Cindy Sheehan & Venesuela's Dictator Hugo Chavez being friends.
Guess it takes one communist to hang around with another one.

Yeah, she's a nut. I she runs for senator because either she'll completely embarass herself by losing or completely embarass the state of California by winning.

It's a win-win for right-thinking americans.

Her actions in my view are totally dishonoring the memory of her dead son... Her son fought bravely and died valiantly for a country he beleived in. Here, his mom is smiling and being chummy with a dictator that suppresses the very freedoms her son fought to preserve for a fledgling nation learning these new freedoms. Sad really....

On a side note, did you guys see the picture of empty tents during her book signing? Man that was hilarious. She's all vocal and big on TV and some people even rally to her cause but no one would spare 15 minutes for her book signing...

Why do you call Chavez a dictator? He was democratically elected 1998 en democratically reelected in 2000. And he didn't have to steal the election like George W. had to do first time around! And if he is a dictator, what does that make George?

Please take care to stay on topic, thanks.

AstralDragon

Ted is correct, as much a some of us might dislike Chavez (and Morales) anti-US rant, the fact remains that he was democratically elected twice, and he enjoys a 60's favorable opinion in Veneszula. The only people that call him a dictator were those opposition groups who were voted out of office. On the otherhand, the fact that these oppostion attempted the overthrown of a democratically elected official is the act of a despot.

Originally Posted by mmarsh

AstralDragon

Ted is correct, as much a some of us might dislike Chavez (and Morales) anti-US rant, the fact remains that he was democratically elected twice, and he enjoys a 60's favorable opinion in Veneszula.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4501890.stm


"Venezuelans showed a "broad lack of confidence in the impartiality and transparency" of the process, the state department said in Washington.
The five main opposition parties boycotted the election, accusing the electoral body of bias.
Only about 25% of registered voters cast a ballot on Sunday.
About 56% turned out in the contested 2000 parliamentary election."

This admirer of Fidel Castro's Cuba and avowed anti-globalist was pushed from office on 12 April - as a result of his attempts to take control of the world's fifth-biggest oil industry. But just two days later, after his supporters - mainly Venezuela's poor - took the streets, he was back in the presidential palace.

Originally Posted by mmarsh

The only people that call him a dictator were those opposition groups who were voted out of office. On the otherhand, the fact that these oppostion attempted the overthrown of a democratically elected official is the act of a despot.

He gained the control of Venezuela through repeated unsuccessful coup attempts but was finally "elected" through lies. Now, he is in forever.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/1925236.stm

The February revolt by members of the Revolutionary Bolivarian Movement claimed 18 lives and left 60 injured before Colonel Chavez gave himself up.
He was languishing in a military jail when his associates tried again to seize power nine months later.
That second coup attempt in November 1992 was crushed as well, but only after the rebels had captured a TV station and broadcast a videotape of Colonel Chavez announcing the fall of the government. Mr Chavez spent two years in prison before being granted a pardon.

But Mr Chavez's "revolution" had little real impact on the lives of ordinary Venezuelans, who still suffer from chronic poverty and widespread unemployment despite the country's oil wealth.
His popularity rating had fallen from a high of 80% to 30% last December, when the first mass street protests erupted.

Whenever the media reported discontent with his rule, he accused it of being in the pay of reactionaries.
He courted controversy in foreign policy, too, making high-profile visits to Cuba and Iraq, while allegedly flirting with leftist rebels in Colombia and making a huge territorial claim on Guyana.

I sympathize with her very much.
However, would her son hope she behaved like that?
She might be blaspheming the dead before she notices.
The dead are the mourned one, and they should not be used for politics.

But Mr Chavez's "revolution" had little real impact on the lives of ordinary Venezuelans, who still suffer from chronic poverty and widespread unemployment despite the country's oil wealth.
His popularity rating had fallen from a high of 80% to 30% last December, when the first mass street protests erupted.

This might have to do with the vested interests, embedded elite and something called the Dependencia-theory. It is easy to be elected, just say the right things. But making it work is so much harder!

I am glad he tries his best, but I am afraid I already know where it will lead. Too bad because I do believe he wanted to help the poor. They will be the desillusioned ones and take it out on him. Just too bad, it would be nice to see something like this succeed ones in a while.

Originally Posted by Ted

Why do you call Chavez a dictator? He was democratically elected 1998 en democratically reelected in 2000. And he didn't have to steal the election like George W. had to do first time around! And if he is a dictator, what does that make George?

Yeah and Saddam Hussein was elected by the people too. DOn't forget Kim Jong Il.