Reply #8: You really need to become better informed about the reality of Chavez and Venezuela.

[montanaliberaldem]

Why we insist on labeling Chavez a "dictator" and his government a "regime" is beyond me. Let's remember he is a democratically elected Catholic leader. He has been re-elected in internationally monitored elections so clean we should be envious. Are there poor in Venezuela, yes? Are they better off than before he was elected, also yes. Far better off. All we heard about the contitutional reforms that he proposed in the election recently was that he wanted to rule forever. True - if the Venezuelans chose to re-elect him forever. There was much else that he included in his reform package. He proposed introducing into the Constitution a law forbidding the exploitation of workers, creating a Social Stability Fund that will guarantee the workers such basic rights as retirement, pensions, vacations, rest and economic guarantees to pregnant women, both pre- and post-partum. The law would reduce the workday to six hours and would forbid employers to force their employees to work overtime. All highly objectionable, huh? He refuses to play nice with the Bush administration. Personally, I love that. And I think anything that helps the poor in THIS COUNTRY heat their homes should be welcomed. It would be nice if we could just focus on that.