Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Rumsfeld Compares Venezuela's Chavez to Hitler
VOA News ^ | Feb 2, 2006 | Al Pessin

Posted on 02/02/2006 10:34:18 PM PST by proud_yank

U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has compared Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to the Nazi leader Adolph Hitler, saying both were elected legally and then "consolidated power." Secretary Rumsfeld made the comment as part of an answer to a reporter's question about the election of left-wing leaders in Latin America.

Speaking at the National Press Club in Washington, Secretary Rumsfeld told the questioner that the rise of corruption in democratic governments in Latin America caused voters to look for what he called more "populist" leaders.

"We've seen some populist leadership appealing to masses of people in those countries and elections, like Evo Morales in Bolivia, take place that clearly are worrisome," said Mr. Rumsfeld.

Secretary Rumsfeld said he would not characterize the situation as "a new wave of left-wing anti-American regimes," as the questioner did. But he went on to criticize the leftist Venezuelan leader, Hugo Chavez, who has become a sharp critic of the United States and a close friend of Cuba's communist leader, Fidel Castro.

"We've got Chavez in Venezuela with a lot of oil money," he noted. "He's a person who was elected legally, just as Adolph Hitler was elected legally, and then consolidated power, and now is, of course, working closely with Fidel Castro and Mr. Morales and others. It concerns me."

As Secretary Rumsfeld spoke, President Chavez was preparing to travel to Cuba late Wednesday to visit President Castro and accept an award from the United Nations for promoting Latin American culture.

Secretary Rumsfeld did not comment on, and at that time may not have known about, Venezuela's expulsion of a U.S. military attaché. The official, a U.S. Navy captain, was accused of spying. Several Venezuelan military officers have been accused of passing information to the U.S. military through the embassy in Caracas. There was no immediate response from the U.S. government.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Foreign Affairs
KEYWORDS: chavez; commiescumbag; socialism; venezuela
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-45 next last
To: proud_yank

With all the communist dictators to compare too, he didn't have to resort to Hitler. Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot, Castro, etc, all would have done nicely.


21 posted on 02/02/2006 11:09:59 PM PST by Truthsearcher
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: proud_yank
Rummy is right. Chavez is a close ally of Iran's and should be treated as an enemy.

The United States makes no distinction between those who commit acts of terror and those who support and harbor them, because they're equally as guilty of murder. Any government that chooses to be an ally of terror has also chosen to be an enemy of civilization. And the civilized world must hold those regimes to account.
--President Bush, October 6, 2005
22 posted on 02/02/2006 11:10:03 PM PST by West Coast Conservative (Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Cyclopean Squid

All is forgiven. I promise.

If you disagree with yourself, don't feel bad. John Kerry does it all the time.


23 posted on 02/02/2006 11:11:41 PM PST by pcottraux (It's pronounced "P. Coe-troe.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: Tyche

The Nazi Party was elected though. Maybe that's what he meant.


24 posted on 02/02/2006 11:12:07 PM PST by West Coast Conservative (Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: pcottraux

LOL! JK does it, too, eh? Maybe I have a future of failure in politics then.


25 posted on 02/02/2006 11:13:57 PM PST by Cyclopean Squid (Moderates do not make history)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]

To: pcottraux
If you disagree with yourself, don't feel bad. John Kerry does it all the time.

ROFL! You caught me off-guard there!
26 posted on 02/02/2006 11:19:21 PM PST by proud_yank (I CAN'T RUN MY SUV ON PELOSI'S HOT AIR)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]

To: proud_yank; Cyclopean Squid
The downside is that you have to marry this:


27 posted on 02/02/2006 11:20:06 PM PST by pcottraux (It's pronounced "P. Coe-troe.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: pcottraux

In the words of Grounds-Keeper Willie, "Back to the loch with you, Nessie!"


28 posted on 02/02/2006 11:21:16 PM PST by proud_yank (I CAN'T RUN MY SUV ON PELOSI'S HOT AIR)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: pcottraux

The upside is that there are about a billion reasons that would make that easy. And I am partial to that ambrosia of the fast-food cosmos, which Our Lady of the Tomato has in spades.


