Chavez the fool

[Argus]

It's difficult not to have sympathy for a small nation which wants to go its own way and move out from under the influence of a greater power. And some of what Chavez has done in Venezuala has made sense. He does neither himself nor his people any good, however, with his constant braying-ass tactics when referring to the US. Like it or not, the US is the big kid on the block, the VERY big kid on the block when it comes to central and south America.

Chavez' recent idiotic rant at the UN towards the US will do him and Venezuala no good, and hugging Robert Mugabe, agreeing with Mugabe's rant (comparing Bush and Blair to Hitler and Mussolini), and praising Mugabe's land reforms(!) while saying he is initiating the same sort of thing in Venezuala will only serve to make him look worse and more dangerous to not only the US government but world corporations (anyone think foreign investment in Venezuala is setting records these days?).

Irish Times

BBC

[Guest eureka]

Most interesting, Argus. However, it is true that the rich countries' agricultural subsidies are crippling the poor: and it is not entirely untrue that Bush and Blair formed an unholy Alliance over Iraq.

Whatever Mugabe has done to his own land does not mean that those truths should be unsaid. And Chavez is gaining support for his stand against US interference from the US in South America from other Latin countries; including the emerging superpower, Brazil.

Maybe the "big kid" on the block is being told that there are really two blocks and it should stay on its own.

[Toro]

Argus

1. You are dead right in that Chavez's rhetoric goes too far. He has said some things about Bush that if Bush said them about Chavez, the Left would go bananas.

eureka

2. You are dead right about Chavez's complaint about agricultural subsidies hurting the third world. The US and Europe's idiotic agricultural subsidies may be the single most damaging policy against the poorest nation in the world and should be suspended ASAP.

3. However, I'd disagree with you that he is having much of an impact amongst Latin American governments, with maybe the exception being Bolivia. Lulu is running a very centrist, if not centre-right government in Brazil. In fact, Brazillian bonds may be a very good investment right here because of the government's pro-business policies.

[Argus]

Most interesting, Argus. However, it is true that the rich countries' agricultural subsidies are crippling the poor: and it is not entirely untrue that Bush and Blair formed an unholy Alliance over Iraq.

I agree completely about agricultural subsidies, but the most guilty party is France, which pushed the EU into those subsidies, and thus the US to respond. And it is France which is fighting tooth and nail against any relaxation of those subsidies.

Whatever Mugabe has done to his own land does not mean that those truths should be unsaid.

You miss the point. Mugabe is a murdering thief, as well as a racist and homophobe. He has deliberately used food as a weapon in starving his own people. For Chavez to embrace him, both rhetorically and physically, and embrace his type of agricultural fascism and vandalism basically removes any possible moral suasion to his criticism of the US and UK behaviour or their agricultural subsidies, and reduces it to ideologically driven ranting.

His wild-eyed rhetorical nonsense also gives comfort to those who want more evidence of what an "enemy of democracy" he is, and makes it more difficult for those who would otherwise defend him. And what good does it do him or Venezuala? None. What harm does it cause his "enemies" in the UK and US? None.

And Chavez is gaining support for his stand against US interference from the US in South America from other Latin countries; including the emerging superpower, Brazil.

That's nonsense on several fronts. The US is too important to the economic well-being of most of South/Central American for him to have anything more than emotional resonance. And Brazil is a long way from becoming a superpower. It's a long way from even becoming a power.

[Guest eureka]

Actually it is the USA that is most to blame for the Ageicultural subsidies calamity. Blame could have been shared in the past fairly equally. It is not France.

Bush signed a Bill increasing subsides by $300 billion at the same time as France and Germany were negotiating decreases for the EU. I am nit missing the pont over Mugabe. I have no more use for the tyrant than you. Yet, what he said about the subsidies was entirely correct and it is time that the Third World started to stand up to the exploiters.

I do not agree with you about S. America. There have been many pieces lately on the coming together of several countries to forge a Common Front against the US bullying. It has also become usual to see Brazil rederred to as an emerging siper power. It is certainly a power already.

[Toro]

eureka

I cannot remember what the exact figures are, but up until 2000, Europe paid out more in agricultural subsidies than anywhere by a substantial amount. Bush increasing subsidies was a direct aim at the Europeans to force them to the bargaining table. Plus it bought votes in the midwest.

What is happening in South America is not a new Bolivaran revolution. Its nation states acting rationally. There have been a few trade treaties signed in South America in part because the US was not interested, or at least not interested enough, in signing CAFTA-like deals. Plus, they should be doing that. Chavez has been using oil to buy influence and also to lessen the regions dependence on the US by offering to sell oil at below market prices. Well, of course countries are going to be interested in buying oil below world prices. But also, it makes sense for the South American countries to look first at each other to increase ties. It should be noted that most governments in South America are leftist governments, but they're not adopting the rhetoric of Chavez. Even Chavez, despite his belligerence, isn't Castro or Che. Heck, he cut sales taxes a few months ago.