[Cincinatus' Wife]

***The government does not really have a social policy," he said. "What they have is social theater."

.........In Caricuao, a poor neighborhood of Soviet-style apartment blocks in southwest Caracas, his aides led a hunched group of elderly women from the crowd and provided them seating under a white tent, just feet from the president, who was there to inaugurate the first of what will be 100 markets across the city. Afterward, they expressed everlasting loyalty.

"He does not care if you are rich or poor," explained Irda de Belandria, 66. "His heart is so pure."

But for the neighborhood, the affection for Mr. Chávez may outlast the material effect of the markets, which offer only a modest assortment of goods like canned products, powdered milk and sugar. Even the actual opening was unclear.

The president left, and military officers shut the metal gates over the storefront. One woman asked when it would reopen.

"I do not know," a military official said. "They told us tomorrow, maybe."***

Hugo Chavez - Venezuela

[xm177e2]

Since Mr. Chávez was elected in 1998, poverty has grown an estimated 10 percent and now includes nearly 68 percent of Venezuelans

Which is great for Chavez, because his "class warfare" rhetoric goes over best with the poor--if he can destroy Venezuela's economy, it will only help him to stay in power. Sort of. He needs to go, ASAP.

[sticker]

Chávez supporters have the same intellect as a large part of the democRATic party. The "we don't care what you do to us as long as people that have more money than we do are having it taken away because it's not fair" loser mindset.