Hugo Chavez Dies At 58

[GostHacked]

http://venezuela-us.org/2011/11/04/unpd-venezuela-shows-high-level-of-human-development/

A new United Nations Development Program (UNDP) report on the Human Development Index (HDI) shows that the quality of life of Venezuelans has increased during 2011.

Venezuela ranked number 73 among 187 countries, with an index of 0.735. This is an improvement over last year, when Venezuela was ranked 75th worldwide, with an index of 0.734, entering the category of “high human development.”

The HDI is calculated on a scale from 0 to 1. Each country’s index shows how much it has scored relative to the highest possible figure (1).

According to the UNPD, the index “goes beyond the increase or decrease of a country’s incomes. It includes the creation of an environment where people can develop their maximum potential and move forward in a productive and creative life, according to their needs and interests.”

The UNDP evaluates different variables for its report, and focuses in special topics each year. Its determinations are based on three main factors that “define the achievements regarding the most basic human capacities”: life expectancy, access to education and family or individual income.

The report was released for the first time in 1990, at which point Venezuelan had an index of 0.629.

The Spanish news agency EFE reported that, according to comparative data over the last five years, the countries whose HDI indices have risen the most are Cuba, Venezuela and Tanzania.

[Shady]

Not surprised you don't get it. But if this was Biden or Obama.. you'd have a dayhay.Chavez is no worse than most leaders

This kind of ignorance illustrates perfectly that there isn't any reason to listen to what you have to say on this subject or any other. This isn't about Bush, or Cheney, or Obama or Biden, it's about a dictator named Hugo Chavez. Who accumulated a greater net worth than Harper, Bush, Cheney, Obama, and Biden combined. But apparently your more interested in making excuses for a corrupt dictator because he threw the poor some scraps once in a while. Never mind that the poor in Canada and the United States are much better off under Bush, Cheney, Obama, Biden, and Harper. Yours is a mentality I don't understand at all.

[g_bambino]

You forgot owning the Judiciary...

Well, no; I just didn't mention it because the judiciary has little influence over voters.

[g_bambino]

He has been vilified by entities such as the USA for nationalizing the oil industry.

He has been "vilified" (I guess that's a synonym for "condemned" or "harshly criticised" now?) by more entities than the United States, including human rights NGOs, international law and parliamentary associations, other countries, and the United Nations. And he was "vilified" for more than simply nationalising the oil industry.

You seem to take a rather edited view of Chavez.

[ed.: +]

Edited March 13, 2013 by g_bambino

[GostHacked]

Everyone has an edited and possibly a biased view. I just don't buy that he was as bad as many make him out to be.

[Shady]

Everyone has an edited and possibly a biased view. I just don't buy that he was as bad as many make him out to be.

His net worth and crack down on free speech isn't edited or biased.

[Guest American Woman]

Everyone has an edited and possibly a biased view. I just don't buy that he was as bad as many make him out to be.

I don't buy that he was a good as many make him out to be.

[Shady]

I don't buy that he was a good as many make him out to be.

Lol! Nice!

[g_bambino]

Everyone has an edited and possibly a biased view.

Some much, much more than others, apparently.

[August1991]

I guess so long as we're on the subject if ideologues and Latin American dictators - who can forget Batista, Samoza, Pinochet, Noriega etc etc?

It's just about impossible to take anything on the subject of democracy seriously anymore.

eyeball, I have a simple test/definition.

A democracy is a State where power passes between a leader, an opponent, peacefully without death or violence or birth connection.

Democracy? Person X is living, hates Person Y, has no family/other connection to Person Y and yet hands over State power to Person Y.

----

I admire the US because of its Constitution. It's a wonderful document.

Edited March 14, 2013 by August1991

[eyeball]

I admire the US because of it's fisheries.

[August1991]

I admire the US because of it's fisheries.

Fisheries?

I admire Iceland for its fisheries. Icelandic men may be utter fools but they seem to manage their fisheries.

US fisheries?

I admire the US because its politicians first created a civilized society where State power changed hands peacefully between opponents.

I'm not American (nor Icelander) but every time I watch a US Inauguration, or read an Inaugural Speech, I think of this. (Did this guy take power from that guy? - eg. Bush Snr gave power to Clinton.)

US fisheries? Huh?

Edited March 14, 2013 by August1991

[eyeball]

Yes, US fisheries are managed at the state level and they're that much more accountable to the people who depend on them.

The last two boats I ran are up in Alaska catching BC's Canada's salmon and there are a couple more boats from around here that were bought up and on their way. Alaska's gain is our loss and we have no one but Ottawa to thank for that.

Sorry what was that about democracy again? I'm afraid the finer points are always lost on me.

[g_bambino]

I admire the US because its politicians first created a civilized society where State power changed hands peacefully between opponents.

Good grief, August. The Brits were doing that before the Americans. What do you think the US founding fathers modelled their constitution on?

[August1991]

Good grief, August. The Brits were doing that before the Americans. What do you think the US founding fathers modelled their constitution on?

OMG.

The writers of the US Constitution modelled it on the Articles of Confederation, the writings of Voltaire and Montesquieu, Platon, and no doubt the fact that James VI of Scotland became James I of England.

-----

In England, Henry VII somehow took State power from Richard III. Amazing.

Edited March 16, 2013 by August1991

[August1991]

Yes, US fisheries are managed at the state level and they're that much more accountable to the people who depend on them.

I can't speak of US fisheries. But while Trudeau claimed that fish swim across borders (true), fisheries are a local jurisdiction.

Newfoundlanders (like Icelanders) should control this local resource.

Edited March 16, 2013 by August1991

[eyeball]

I can't speak of US fisheries. But while Trudeau claimed that fish swim across borders (true), fisheries are a local jurisdiction.

Newfoundlanders (like Icelanders) should control this local resource.

I agree except Newfoundland would have to be a country to have the sort of local control Icelanders enjoy. It's never mattered a bit who was in power in Ottawa and it never will - it'll still always be 1000's of km from any ocean or fishery it's responsible for.

I had an old V.I.L.O. (Vancouver Island Liberation Organization) t-shirt around here somewhere, I should dig it out some day.

[g_bambino]

In England, Henry VII somehow took State power from Richard III. Amazing.

Try an example from after the Glorious Revolution.

[jbg]

Try an example from after the Glorious Revolution.

As in Thatcher taking power from Callahan or Atlee taking power from Churchill and in turn giving it back to Churchill?

[g_bambino]

As in Thatcher taking power from Callahan or Atlee taking power from Churchill and in turn giving it back to Churchill?

Somewhat. Though, more specifically between the Glorious Revolution and the American one.