What I learned on CNN this AM: "Chavez is WORSE Threat Than OBL for Americans"

[leftchick]

Called him a terrorist and the demonizing was just incredible. John Roberts was interviewing an ex-Clinton consultant Douglas E. Schoen about his new book.

http://www.onenewsnow.com/Security/Default.aspx?id=383108


A former consultant to Bill Clinton says the U.S. is very naive about the threat posed by Venezuelan strong man Hugo Chavez, who he believes is at least as dangerous as Osama bin Laden.



Douglas E. Schoen is co-author of the recently released book entitled The Threat Closer to Home: Hugo Chavez and the War Against America. Along with co-author Michael Rowan, Schoen documents how the American government has shrugged off South American politics for nearly 40 years while Venezuela has grown into an unprecedented threat.

Chavez is a "bad actor," says Schoen. "He's been a bad actor for a long time, and he's been supporting, aggressively, Hamas in their battle with Israel in the Gaza strip. He's called what Israel's done a holocaust," he points out. "He's been a supporter of Hamas and Hezbollah and Iran, and he has his own 'axis of evil,' which is designed to undermine and destabilize the United States."

He adds that he is unsure what kind of Venezuelan policy Barack Obama is going to pursue.

Douglas Schoen" anyone's guess. We don't know. He's had very, very little to say about Venezuela. He has said that he will sit down without preconditions with anyone. That presumably includes Chavez," the author contends. "That's not a good sign, but we will see. Hopefully, he will put Venezuela where it belongs on the list of state sponsors of terrorism."

Schoen believes Chavez is a dangerous threat, so he co-wrote the book to warn the American people.

[Burma Jones]

1. He's gotta sell the book, doesn't he?

Fuck 'em all, all the pundits for profit.

[wyldwolf]

2. Considering bin Laden's present condition, I might agree.

As Brian Schweitzer referred to him, "rats, crooks, dictators."

[Kalyke]

3. It's bad to think that what Israel's doing is similar to the Holocaust?

Well, hell, my (Jewish) husband and I must be terrorists, then.

:shrug:

[jeff30997]

4. And Saddam was like Bin Laden and ...

Yadayadayada!He's become a very convenient Boogieman.:eyes:

[HelenWheels]

5. Dead wrong

The US had a coup against Chavez a few years ago and still has a group in his country who are working to over throw him. The US won't be happy until we remove this legally elected man and replace him with a puppet who will once again take over the land and oil for the benefit of a few rich companies.

[tom_paine]

6. CNN remains Brain Anesthesia for the Stupid.

Although what does that then make Fox - Brain Cyanide for Kinder and Genlter Nazis?

[Cetacea]

9. United States of Hypnosis

[tom_paine]

10. Three Cheers for President Change McGoodCop!

I'd like to be wrong, but instead I think I'll just enjoy this pleasant rest (of a Great Depression) until President BadCop is "elected".

[Mr Rabble]

7. Easily disprovable propaganda:

This is really laughable stuff, yet is a terrific example of the US propaganda systems at work. Here is a great line from the OP:

"...documents how the American government has shrugged off South American politics for nearly 40 years".

Shrugged off?

It is childs play to go over the extensive record of intervention and massacre in the South- at the hands of US leaders.

Perhaps the most dramatic example of this would be 1986-

In 1986, the Reagan administration was condemned by the World Court for "Unlawful use of force" against Nicaragua. Unlawful use of force equals Aggression, which as you know is the ultimate war crime. Let that sink in for a minute.

Luckily for Reagan, he simply vetoed the UN security council resolution on the matter and it disappeared from history- at least here.

The South likely has not forgotten our reign of terror.

[DCKit]

8. Why would S.A., their leaders or the people want to hold the U.S. accountable....

for 100 years of repression, political assasinations, countless murders and manipulation?

What's past is past and they really need to get over it.
:sarcasm:

On a lighter note, I'm hoping (and expecting) the Obama administration is going to re-define "diplomacy" on all fronts. We need to begin making friends again.

[pnutbutr]

11. Being stupid isn't a threat

[Better Believe It]

12. George W. Bush was a worse threat to Americans and just about anyone else in the world

[burythehatchet]

13. this line about says it all.

Schoen documents how the American government has shrugged off South American politics for nearly 40 years

I would place a ROFL smilie here, but this is too damn sad.

[leftchick]

17. I know what you mean

The guy must not know his Latin American countries because the US has fucked over most of them.

[KharmaTrain]

14. This Message Brought To You By The American Petroleum Institute

I'm very suspicious of Chicken Noodle Nuze these days...the little I care to watch. As we saw with Dr. Guptha, almost everything and everyone on that network are bought and paid for.

Not that I'm a fan of Chavez, but the demonizing of him is yet another media game of creating strawmen and boogiemen that further a narrative of one of their corporate sponsors. No one knows why they don't like the guy, just that the teevee said not to like him.

[treestar]

15. This is because there is oil in Venezuela

Otherwise, he'd be no bigger a threat than the President of Ecuador or the President of Chad.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

16. Republicans and right wing Democrats always need some new boogieman.

This is the most powerful nation on the face of the earth but somehow these developing world nations are always a threat. It's a good thing though that we kept those damn Vietnamese from swimming over here and destroying our country. The Nicaraguans were even scarier because they could actually walk over and destroy the country. :eyes:

[Mika]

18. The A-hole was a guest on the Thom Hartmann show today, pulling out ALL the RW memes.

You can hear the cretin spew his swill (lying- straight up) here (Thom Hartmann show link) ....

http://a1135.g.akamai.net/f/1135/18227/1h/cchannel.download.akamai.com/18227/podcast/PORTLAND-OR/KPOJ-AM/hartmann_podcast_20090115-2.mp3?CPROG=PCAST&MARKET=PORTLAND-OR&NG_FORMAT=newstalk&SITE_ID=674&STATION_ID=KPOJ-AM&PCAST_AUTHOR=AM620_KPOJ&PCAST_CAT=News_%26_Politics&PCAST_TITLE=Thom_Hartmann_Nationwide

[MisterP]

19. I thought it was Castro that was such a big threat we had to consider

blowing up civilian airliners or Navy vessels to "awaken" us to Cuba's danger (assumed to be even greater than the hundreds dead Northwoods would've caused)