U.S. Congressman Befriends Chavez

[Rose Siding]

WASHINGTON -- They are a political odd couple: Cass Ballenger, a conservative Republican congressman from North Carolina, and Hugo Chavez, Venezuela's mercurial, left-leaning president.

Their acquaintance began not long after Chavez's 1998 election as president. They've met or talked up to 25 times, by Ballenger's estimate. In the spring of 2001, Chavez showed up at Ballenger's western North Carolina home in Hickory with most of his cabinet.
.........
The Bush administration also is worried about Venezuela's potential as a transit point for U.S.-bound illicit drugs. "If they don't get engaged, they will become a magnet for the kinds of bad actors and trafficking that others in the region have been so victimized by," says Robert Charles, the State Department's top counterdrug official
.........
When Chavez and his delegation visited Ballenger in Hickory in 2001, they got the grip and grin southern hospitality treatment and a minicourse in America's virtues. Ballenger hosted a barbecue dinner, inviting local business leaders. At a factory, contented workers told Chavez about employee benefits. He also was shown a food-for-the-poor operation financed by a church and local businesses.

"Don't you think we do these things better than Fidel?" Ballenger asked Chavez. Chavez seemed impressed but responded that that Venezuelan capitalists are different, totally lacking any social conscience. It's the "law of the jungle and dog-eat-dog" in Venezuela, Chavez replied, according to Ballenger.

http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-the-odd-couple,0,5587080.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines

[Mika]

1. "Don't you think we do these things better than Fidel?" LOL

Castro doesn't singlehandedly create what Cuba has done. The Cuban people have.

So, let's see what Cuba does..

Learn from Cuba
http://www.twnside.org.sg/title/learn.htm

“It is in some sense almost an anti-model,” according to Eric Swanson, the programme manager for the Bank’s Development Data Group, which compiled the WDI, a tome of almost 400 pages covering scores of economic, social, and environmental indicators.

Indeed, Cuba is living proof in many ways that the Bank’s dictum that economic growth is a pre-condition for improving the lives of the poor is over-stated, if not, downright wrong.

-

It has reduced its infant mortality rate from 11 per 1,000 births in 1990 to seven in 1999, which places it firmly in the ranks of the western industrialised nations. It now stands at six, according to Jo Ritzen, the Bank’s Vice President for Development Policy, who visited Cuba privately several months ago to see for himself.

By comparison, the infant mortality rate for Argentina stood at 18 in 1999;

Chile’s was down to ten; and Costa Rica, at 12. For the entire Latin American and Caribbean region as a whole, the average was 30 in 1999.

Similarly, the mortality rate for children under the age of five in Cuba has fallen from 13 to eight per thousand over the decade. That figure is 50% lower than the rate in Chile, the Latin American country closest to Cuba’s achievement. For the region as a whole, the average was 38 in 1999.

“Six for every 1,000 in infant mortality - the same level as Spain - is just unbelievable,” according to Ritzen, a former education minister in the Netherlands. “You observe it, and so you see that Cuba has done exceedingly well in the human development area.”

Indeed, in Ritzen’s own field, the figures tell much the same story. Net primary enrolment for both girls and boys reached 100% in 1997, up from 92% in 1990. That was as high as most developed nations - higher even than the US rate and well above 80-90% rates achieved by the most advanced Latin American countries.

“Even in education performance, Cuba’s is very much in tune with the developed world, and much higher than schools in, say, Argentina, Brazil, or Chile.”

It is no wonder, in some ways. Public spending on education in Cuba amounts to about 6.7% of gross national income, twice the proportion in other Latin American and Caribbean countries and even Singapore.

There were 12 primary school pupils for every Cuban teacher in 1997, a ratio that ranked with Sweden, rather than any other developing country. The Latin American and East Asian average was twice as high at 25 to one.

The average youth (age 15-24) illiteracy rate in Latin America and the Caribbean stands at 7%. In Cuba, the rate is zero. In Latin America, where the average is 7%, only Uruguay approaches that achievement, with one percent youth illiteracy.

“Cuba managed to reduce illiteracy from 40% to zero within ten years,” said Ritzen. “If Cuba shows that it is possible, it shifts the burden of proof to those who say it’s not possible.”

Similarly, Cuba devoted 9.1% of its gross domestic product (GDP) during the 1990s to health care, roughly equivalent to Canada’s rate. Its ratio of 5.3 doctors per 1,000 people was the highest in the world.

