Support Chavez or be fired from your job sounds pretty dictatorial

[cynatnite]

George Bush may be our enemy, but our enemy's enemy isn't always our friend. Yes, we do like it when someone stands up to the boy king. It feels refreshing when someone in power says a little of what we're thinking and it's covered by the press.

Of course, George Bush does't like Hugo Chavez and many here at DU doesn't like him either. It doesn't make us 'Chavez haters' war supporters, bushbots, freepers or any other things we've been called when we express our disdain for Chavez's actions. If the US has been doing covert work to undermine Chavez as many maintain(and the evidence presented is compelling)it doesn't automatically mean that Chavez is a good man. I also recognize the fact that Chavez has been elected three times, but so have other world leaders who are considered dictators and much of the world questions the validity of their elections as has been done in Venezuale. Many have questioned those elections and there is discussion that those were stolen. Of course, we have our own two previous presidential elections which were considered stolen by most of us here at DU.

So for all the Chavez supporters who continually ask for proof I leave a few links that took just a few minutes to google. Here is why I do not and will not support Chavez in any way shape form or fashion:

Democracy Hugo Chavez-Style

For workers at Venezuela's state-owned oil company, supporting Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez isn't a choice; it's a direct order.

According to an internal memo obtained by ABC News, workers at Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) were recently instructed to support Chavez's re-election campaign or else be terminated.

http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2006/11/democracy_hugo_.html

Chavez set to receive decree powers

CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuela's Congress delayed by a day on Tuesday its vote to give President Hugo Chavez decree powers enabling him to nationalize oil and utility assets and press his drive to turn Venezuela into a socialist state.

Congress, which has no opposition lawmakers due to a boycott of elections in 2005, had been set to approve the measure on Tuesday but postponed action until Wednesday to hold an unusual open-air voting session in Caracas's central square -- increasing public exposure.

If passed as expected, the vote will empower Chavez for 18 months to issue decrees expected to overhaul the OPEC nation's economic landscape by imposing state controls over such sectors as energy, mining and banking.

http://www.boston.com/news/world/latinamerica/articles/2007/01/30/chavez_set_to_receive_decree_powers_in_venezuela

Chavez Shuts Venezuelan TV Station

Venezuela's oldest private television station went off the air following President Hugo Chavez's decision to pull the plug on the popular channel harshly critical of the government, a move that sparked violent clashes between protesters and police.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/05/28/international/i003955D76.DTL