national security threat is simply naive and an extraordinary admission on the part of this president to be completely out of touch with what is happening in Latin America,” Romney said. “This is a very misguided and misdirected thought on the part of our president.”

The Republican National Committee and Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio have also been fanning the flames of controversy over Obama’s remark, circulating to the press his comment on Chavez, along with a rebuke.

Rubio, a potential Romney vice presidential pick, accused Obama of “living under a rock” when it comes to the threat from Chavez.

“Even Obama’s own State Department belatedly but rightly expelled Chavez’s consul general in Miami for her ties to a plan to wage cyber-attacks on the U.S.,” he said in a statement.

 

[The Z Machine]

Good riddance. I don't celebrate anyone's death, but he won't be missed. Time to turn the page in VZLA and enter a new era. Hopefully an era with reduced violent crime and less economic turmoil.

 

[Boston]

I need a new someone to demonize and irrationally fear. Whatcha got?

I always enjoy posts like this. Nobody in this thread, as far as I can tell, had any particular fear of Hugo Chavez. And if any president carried out the same policies in the US that Chavez carried out in Venezuela, there would be virtually 100% support for impeachment and criminal proceedings. But for some reason those of us who recognize this and point it out are the villiains here.

Politics has become just like sports...if the guy plays for my team he can do no wrong...

 

[pittstownkiller]

I need a new someone to demonize and irrationally fear. Whatcha got?

I always enjoy posts like this. Nobody in this thread, as far as I can tell, had any particular fear of Hugo Chavez. And if any president carried out the same policies in the US that Chavez carried out in Venezuela, there would be virtually 100% support for impeachment and criminal proceedings. But for some reason those of us who recognize this and point it out are the villiains here.

Maybe not in this thread, but it's been clear in recent years that the right has tried to set up Chavez as some kind of Western Hemisphere threat to democracy, like it used to do with Castro before his total impotence made him not so scary any more.Here's the first thing I found on Google, a representative blurb from ABC News from last year's campaign, that kind of summarizes it:

The comment has drawn fire from conservatives, including presumptive GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney, who have been eager to portray Obama as negligent in addressing the Iranian threat.

“I was stunned by his comments,” Romney told Fox News’ Neil Cavuto this afternoon. “This is Hugo Chavez who has invited Iran in, who has invited Hezbollah. Hezbollah, being a surrogate and a proxy for Iran that would have access to weapons that could be used against us.

“The idea that this nation, this president, doesn’t pose a national security threat is simply naive and an extraordinary admission on the part of this president to be completely out of touch with what is happening in Latin America,” Romney said. “This is a very misguided and misdirected thought on the part of our president.”

The Republican National Committee and Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio have also been fanning the flames of controversy over Obama’s remark, circulating to the press his comment on Chavez, along with a rebuke.

Rubio, a potential Romney vice presidential pick, accused Obama of “living under a rock” when it comes to the threat from Chavez.

“Even Obama’s own State Department belatedly but rightly expelled Chavez’s consul general in Miami for her ties to a plan to wage cyber-attacks on the U.S.,” he said in a statement.

I'm not sure I get your point. Chavez, while limited in scope, was still a menace. I think Castro has been much more of a threat to the U.S. and has had his troops all over Central and South America; and don't forget that he teamed with the Russians to invade the central plain States in Red Dawn. All kidding aside Chavez warranted watching and was actively try to mess with us; you never do know how far someone like that will go.

 

[Keerock]

Helluva boxer...

 

[timschochet]

The reason that the running joke about me really isn't working is because Chavez wasn't in the truly evil category of guys like Hitler. Stalin, Pol Pot, or even Mugabe. Chavez was a tinpot South American dictator, one of hundreds over the years, and not nearly as bad as most of them. He gets admired by the left because unlike 99% of these idiots he was leftist himself- most of these guys are Juan Peron or Pinochet right wing dictators. Outside of Daniel Ortega and of course Fidel, there aren't too many lefties.

