Let's talk about Presidente Hugo Chávez. According to reports this evening, he has a twenty-point lead in the election and will win. I have noticed several anti-Chávez articles in the U.S. press, especially that stupid article in the New York Times yesterday claiming that crime has risen during the Chávez administration. The articles all refer to him as a "Leftist," apparently because he likes Fidel Castro. Well, I think Luiz and Leonardo will back me up on this, practically everyone in Latin American likes Castro, or at least they don't hate and fear him, unlike the government of the United States. Why does the U.S. press dislike Chávez? Is it because he called Bush a devil? Hell, I've been calling Bush the devil ever since he was put into the presidency (I liked Chávez's comment that he could still smell the sulfur on the stage; I thought that perhaps that was a reference to Bush's thang for passing gas). The writers of many of the articles I've read about Chávez in the U.S. press over the past few years seem to have been shocked that he would take the profits from oil revenues and use them to help the poor! The nerve of that man; he only does it to gain votes, unlike the Glorious Leader of the United States who cuts the taxes of the wealthy and puts the burden on the middle and lower classes and then hands over the U.S. Treasury to the top 1% of the nation. Now that's Christian leadership! Chávez isn't perfect, but he sure as hell isn't as bad as the current President of the United States; he hasn't invaded any countries, he hasn't supported any coups against other governments, unlike Dubya, who supported the opposition when they tried to evict Chávez. Chávez has supported candidates in the elections of other nations, but he hasn't been entirely successful in that area. Latin America is changing; Chávez, Ortéga, Lula, Correa, Bachelet, Vazquez, and Morales are not the people the Bush administration wanted to see in power, but they were all elected in fair elections, elections which were much cleaner than the elections in which Bush was involved. I think that the U.S. press should spend more time worrying about the problems in the U.S. and those caused by the U.S. instead of worrying about Chávez and Venezuela. When I visit the U.S., I only buy gasoline from Citgo!
UPDATE: No surprise, really, but Chávez won by a landslide, and, from all accounts, it was a clean, fair election.
2 comments:
You're getting really BRAVO your Padre Mickiness! We're all going to be "rounded up" soon by Bushnatics and shipped to the wrong end of Cuba to be "interviewed!"
OK..let's see if I can give some on-the-ground feedback.
Bush is generally despised in Central America or at least "snickered at" as a fool...people often "test the water" to see how I feel about him (new people I meet)...after they realize I think Bush is a candidate for a "war crimes" tribunal and "insane" on top of it all they jump right in and add to his offenses...people really loath him except the very upper tier of the older/upper-class (who probably think he's stupid too but don't mind as long as he keeps helping them exploit others and hold on to/increase their grip on the moneyin this Hemisphere).
I just returned from a lovely party this afternoon...it was all wealthy Americanos who have second homes here...one former Ambassador was present and one former Consul General...most everyone finds Bush the "worst President in History." Recently many folks noticed how plain stupid and bullheaded Bush is (a quality I noticed before he was president along with his severe self-centeredness/drydrunk mumbojumbo logic spin/rationalized zealotry and greed).
Most Latin Americans thought the SULFUR remark was hysterically funny and appropriate (he's even lost the Evangelicos who thought he WAS like them until the "war" pressed on with gruesome/innocent deaths).
Hugo Chavez is well admired here in Central America and the majority of folks think Castro is a champ in many ways also...one only needs point to PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES and FREE EDUCATION in Cuba plus CUBANS and VENEZALANOS are, attractive, spirited,resourceful, hardworking and FUN!
In Puerto Rico which has a large x-Cuban "community"...most Puerto Ricans think Castro is a positive influence in Cuban (most Puerto Ricans also dislike the Cuban/American immigrants who HATE CASTRO. Puerto Ricans mostly consider their Cuban immigrants "filthy mouthed" and oppressive/exploitive gold diggers and understand why they HAD to flee from Cuban).
One of the key things to remember about most Latin Americanos is that "they are smart like foxes"...even the most modest villager here could teach North Americans a thing or two about shrewdness and being certain you are going to eat TODAY and maybe tomorrow too...in fact, nobody is above looking the other way (on most any subject).
I find Latin Americanos very authentic human beings (even with their occassional "amnesia" about some of their REAL unsavory deeds).
REAL Living COLOR and double standard thinking meet "realismo magico" around here daily...it's quite a fascinating "style" to observe and to get used to...sometimes the "hand *is* much quicker than the eye"...something Bush is unable to pull-off.
Ironic really. Chavez gets stronger as Pinochet lies dying. Pinochet, whose murderous regime was engineered by the United States before they moved on to Nicaragua to help another murderous regime. AND THEY CALL IT DEMOCRACY - unless, of course, a socialist wins.
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