Posted on 12/03/2009 4:53:49 AM PST by ErnstStavroBlofeld
The situation in neighboring Venezuela is going from strange to foreboding. President Hugo Chavez has been unsuccessful in getting the voters to make him president for life, but he has used his presidential powers to replace thousands of key officials with people selected mainly for their loyalty to Hugo Chavez. Since the government controls so much of the economy (mainly because of the oil industry), this has had disastrous results. There are increasing power blackouts, and an increasing number of state employees are not getting paid, or paid on time. There are increasing shortages of consumer goods. There is growing unrest. But Chavez has other priorities. He has just about eliminated press freedoms in Venezuela and increased his cooperation with Colombian leftist rebels like FARC and ELN. Venezuelan army patrols along the Colombian border are now often accompanied by some of the leftist rebels. Meanwhile, Chavez continues to push his belief that the United States, using Colombia as a staging area, is preparing to invade Venezuela. Most South American politicians think Chavez is nuts, but are too polite (and politically astute) to criticize anyone who is badmouthing the "Colossus of the North." The U.S. has long been a favorite punching bag down south, and the usual suspect whenever anything goes wrong. Venezuela refuses to talk directly with Colombia over the perceived threat from Colombia.
(Excerpt) Read more at strategypage.com ...
If this guy is planning anything OTHER than an attack on U.S. soil, I’d be amazed. Worst threat in our hemisphere.
He is in trouble and must divert attention from the fatal disease he has brought on the country. Chavez is Mugabe. Venezuela is Rhodesia.
I agree
“Most South American politicians think Chavez is nuts, but are too polite (and politically astute) to criticize anyone who is badmouthing the “Colossus of the North.” The U.S. has long been a favorite punching bag down south, and the usual suspect whenever anything goes wrong. Venezuela refuses to talk directly with Colombia over the perceived threat from Colombia.”
Don’t badmouth all of Latin America because Chavez is an idiot. Like countries in Europe, these countries have to live together, and depend on each other for trade and commerce. Nobody wants to rock the boat, and everyone is hoping that he will just go away.
Hopefully he implodes, and only makes life more difficult for Venezuelans.
“If this guy is planning anything OTHER than an attack on U.S. soil, I’d be amazed. Worst threat in our hemisphere.”
The guy is nuts, and most interested in himself (sound like other world leaders we know?). He has a serious hatred for the recent success in Colombia, and will undoubtedly try and do something with Ecuador on the other side. Of course, thanks to Bush, it shouldn’t be much of a fight due to the far superior Colombian military.
Colombia has improved 1000 in the last decade. I have a friend who had to have a body guard and bullet proof cars growing up, now he lives in the countryside by himself with his new wife on a farm.
And Mugabe didn’t have Iran to encourage him.
Chavez and Ahmadinejad just last week declared themselves “brothers to the end,” and Iran in fact contributes hugely to the VZ economy or what’s left of it. Ahmadinejad just did a big tour through the leftist countries in Latin America that are part of the Chavez alliance.
Meanwhile, Bambi has Big Parties on the lawn of his fancy new house. The secret is that Obama doesn’t care about the fact that Iran is busy arming Chavez.
My son does a multiplayer game and lots of people from Columbia are on it.
He came in a few weeks ago disturbed. He said there were a lot of people from Columbia extremely upset that they might have to go to war because of Chavez, and they asked my son why didn’t America support them against that nut who was attacking them, like a mini Hitler.
They were convinced Obama wouldn’t support them against Chavez and were blaming America as pro tyranny. They kept asking my son why America was pro Chavez. My son tried to explain it was Obama, not America, but after all, the Colombians view was we did elect Obama.
It was very upsetting to us.
Personally, I think that Colombia will clean Hugo Chavez clock. The army has been trained by the United States, they very professional and have the latest hardware.
I have relatives in Colombia and have been down there and things are very good in Colombia. They love us and deserve our friendship.
Becoming North Korea
I have a relative who went to Honduras a couple of weeks back to go to a factory his longtime employer recently opened (after closing one stateside, sigh.) He went with a rep from a possible buyer company.
They were met at the plane by two armed guards, with an armored car, and had to travel with this kind of protection the whole time they were in Honduras.
I guess when I think if Honduras, I think of Belize, and know people who go there. I had no idea Honduras itself was dangerous, but my relative was told that there are kidnappings, etc. there.
Rhodesia was nice. It’s carcass is called Zimbabwe, and it is 100 % “majority” owned, operated and ruined.
I shinny example of Marxism in practice : - )
“If this guy is planning anything OTHER than an attack on U.S. soil, I’d be amazed. Worst threat in our hemisphere.”
I do not agree. He is planning to start a war with colombia, presumably after Uribe is out of office and a weaker personality is in charge, presuming the american government remains pro-marxist-leninist.
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