Chavez was a bad guy and the leftists like Penn who praise him are just dumb. But Chavez is too small to be truly evil. And he did do some positive things, both for us and for his own people. It's probably a good thing he wasn't assassinated or he'd be regarded as a martyr. the way Allende (another bad guy) still is 40 years later.

 

[acapella]

Listening to NPR on the ride in to work and heard reports about the grief in Venezuela. Chavez was well loved by the poor. Didn't sound like the people considered him a dictator.

 

[squistion]

The reason that the running joke about me really isn't working

Which running joke?

 

[pittstownkiller]

The reason that the running joke about me really isn't working is because Chavez wasn't in the truly evil category of guys like Hitler. Stalin, Pol Pot, or even Mugabe. Chavez was a tinpot South American dictator, one of hundreds over the years, and not nearly as bad as most of them. He gets admired by the left because unlike 99% of these idiots he was leftist himself- most of these guys are Juan Peron or Pinochet right wing dictators. Outside of Daniel Ortega and of course Fidel, there aren't too many lefties. Chavez was a bad guy and the leftists like Penn who praise him are just dumb. But Chavez is too small to be truly evil. And he did do some positive things, both for us and for his own people. It's probably a good thing he wasn't assassinated or he'd be regarded as a martyr. the way Allende (another bad guy) still is 40 years later.

You just couldn't leave well enough alone. Do you have some sort of OCD, that compels you to post the painfully obvious? This is typical of your posts: is Chavez good or bad; are the people who like, or dislike, him good or bad - most of the time you just leave me scratching my head. All you ever do is frame the argument.

 

[Christo]

I need a new someone to demonize and irrationally fear. Whatcha got?

I always enjoy posts like this. Nobody in this thread, as far as I can tell, had any particular fear of Hugo Chavez. And if any president carried out the same policies in the US that Chavez carried out in Venezuela, there would be virtually 100% support for impeachment and criminal proceedings. But for some reason those of us who recognize this and point it out are the villiains here.

Maybe not in this thread, but it's been clear in recent years that the right has tried to set up Chavez as some kind of Western Hemisphere threat to democracy, like it used to do with Castro before his total impotence made him not so scary any more.Here's the first thing I found on Google, a representative blurb from ABC News from last year's campaign, that kind of summarizes it:

The comment has drawn fire from conservatives, including presumptive GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney, who have been eager to portray Obama as negligent in addressing the Iranian threat.

“I was stunned by his comments,” Romney told Fox News’ Neil Cavuto this afternoon. “This is Hugo Chavez who has invited Iran in, who has invited Hezbollah. Hezbollah, being a surrogate and a proxy for Iran that would have access to weapons that could be used against us.

“The idea that this nation, this president, doesn’t pose a national security threat is simply naive and an extraordinary admission on the part of this president to be completely out of touch with what is happening in Latin America,” Romney said. “This is a very misguided and misdirected thought on the part of our president.”

The Republican National Committee and Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio have also been fanning the flames of controversy over Obama’s remark, circulating to the press his comment on Chavez, along with a rebuke.

Rubio, a potential Romney vice presidential pick, accused Obama of “living under a rock” when it comes to the threat from Chavez.

“Even Obama’s own State Department belatedly but rightly expelled Chavez’s consul general in Miami for her ties to a plan to wage cyber-attacks on the U.S.,” he said in a statement.

He said irrational. No one is claiming Chavez was going to invade. But buddying up with Hezbollah and planning cyber-attacks is a reason to at least show some concern for his activities.

 

[timschochet]

Listening to NPR on the ride in to work and heard reports about the grief in Venezuela. Chavez was well loved by the poor. Didn't sound like the people considered him a dictator.

When have they ever known anything else? Much like the Russians, they expect their leaders to be authoritarian and to stifle opposition. Their standards are not based on our vision of freedom or democracy but whether the net result was good for Venezuela. In that sense they think Chavez was a positive and they could be right.

