Posted on 12/06/2005 7:31:55 AM PST by Ooh-Ah
After last week's editorial about his oil-for-influence campaign aimed at the U.S. Congress, several readers objected to our description of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez as a "dictator." Let's hope these forgiving souls paid attention to Sunday's congressional elections in that country.
Mr. Chávez's party or parties sympathetic to his Bolivarian revolution won all 167 seats in the country's unicameral congress. Every single seat. But that Saddam-like sweep was only possible because most Venezuelans decided not to participate. Even the government admits to an abstention rate of greater than 75%. While it's true the opposition boycotted, it did so knowing how the government had cheated to win the August 2004 recall referendum.
The Chávez transgressions in 2004 included the use of voting machines in which software was not reviewed, refusal to allow auditing of the voting registry, not guaranteeing the secrecy of the vote, and using the list of Venezuelans who had signed the recall petition to threaten the livelihoods of government employees and contractors. Overseeing it all was a government-appointed electoral council, which did what it could to outlaw competition. The European Union was so appalled that it refused even to monitor the 2004 vote.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
We were in Venezuela to remain neutral, to observe the electoral system, and to make a careful and sound final assessment regarding whether the will of the people is expressed. Chavez called me, and I urged him to wait on any claim of victory until after a CNE public announcement and to be generous and positive in his victory statement. He promised to do so.Finally, after three hours, we offered to the still irate opposition leaders our services in resolving any of their remaining doubts before we had to leave (after two more days). Having insisted all during election day on a 20 point defeat for Chavez, their pollster (Súmate) admitted before leaving that their data now showed only a five point defeat and that quick count data were still being received. Early the next morning, they reported that these results were reversed, with 55 percent supporting Chavez, but opposition leaders still were claiming massive fraud and a victory for their side. Final voting results, including the centers with manual ballots, showed 59-41 in favor of Chavez, with his victory in 22 of the 24 states.
Gaviria and I had another press conference early in the afternoon on Monday to confirm the legitimacy of the CNE returns. I called Secretary of State Colin Powell to report our authentication of results, and he promised to issue a statement from Washington endorsing our findings.
On Monday, we had supper with Chavez and found him eager to begin substantive dialogues with responsible opposition leaders who are willing to reciprocate. We urged him to show generosity to Súmate and some others who are being accused of crimes going back to the coup against him and to ensure a balanced membership of CNE as local and state elections are planned late in September. He was receptive to these suggestions and supported an additional audit of electronic paper ballot backups from the machines that would assuage any remaining doubters.
[Isn't that how Hitler got his start. Nazi's got a majority of the seats]
Actually no. The NSDAP barely got 33% of the vote IARC.
However, because the Commies got a whopping minority percentage, leaving the moderate left wing Social Democrats with LESS than Hitler, Hitler became the strongest socialist leader in Germany at that moment.
On the right, the Catholic Center Party (sic) got the highest amount of votes (higher than the Nazis). But they then had to find coalition partners. The National Party (right wing nationalists) were eager to join the Catholics to form a government but they and the Catholics were woefully short of 50%. The Social Democrats refused (or were they not asked?) to form a grand coalition like the one that now exists with Merkel as chancelor. The Catholics and National Party were now left with two choices to form a government: ally with the Communists or the Nazis. Communists were out of the question because they were the arch enemy. The Catholics and Nationalists figured they could live with the Nazis as junior partners, despite all the unsavoriness and the socialist populism.
But Hitler refused entirely to join their government unless they gave the top spot to Hitler himself. This was a shock to their systems. But they backed down in what was the biggest and most cowardly mistake in parliamentary judgement in modern history. They backed down because they figured that they were in fact getting most of the top ministries for their respective parties (Catholics and Nationalists). They felt they could handle Hitler as figurehead and Goerring as "Minister Without Portfolio."
Thus, it wasn't 2/3 of the German people who sold themselves down the drain in an election. Only 1/3 sold their country out...it took spineless "Catholics" to complete the sellout and a lot more people joined the sellout after that. Of course, the Communists and their fellow travelers in the Social Democrats had ALREADY sold their country out years before...so they don't look good in retrospect either.
Carter really is a piece of work. Thanks for the quote, I appreciate it.
Before Chavez, it should have been. It is a beautiful country and WAS nice as Latin American countries go. I traveled everywhere by public transportation and never felt unsafe. In fact, the people were downright friendly toward me. I am very sad how things have turned out.
In Venezuela? My understanding is that it isn't allowed by Venezuelan law. I've searched the internet, and looked at several of the US majors websites, and I haven't found even one with a refinery in Venezuela. Which one is it?
Maybe for American Expats that worked there. I would bet they would know about some great resorts and beaches. I have been to Margarita Island, and I liked it. A beautiful place with a relaxed ambiance.
Unfortunately, I had to go through the airport in Caracas and overnight there because it was too late to catch a flight to Margarita Island. That requires a long cab ride to the nearest hotel, and a cab ride means opening yourself up to being a victim. There was another couple on the same plane in the same situation as I (going to the same business conference in Marg., had to overnight in Caracas at the same hotel, etc). They took the cab in line at the airport right ahead of us and we found out the next morning that the cab driver had robbed them right before they reached the hotel.
Stuff like that makes the whole country unappealing to me for vacationing. With work sometimes you don't have a choice where you have to go, but with my vacation dollars I do have a choice and don't care to put myself into potential danger.
Carter was the worst president in US history.
Ane now he still goes against US interests.
He is a mean buffoon.
Carter remains the worst during office, even though Clinton is another gift that keeps on giving.
I have the information as far as Clinton in office but I run up against Democrats who simply ignore his time in office as they now are making claims of his greatness for solving disease in Africa and his vote monitoring projects. I'm not buying it so I keep looking for information. The Africa work has nothing to contradict his group there, but his vote monitoring work is ridiculous in his supporting despots and countries on the left.
The commie jimmy didn't show and I guess he wouldn't be caught dead in Caracas, especially after he stated that machines like the ones Smartmatic sold the CNE in Venezuela should not be allowed in US elections. I am a US citizen living here and nothing you hear about these commies comes close to the reality. They are destroying any means of financial survival Venezuelans may have. They want all the so called "petro-dollars" for themselves and I asure you, that they are using it. There are so many new luxury cars on the roads that a trip that would usually take 20 minutes now takes over 2 hours.
Thanks, bravopueblo!
I appreciate the information.
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