29 posted on 02/02/2006 11:22:38 PM PST by Cyclopean Squid (Moderates do not make history)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: CheyennePress
I'm sorry; the Hitler analogy has run its course.

I agree. Everything tastes like chicken, and every politician's opponent is just like Hitler. It got old fifty Hitlers ago at least.

30 posted on 02/02/2006 11:40:14 PM PST by Vince Ferrer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Cyclopean Squid

"Why not Napoleon III? That works for the "legally elected, consolidated power" routine."

Maybe to a bunch of people with history doctorates. The majority of readers of his comments are strained to produce 2 sentences about his namesake, Napoleon Bonaparte.

Of course the same group might not get a paragraph about hitler, or name the major countries he fought the second world war against, or get the side of the USSR wrong. You surely know the general % on popular ignorance of history. 1 in 50 can name the leaders of the USSR and Third Reigh at the beginning of Operation Barbarossa.


31 posted on 02/02/2006 11:40:45 PM PST by WoofDog123
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: CheyennePress

"There will never be another Hitler. Men may act in a similar vein, but Hitler is of his own. "

Obviously many things are different, but mr. manyletters (i cannot spell his name from memory) in Iran actually reminds me more of all my readings about pre-war germany's Hitler than anything I have seen in my adult lifetime, and my comments are only in small part informed by his bizarrely rabid anti-semitism. The main issue is that this is a man who wants a fight with the world and his enemies as he sees them, and will push until they comply.


32 posted on 02/02/2006 11:44:43 PM PST by WoofDog123
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Proud_USA_Republican
While Chavez is a communist POS, he is nowhere near the level of Hitler

But there's got to be something more vile to label Chavez that communist POS- communist POS is more appropriate for high ranking members of our own Democrat Party.

33 posted on 02/02/2006 11:51:23 PM PST by piasa (Attitude Adjustments Offered Here Free of Charge)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: Kirkwood
FOr those who tire of the Hitler references, they could refer instead to KHAN!!!!!!!!!

Perhaps that would be confused with the ever popular "Jenjis" Khan.

34 posted on 02/02/2006 11:53:53 PM PST by TN4Liberty (Sixty percent of all people understand statistics. The other half are clueless.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: piasa
But there's got to be something more vile to label Chavez tha(n) communist POS

Hillary comes to mind, but that's been taken.

35 posted on 02/02/2006 11:55:37 PM PST by TN4Liberty (Sixty percent of all people understand statistics. The other half are clueless.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 33 | View Replies]

To: pcottraux

Well, she's an African American, no?


36 posted on 02/03/2006 12:12:19 AM PST by kokonut
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: pcottraux

Well, Hitler is more popular for comparison, because (A)He has a fun-to-pronounce name, and (B)He represents not REAL evil in most peoples' minds, but a sort of cartoonish evil.

__________________

You are showing your age, or, perhaps, your lack of moral discernment.


37 posted on 02/03/2006 2:09:43 AM PST by Louis Foxwell (Here come I, gravitas in tow.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: proud_yank
National Organization for Women (NOW) to lead an International Women's Day Delegation to Venezuela

"The National Organization for Women, together with Global Exchange and the US Women and Cuba Collaboration, will lead a delegation from the United States to Venezuela to participate in the Venezuelan Solidarity Delegation March 5-16."

This should provide more great photo ops for the gender feminists who infest the Democrat party. One can only wonder if we'll see Hugo Chavez again.

38 posted on 02/03/2006 5:26:37 AM PST by MensRightsActivist
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MensRightsActivist

Why is the UN giving Chavez an award ?????

They really have to be completely out-of-their-collective-minds to give the new Hitler an award for anything.

There has to be some intelligent people at the UN that know Chavez is leading his country and South America into ruin that will last for decades.


39 posted on 02/03/2006 5:35:33 AM PST by JustDoItAlways
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 38 | View Replies]

To: JustDoItAlways
"Why is the UN giving Chavez an award ?????"

Just one more example of the commie/socialist mindset that infests the U.N. It's been a long time since the U.N. was a friend to America. Why are we still in the U.N.? Ans., IMO, "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer."

40 posted on 02/03/2006 5:53:06 AM PST by MensRightsActivist
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 39 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-45 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson