Reply #72: Regarding Chavez.

[dotymed]

Anytime a country (or politician) refuses to be shackled by America and its' corporate owners, especially if the "peasants" are shown some empathy, they are immediately declared hostile to America. I agree that Chavez is not the "smartest of politicians." I believe he began as a man who didn't really want to be a politician. He wanted to stop the suffering of the poor and reign in the despotism of the wealthy. As usual, the United Corporation of America has done everything in its' power to derail his intent. While Chavez has done a lot to improve conditions for the poor, usually at the expense of the once ruling elite, much of his Socialist agenda has been deformed. The Venezuelan elite, backed by the Corporatist government of America, have been successful in their agenda of corrupting any real change. They have been such a destructive force, even at the cost of hurting their interests (cutting off your nose to spite your face), that Venezuela now faces destructive inflation. They have goaded Chavez into un-winnable positions which had the desired effect of forcing him into questionable decisions.
Instead of being a good neighbor and respecting the democratic will of the people, our government has repeatedly (and historically) attempted to subjugate the people and silence their voice. If we would have just observed, the American ruling class feared their exposure and the possible, equitable changes this may have heralded for America.
Anything to retain their corrupt, demeaning rule of America was, and is, the standing order. Only, we the people can change this.