[Rose Siding]

2. They're pulling out the stops to court Chavez

A bbq and everything. Which factory in SC still has contented workers with bennies intact?

[JohnyCanuck]

18. Chavez should take note that they were romancing the Taliban too

prior to laying out the carpet of bombs when the carpet of gold got rejected.

[livinbella]

4. wow, very impressive

[Village Idiot]

3. What a pile of GOP bullshit!

"The Bush administration also is worried about Venezuela's potential as a transit point for U.S.-bound illicit drugs."

The only thing ShrubCo is worried about is Venezuela's potential as a transit point for U.S.-bound OIL!!!!

[denverbill]

5. No, they are more worried about another export - leftist ideology.

For god's sake, what if the start exporting their progressivism to the US? Next thing you know, they'd be raising taxes on the wealthy to help the poor.

[makhno]

6. This article is bullshit

Chavez seemed impressed but responded that that Venezuelan capitalists are different, totally lacking any social conscience.

Yeah, right, he said that. America - capitalism with a conscience!

[pop goes the weasel]

7. I believe it

Few Americans, either left or right, really understand how venile, how cruel, how truly evil the oligarchy in Latin America is. Those of us on the left who do understand must redouble our efforts; the real threat is that the US is sliding more and more quickly into a Latin American style socio-economy.

[makhno]

8. They have more leeway, that's all

I don't doubt for a second that the mindset is the same between their oligarchs and our homegrown ones. The difference is that we still have some semblance of a legal state to guard against the depredations of the bourgeoisie.

But that's today; four years from now Latin America will look like a beacon of democracy and social progress.

[Radical Activist]

19. Just look at what US companies do overseas

They aren't above child labor, slave labor and the most immoral acts any corporation can engage in. They aren't more moral here, they just have more restrictions.

[bin.dare]

9. curious, does Hugo Chavez speak english?

i am always curious when nuanced quotes are attributed to speakers, especially if they are non-native speakers of the language.

[masshole1979]

16. chaves speaks english and a couple other languages

he's supposedly got degrees coming out his ears...not much else to do when you're an officer in the military of a country that has not fought a foreign war since independence.

[0rganism]

21. Fact: Chavez responded that... | Opinion: Chavez seemed impressed...

Does "fair and balanced" mean measurably equal amounts of opinion and fact in news articles now?

[Judi Lynn]

22. It's a real hit piece on Hugo Chavez, to be sure.

It paints this fine, upstanding Southern rightwinger as the salt of the earth, and Chavez an uncouth imbecile, completely determined to become a fire-breathing, megalomaniacal dictator.

Absolutely no depth to these clowns who attempt to write our news articles anymore. If the reporter, Geddas had the faintest idea of Venezuelan history he wouldn't be able to mischaracterize Hugo Chavez as wildly as he does, while promoting our own dolt as the salt of the earth, a god in man's clothing.

[IA_Seth]

10. LOL

"Chavez seemed impressed but responded that that Venezuelan capitalists are different, totally lacking any social conscience. It's the "law of the jungle and dog-eat-dog" in Venezuela, Chavez replied, according to Ballenger. "

How is this different than our capitalists here?! If it weren't for unions and for non-governmentatl (churches, etc) charities our country would be screwed, and with the increasing power of rethugs we are turning more and more to a "law of the jungle" right here at home!

[w4rma]

11. The protections that FDR and other Democratic Presidents setup in the past

blunted, covered up and in many cases prevented that from happening. But it's been festering under the surface within the boardrooms of the corporate cartel who have been working very hard (and apparently have been very successful) in undoing those protections.

It will get to the point that ALL successful buisnessfolks are *forced* to act unethically to keep their buisness afloat and compete against the already entrenched unethical buisness leaders. Those protections also *forced* folks to conduct buisness ethically in many ways. But unethical buisness (unless you are caught and publically shamed) is very successful because of the vast ability to cut corners which then allows the buisness to grow faster due to the extra funds that can be reappropriated back into the buisness.

[struggle4progress]

17. Yeah, FDR's reforms saved capitalism in America. If the Repubs ...

trash those reforms to set up thew Bushista's corporate ownership society, they will find themselves facing an increasingly radicalized public.

[Rose Siding]

12. American capitalists have dipped into Chavez's life, too

I'd guess this was a tongue in cheek way of not blatantly offending his hosts.

[Voltaire99]

13. "At a factory, contented workers told Chavez about employee benefits"

So some of the kapos were told to get the other slobs in line, and, by now trained to live in perpetual fear of downsizing and outsourcing and NAFTA-ing, they stood up and praised their masters until they no longer had to tremble and smile for their jobs.

