Posted on 03/06/2005 3:41:55 AM PST by Kitten Festival
A few days ago the Venezuelan strongman Hugo Chávez declared himself a socialist in his customary negative style. Talking about the nature of his regime he said: "If not capitalism, then what?" as in "if not day, it must be night." His coming out of the political closet is another move in close imitation of Castro's own ideological striptease, which took place more than 40 years ago. Even more so than in the case of Castro, the main reason behind Chávez's embraced socialism is not really concern for the poor and the underprivileged. It is resentment of the rich and hate of capitalism, combined with a pathological thirst for absolute power.
This declaration by Chávez is both extemporaneous and hypocritical. It is extemporaneous because it comes at a time in history in which socialism, as visualized by Chávez, is dead. In 1989 there were about 20 states, which defined themselves as socialist and actually integrated a socialist camp. Today there are no more than three or four, true political coelacanths (rare type of fish, considered to be a living fossil) in a world where free, private market practices predominate. In the world of today, the political regimes of Cuba, North Korea and Vietnam more properly belong into an anthropological museum. Surprisingly, this is the place Chávez is trying to enter, with a catastrophic sense of timing. In doing this, he has not listened to the mandate he received from the Venezuelan people but to the whispers of his tropical Rasputin. He does not seem to be aware of the changes that have taken place in the world, as proven by his enthusiastic comments in China about Mao's brand of socialism
(Excerpt) Read more at venezuelatoday.net ...
"Chávez is rapidly walking backwards. His primitive brand of socialism is characterized by an authoritarian political regime, a centralized, state controlled economy and a total lack of accountability to the people about the use of the immense amount of money that is going into his hands. This type of dictatorial socialism has failed everywhere, notably in the Soviet Union, under Stalin, ultimately leading to the total collapse of the soviet system. It failed in China, under Mao, where poverty, massive killings of dissenters and totalitarianism have mercifully given way to a strong trend towards capitalism and to the promotion of a new middle class. It has failed in North Korea, a pitiful and sad society, totally isolated from the rest of the world. It has failed in Cuba, where the whole country is essentially paralyzed, engaged in a long death vigil for Castro."
Chavez is on the path to his destruction.
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