Sunday 5 December 2010

Keep 'em Coming Mr Chavez

Ladies and gentlemen, girls and boys, humans and Fox News viewers, anyone who has read my bleatings for long enough know that Hugo Chavez is a hero of mine for what he has done for the poorest in Venezuela. The right wing and the lazy knock him just because he is a lefty without looking at his track record and because it scares them that he is proving that Socialism works and you don't need to swallow the Capitalist line.
Once again, the portly son of a schoolteacher is aiming a few well directed jabs at capitalism for the rains and flooding that have brought chaos to Venezuela, killing 32 people and leaving 70,000 homeless.
Mr Chavez has taken charge of rescue operations, inviting families to take refuge in his palace and ordering space made for others in ministries, barracks and shopping centres.
'The developed nations irresponsibly shatter the environmental order while the immense majority of the earth's people suffer the most terrible consequences' he said today.
'The environmental imbalance capitalism has caused is without doubt the fundamental cause of the alarming atmospheric phenomena. The world's powerful economies insist on a destructive way of life and then refuse to take any responsibility'.
He has you there polluters. Now i wonder if it will inspire the Queen to let a few commoners stay at Buckingham Palace the next time the snow brings everything to a standstill. I will have to turn up with my sleeping bag next time and ask.

10 comments:

David G. said...

If you turn up with a sleeping bag full of pound notes you'll probably be more welcome, Lucy!

The Royal Family is just keeping its head above water, you know. :)

David G. said...

That the U.K was the one to grab Assange is not a good look for your country, Lucy.

Then being a minion of the U.S. is not good for any country!

Lucy said...

As we found out from Wikileaks the other day David, this Government is running a pro-American agenda and this is all about Britain and Sweden doing the work on behalf of the American Government.

David G. said...

Given that the U.S. is engaged in trying to control the world, Lucy, the U.K. may be seeking a cut of the spoils.

I think it may be sadly disappointed at some time in the future given that the U.S., currently, is totally self-serving!

Cheezy said...

This particular issue is more to do with Britain's role within the EU, rather than anything to do with the US.

Whether or not the UK government wanted him arrested, the fact is that UK Police arrested Assange because an EAW (European Arrest Warrant) was issued for him in Sweden. Here's the thing - If signatories to reciprocal European agreements like this don't arrest people who are in their country, then we'll soon find that the Swedish police are suddenly a bit slow in trying to locate people for whom British prosecutors have issued an EAW.

The interesting bit now will be if the US makes an extradition request for Assange from Sweden. As Afua Hirsch says in the Guardian:

"Swedish law permits extradition more generally to countries outside Europe, although the process is subject to safeguards, including a ban on extradition for "political offences" or where the suspect has reason to fear persecution on account of their membership of a social group or political beliefs.

Under similar arrangements, Assange could also be vulnerable to extradition requests from other countries, including his native Australia, where the authorities are investigating a potential case against him.

Any extradition from Sweden to other countries could take place only after the current rape proceedings have been concluded. With Assange's lawyers confirming their intention to dispute those proceedings on all grounds, it seems the prospect of any extradition to the US remains some way away."

Anonymous said...

lucy,

nothing like a tyrant using the military and secret police to "care for" the poor people...

you hammered W and david g hammers america, for destroying democracy and peace without considering any other aspects of what they do or any other players in the world, but you both only look at one aspect of people like chavez... he cares for a couple of hundred poor (so he can stay in power) and you see him as the model for other leaders...

q

Cheezy said...

I see the Venezuelan people recently voted in a referendum that eliminated term limits to the office of President, further helping Chavez's efforts to stay in power.

Lucy said...

if you can find someone who has done more to help their countries poorest citizens over the past 10 years q, i will laud them also.

Cheezy, I remember people pointing at that as proof that he is a corrupt, power grabbing maniac. The UK side stayed pretty quiet though.

Cheezy said...

Yeah, strange how making a matter the subject of a referendum can be seen as being evidence of tyranny, but there you go, that's the world we live in right now. Anything can be interpreted in any which way nowadays, no matter how strange (and get blandly reported in the press as if it's sensible).

Term limits are a bad idea anyway, so the Venezuelans were right to reject them, IMO.

Anonymous said...

are you kidding me... in the usa our social programs are 25% of our total budget (50% of the discreationary budget) and poverty in the usa is $12,000 a year... in venezula its probably $120 a year...

q