We grow more like the Soviet Union every day.

[Voltaire99]

14. Careful, Hugo. Look what happened to Bono...

...after he took up with the right wingers. Dude fucking wept and prayed with Jesse Helms, for Chrissakes. Shameful. Shameful.

But I suspect Chavez is smarter than that. :-)

[Freddie Stubbs]

24. Bono is doing just fine

http://www.billboard.com/bb/daily/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000727360

[Bono71]

25. You're right. I feel grand! It's a beautiful day!

[bemildred]

15. The Threat of Hugo Chavez and the Venezuelan People

The US government and Presidential candidate John Kerry have announced that President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, is a threat to the United States. What is most ironic is that while using a different framework through which to analyze this statement, this is true. The vision of Hugo Chavez and the strong community organizing of the Venezuelan people little by little destroys the corrupt, imperialist, and repressive vision and practice of the US government and its capacity to intervene in the affairs of the people, minimizing their efforts to control the beloved nation called Venezuela. In fact, it transforms their framework while resisting it- that is why recently Colin Powell announced after the referendum that the US, while in “disagreement” over policies and ideology, will find ways in which to cooperate with the Venezuelan government. The work of the people makes it even more impossible for the US government to execute its plan to rule by a foreign hand, buying officials within while foreign banks come to partake in the fruits of the capitalist machine of globalization that has destroyed so many lives and so many countries. However, they continue to sing the cry of threat and danger, their fingers pointed toward Hugo Chavez, the leader of the resistance against neoliberalism and imperialism.

http://cybercircle.org/articles/katie_threat.shtml

[Judi Lynn]

20. So kind of Cass Ballanger to speak with the savage, isn't it?

Maybe he can teach him to sit down to eat, rather than squatting on the ground! Mr. Refinement.

Maybe he can tell Hugo Chavez how better to cope with the grotesque shrieking poverty years of unchecked greed has produced before he became the President of Venezuela.



Please click on any of the barrio photos in this link to see up close just how well off the people of Caracas really are! The ones most visitors DON'T see are on the bottom half:

http://www.cita.utoronto.ca/~jmartin/www_jmartin/Caracas/Caracas.html

Here's more of the great Ballenger's thoughts expressed in an interview, concerning Chavez. You can see he tries, but the very idea of a Republican trying to grasp realities beyond his own doorstep is too much to ask:

Ballenger: The Venezuelan Caucus was established to show friendship to President Chavez and to encourage him to embrace democracy. As the President of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez is the head of OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries). He has an important role, and I want to influence him to promote freedom in his country. This benefits the United States as well as the people of Venezuela.

NCPR: Newsweek magazine, among others, has called Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez "the most controversial head of state in Latin America" after Cuba's Fidel Castro. Why is Chavez such a controversial figure and does he deserve this criticism?

Ballenger: Chavez is controversial, but his rhetoric is worse than his actions. He’s definitely raised my eyebrows from time to time, but I closely watch what he does. His actions are not as extreme as his words.

NCPR: What are President Chavez’s most significant accomplishments since taking office as President of Venezuela last year?

Ballenger: President Chavez has helped keep the price of oil down. President Chavez has undone one of the most corrupt governments in South America by rewriting the country’s constitution. He’s leaving the door open for democracy. I want to make sure that the door of democracy opens wide enough for the people of Venezuela to benefit.

NCPR: What did President Chavez think about North Carolina and about Hickory when he came to visit you in your hometown a few months ago?

Ballenger: President Chavez was shocked at how clean the city was, how clean the industry was. He marveled at how free the workers are, and that employers care about their employees in Hickory. He also couldn’t believe the good that people in private businesses and churches do to help their neighbors in need. I can’t think of a better place than Hickory to see people reaching out to their community by helping feed and clothe people in need--without government intervention. President Chavez was shocked, and it was a good thing for him to see.

NCPR: To what extent has President Bush been supportive of your efforts to develop and maintain strong official and personal ties to President Chavez?

Ballenger: President Bush told me to keep it up. He wants to help change Chavez’s attitude toward democracy just like I do.
(snip)

http://www.ncpoliticalreview.com/1101/ballenger.htm



Which one is Ballenger?

[Rose Siding]

23. oops- I did not mean to kick this

O, my. I was just looking it over in reference to another post about Russia and Venezuela cooperating on energy.