 

[dickey moe]

Figure he's smelling sulphur right about now.

 

[timschochet]

The reason that the running joke about me really isn't working is because Chavez wasn't in the truly evil category of guys like Hitler. Stalin, Pol Pot, or even Mugabe. Chavez was a tinpot South American dictator, one of hundreds over the years, and not nearly as bad as most of them. He gets admired by the left because unlike 99% of these idiots he was leftist himself- most of these guys are Juan Peron or Pinochet right wing dictators. Outside of Daniel Ortega and of course Fidel, there aren't too many lefties. Chavez was a bad guy and the leftists like Penn who praise him are just dumb. But Chavez is too small to be truly evil. And he did do some positive things, both for us and for his own people. It's probably a good thing he wasn't assassinated or he'd be regarded as a martyr. the way Allende (another bad guy) still is 40 years later.

You just couldn't leave well enough alone. Do you have some sort of OCD, that compels you to post the painfully obvious? This is typical of your posts: is Chavez good or bad; are the people who like, or dislike, him good or bad - most of the time you just leave me scratching my head. All you ever do is frame the argument.

You seem to want to live in a black and white world where everyone is either truly good or truly evil. I don't live in that world with you. Chavez was a bad guy, not truly evil. He did mostly rotten things and a few good things. He was a typical South American authoritarian leader, except he was from the Left and therefore our enemy rather than our close friend the way many of these guys have been.

 

[cstu]

Listening to NPR on the ride in to work and heard reports about the grief in Venezuela. Chavez was well loved by the poor. Didn't sound like the people considered him a dictator.

Enough about who the poor love, they are the most easily manipulated by politicians.

 

[DiStefano]

The reason that the running joke about me really isn't working is because Chavez wasn't in the truly evil category of guys like Hitler. Stalin, Pol Pot, or even Mugabe. Chavez was a tinpot South American dictator, one of hundreds over the years, and not nearly as bad as most of them. He gets admired by the left because unlike 99% of these idiots he was leftist himself- most of these guys are Juan Peron or Pinochet right wing dictators. Outside of Daniel Ortega and of course Fidel, there aren't too many lefties. Chavez was a bad guy and the leftists like Penn who praise him are just dumb. But Chavez is too small to be truly evil. And he did do some positive things, both for us and for his own people. It's probably a good thing he wasn't assassinated or he'd be regarded as a martyr. the way Allende (another bad guy) still is 40 years later.

You just couldn't leave well enough alone. Do you have some sort of OCD, that compels you to post the painfully obvious? This is typical of your posts: is Chavez good or bad; are the people who like, or dislike, him good or bad - most of the time you just leave me scratching my head. All you ever do is frame the argument.

You seem to want to live in a black and white world where everyone is either truly good or truly evil. I don't live in that world with you. Chavez was a bad guy, not truly evil. He did mostly rotten things and a few good things. He was a typical South American authoritarian leader, except he was from the Left and therefore our enemy rather than our close friend the way many of these guys have been.

Well, except for the evil Republicans in Congress. I am sure you will agree that they are truly evil...the sequester and all...

 

[Slapdash]

Not a great guy necessarily, but not sure he entirely deserves the terrible reputation he has in America. Just browsing on Wikipedia, it seems he was fairly successful in addressing the countries' issues with poverty, malnutrition, illiteracy, while growing the economy.

Poverty decreased under Chavez, as it has in even poorer countries such as Bolivia, but he did it the wrong way. You can't just give money to people and expect the economy to prosper long-term. You can't scare away entrepreneurship without consequences. Poverty in Asia and Latin America has shrunk because of job creation and capitalism. The Chilean and Peruvian models of economic prosperity leave the Venezuelan and Cuban models in the dust.

Now is the point in the thread where we damn Chavez by praising Pinochet. Nice.

 

[Rayderr]

The reason that the running joke about me really isn't working is because...

I'd say if you're having to explain why it isn't working, it's working.