Chavez is no dictator! -Sean Penn

SFGate.com ^ | 1/14/08 | Sean Penn

[filepile]

Editor - From reading The Chronicle's banner-line propaganda, which teases the "star envy" piece within ("A modest proposal for celebs on the skids," Thursday), I could only hope this great city was more clever than its increasingly lame-brain paper. In its unequivocal naming of Chavez as dictator on A1, either "Pop Culture" man Peter Hartlaub or his equally biased Chronicle editor, doesn't quite understand that Venezuela's President Chavez was democratically elected, and that dictators don't lose constitutional referendums. The Chronicle should take comfort that the New York Times generally does no better than them here. Yet, in the paper's attack on Oliver Stone, who, agree with him or not, has at least the balls, passion and intellectual curiosity to pursue information away from a porcelain dumping bowl and a desperate newspaper, we see another attempt to marginalize the outspoken. (Outspoken: a louder and more credible voice than The Chronicle itself.) For myself, also listed in Hartlaub's piece, it should be noted that my recent trip to Venezuela was as a journalist, and marginalization of that due to "celebrity" is simply "Putin ultra light" to me. Believe it or not, I have a reasonably good sense of humor (if that's what Hartlaub attempted), but I felt so embarrassed, even for The Chronicle. Its "hard news" section for the banner line, and now its Datebook editorials have become Mad Magazine for small-minded cowards and former writers of substance. Who could that be, Phil?

SEAN PENN

Former S.F. Chronicle contributing reporter

SAN FRANCISCO

[filepile]

Editor - From reading The Chronicle's banner-line propaganda, which teases the "star envy" piece within ("A modest proposal for celebs on the skids," Thursday), I could only hope this great city was more clever than its increasingly lame-brain paper. In its unequivocal naming of Chavez as dictator on A1, either "Pop Culture" man Peter Hartlaub or his equally biased Chronicle editor, doesn't quite understand that Venezuela's President Chavez was democratically elected, and that dictators don't lose constitutional referendums. The Chronicle should take comfort that the New York Times generally does no better than them here. Yet, in the paper's attack on Oliver Stone, who, agree with him or not, has at least the balls, passion and intellectual curiosity to pursue information away from a porcelain dumping bowl and a desperate newspaper, we see another attempt to marginalize the outspoken. (Outspoken: a louder and more credible voice than The Chronicle itself.) For myself, also listed in Hartlaub's piece, it should be noted that my recent trip to Venezuela was as a journalist, and marginalization of that due to "celebrity" is simply "Putin ultra light" to me. Believe it or not, I have a reasonably good sense of humor (if that's what Hartlaub attempted), but I felt so embarrassed, even for The Chronicle. Its "hard news" section for the banner line, and now its Datebook editorials have become Mad Magazine for small-minded cowards and former writers of substance. Who could that be, Phil?

SEAN PENN

Former S.F. Chronicle contributing reporter

SAN FRANCISCO

[KenHorse]

Ahhhh...more from the Great Thinker Sean Penn....

[tcostell]

So basically this proves that Sean Penn doesn’t kow what the word “dictator” means I guess.

[itsamelman]

...But Bush IS!

-Sean Penn

[Army Air Corps]

When Spiccoli speaks...people yawn...and point...and laugh

[sono]

“Who gives a sh*t what an actor thinks?”
James Caan

[kidd]

Sean Penn is no actor!

[Ancient Drive]

STFU! Sean Penn STFU!

[never4get]

Sean Penn is an ignorant and stupid moron.

[conservativecajun]

I still remember when Penn came down to New Orleans to help with the “rescue” effort. He launched his 15 ft. boat with him, a camera guy, a couple “enterouge” buddies, but no room for someone to be rescued.

[evets]

[G8 Diplomat]

Yeah, and the sky is actually green

[tips up]

You beat me to it!

[reagan_fanatic]

Not this twit again...

[SoldierDad]

Ahhhh...more from the Great Thinker Stinker Sean Penn....

There, fixed it.

[dfwgator]

"Venezuela under Chavez is a happy place. They have flowery meadows and rainbow skies, and rivers made of chocolate, where the children dance and laugh and play with gumdrop smiles."

[massgopguy]

Penn’s old man Leo didn’t think Stalin was one either.

[Billthedrill]

Uh, Sean? There was this little failed coup d'etat in 1992 that you might want to look into...

[RonF]

Hugo Chavez isn’t a dictator in the vein of Saddam Hussein, etc., but he’d like to be. And it’s not from a lack of effort on his part that he isn’t. He certainly is doing a lot of things that dictators do, such as limiting the freedom of the press (something that a “journalist” should be aware of).