[MeanGreen2008]

Hmm

[Brad from Tennessee]

Venezuela’s oil output is declining because its corrupt and inept government has neglected the production infrastructure and chased off foreign companies. With declining revenues, rampant bureaucratic graft and thievery, price controls and other free market suppression, and a social welfare state that grows hourly, Chavez is a candle burning at both ends. He needs foreign boogeymen—the U.S. and Colombia—to blame and distract the masses.

AN EMPTY REVOLUTION
THE UNFULFILLED PROMISES OF HUGO CHAVEZ
Foreign Affairs March/April 2008

By Francisco Rodriguez

Summary: Even critics of Hugo Chavez tend to concede that he has made helping the poor his top priority. But in fact, Chavez’s government has not done any more to fight poverty than past Venezuelan governments, and his much-heralded social programs have had little effect. A close look at the evidence reveals just how much Chavez’s “revolution” has hurt Venezuela’s economy — and that the poor are hurting most of all.

http://www.foreignaffairs.org/20080301faessay87205/francisco-rodriguez/an-empty-revolution.html

[cowtowney]

Males fit for Military service for both countries
Columbia military - males age 18-49: 6,986,228
Venezuela military - males age 18-49: 4,907,947

Not sure who wins this one, but I think Chavez is blowing smoke as usual. If he invades, he’ll sure find out who his friends are/aren’t. I suspect Columbia will be very well equipped.

[CZB]

I’d spend no time trusting and ALL my time verifying anything this whack-job says. On the other hand, if he is trying to provoke something, and with Bush a lame duck, well, I get emails from friends in Venezuela all the time that says they are ready to help out.

[4yearlurker]

Well if it looks like a dictator and sounds like a dictator..Nothing new under the sun as far as a$$holes like Chavez are concerned.

Sean Penn is very concerned for his buddy.

[HokieMom]

Please pray. There are students in Venezuela this week with Campus Crusade on a missions trip from Virginia Tech.

[angeliquemb9]

So let’s see, we have a new president, hand-picked by Putin, in Russia. We’ve got Ahmadinejad making nice with Iraq. We’ve got a new leader in Cuba. Chavez making threats against a US ally. Al Quaeda. Hammas threatening Israel. What happens when all of them get together at one time? In an election year where two socialist/communist democrats are running and very popular?

Can anybody say stretched too thin?

[NonValueAdded]

Hugo got tired of waiting for GWB to attack. His people just weren’t buying it anymore so he found a different country to mess with.

[shield]

Dr. Jack Wheeler predicted this when VZ economy starts to drop, he said Chavez would attempt to start a war and he said it'd be Columbia since chavez couldn't get the US to bit. He said we'd be sending troops in. We've had our sops in Columbia for a while now. Wheeler said we'd be sending in the Marines.

It's a ploy to take VZ citizens off the huge economy problems that commie thug has caused.

[P.O.E.]

Between the hostage-takings and Chavez’s ties to FARC, I guess push was going to come to shove.

Unless, of course Kofi Annan can be persuaded to leave Kenya and try to get these neighbors to the table. (/sarc)

[gitmogrunt]

Chavez touches Colombia...he’s dead meat along w/Castro.

[Joe Boucher]

If you recall a few years back a coup took hugo the nut out of power and then he got back in, why did we allow that to happen?

[AfterManyASummer]

It’s not the headline on the website for CNN. I wonder why that is.

[WoofDog123]

This guy starting a fight would be in US interests, as it might wake up the region’s leaders to the fact they have a hitler amongst them.

[NRA2BFree]

Does anyone still think Pat Robertson is a nut case for saying that we should assassinate Chavez? More than ever, I think we should do it now. He’s crazy!

[OPS4]

A Columbian neck tie will be the Chavez present for 2008.

[bert]

Do something, even if its wrong

[nuconvert]

He’ll huff and he’ll puff ..........

[LoneRangerMassachusetts]

Any bets whose side Ted Kennedy is taking? Five to one he accuses Columbia as provoking a war.

[LoneRangerMassachusetts]

Any bets whose side Ted Kennedy is taking? Five to one he accuses Columbia as provoking a war.

[GVnana]

Memo to Hugo Chavez:

Americans don't like socialist dictators, especially ones that reside in the western hemisphere. And Americans don't like oil-rich tin pot dictators who seek office for life. Americans don't like drug cartels, and war mongers -- despite what your Hollywood friends tell you.

Your rationale for this will fall on deaf ears here.