Hugo Chavez a threat to Democracy
Well this might be a little of the East Harlem topic. But there was allot of Latino leadership at the Chavez speech at the United Methodist Church at 86th and West end Ave, and I believe there is an important lesson to be learned. I had the benefit of going to hear Hugo Chavez speak last night. I was invited b several friends to hear Chavez speak and make my own mind up on the man. Well the verdict is in Hugo Chavez; President of Venezuela is a threat to democracy. But not the way the Conservatives in the country, the corporate interests or the Bush Administration would have him be.
Hugo Chavez is a threat to true democracy, because he is a Populist Demagogue. I believe that one of the most dangerous types of public figures is the Populist Demagogue. The Populist Demagogue appeals to the people, usually the poor and under represented, and offer them easy, quick solutions to their problems. They point to the issues of hunger, racism, social injustice and economic inequality and tell the people that there is an easy solution but that the "system", Admistration or whatever other group or term they want use isn’t going to solve these real issues. Like all good lies there is a germ of truth to their solutions, a good lie has enough truth to make it sound real, to make it feel possible, to make it feel like the better world of tomorrow is just over the next hill.
Chavez is a charismatic speaker, and like all true charismatic, his use of symbolism, romantic archetypes and emotion were present. This to me is very dangerous. He referred several times over as to his passion for his people, his passion for Latin America, his passion for social justice. Well the most heinous crimes committed are usually crimes of passion.
Now, I agree with many of the issues Chavez expounded on, but he offered no real solutions, no true concrete plan of action. There was nothing to of substance, but there was a lot of exciting rhetoric.
I am concerned that Jesse Jackson and Congressman Serrano were endorsing this man. Serrano had the good sense to leave early. I am concerned that there still remains a vacuum in the Latino leadership in the US and on the international scene. We don’t need leaders who wrap themselves in the imagery of George Washington; we need leadership that will embody, Thomas Jefferson.
posted by Durandal @ 10:28 AM
14 comments
14 Comments:
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I am surprised it took you so long to come to this conclusion.
I wonder about how much of a threat to democracy Chavez is. After all he's been to the polls three times and won each time, the majority of those opposed to him are the landed and media oligarchs and the general population is being fed, housed and educated.
While not the hands off typical western style of politics is being practices in Venezuela, any careful reading of the Venezuelan print media and monitoring of the elctronic media will indicate that there is plenty of dissent within the country to indicate freedom of expression.
Chavez certainly is no free market pro capitalist leader, but it seems that the previous governments in LAtin America which were have not been able to ameriolate both the living conditions of the bulk of populace nor develop an independant national economy.
Certainly our friends in the middle east like Saudi Arabia are much less politically and economically "democratic".
If the last 10 years of politics in LAtin America are any indicator, the various countries have attempted the USA econimic models to their great dtriment. Most have embarked on a local soultion and have attempted to collaborate as a economic bloc to protect there own resources both natural and human.
The US American media organs have artfully parroted the US government line about Chavez, it would do you good to more closely examine the realities on the ground in Venezuela and Latin America.
Well, I still believe that the type of charismatic leadership Chavez represents is dangerous, simply because it lacks true solutions...I will agree that you make some excellent points....
The threat of Sanchez isn't his ideas, it's his apparent implementation plan to achieve them. He has gone out of his way to make friends with backwards, totalitarian regimes as long as they share his hatred for America. In choosing his allies with only that one criteria, he has voided any legitamacy to speak on Social Reform.
Whether Chavez is a threat to democracy or not, look through the eyes of most Americans. A Latino leaders comes to America and rallies a Latino audience with anti American retoric, and attacks on the sitting President. I can still see the massive protests with thousands carrying foreign flags. If Chavez succeeds in buying latino-american support, I'm afraid there will be a high cost later on. Hate does not encourage acceptance.
well, he is the only hope in latin america and he has oil!!, we are sick of all those presidents that comes and go and took all our money to themselves, and every day our countries are poorer. we have about 7 years hearing people like you saying that he is a danderous guy and today venezuela had better school system, better health system, better social security and a president that is known in the entire world. You cant name two other countrys in latin america with this realities!!. while he continous lying at the poor people and trying to be cool giving them education, health, security, cheap oil, etc. i prefer living in this lie and not in the truth of been exploited by other goverments.
well,I'm Venezuelan and can tell you he is tooking all our money to themselves, and our poor people is poorer rigth now, he speaks more than he does .and today we doesn't have better school system, better health system, better social security, sure he is a president known in the entire world couse the Venezuelan's money not other thing. I cant name two other countrys in latin america with this realities!!. while he continous lying at the poor people and trying to be cool couse he is not giving them education, health, security, cheap oil(he need it that wa to win elections), etc. and You can't imagine what is to be living in this lie.
Chavez is just a Fidel Castro follower, he does not have ideas on his own. The high oil prices have served to fuel a revolution that is making Chavez and a small group of militants very rich. Just make a quick calculation, Chavez is exporting to Cuba 100.000 barrels per day of oil (about 6 MMUS$/day) without any benefit for the Venezuelan people, you can easily determine how many schools, hospitals etc. could be built for the Venezuelan people; however, the hospitals are falling apart, no new schools and in general the infra-structure of the whole country is in ruins.
Si en Venezuela, existiera un gobierno democrático, pudiéramos Todos, chavistas y oposición, expresarnos sin miedo a perder el trabajo, la misión o la lbertad.
Nuestra población más pobre, está cada día más desamparada y los disidentes, cada día tenemos menos garantías constitucionales y7o legales para expresarnos: No existe ninguna Institución, que proteja al ciudadano, todas están tomadas por el régimen.Y la actividad política se criminaliza...quizás ahora el mundo entero entienda lo que hemos tratado de explicar todos estos años, donde no priva la Constitución Venezolana ni las leyes...sino la libre voluntad de una sola persona, que no concece límites. Quién no crea lo que pasa en Venezuela, que se venga a vivir acá...Bueno es verlo, sólo como turista...no como responsable de los males de un país tan maravilloso como ha sido siempre Venezuela.
I´m from Venezuela and I can say that Chavez isn´t a demagogue, he´s a man of action isn´t just speech. Analyse real information not just the US media as CNN or Fox. Read about Venezuela´s projects and alternatives, read and think about it, they want you to be affraid, I was five years ago now I understand, because I´m living here in Caracas living the transformation
Los anti-chavistas no entienden nada porque han perdido la capacidad de análisis ya que han sido influenciados con la psicología del miedo difundida en los medios de comunicacion, Me da tristeza porque todos lo que son de oposición si tuviesen la oportunidad viviesen en Miami o NY, me equivoco? Ven a Venezuela como un hotel, no como una patria, un pueblo, de gente a las que durante toda la historia se les ha negado las posibilidades de estudiar, ahora ellos si pueden, son soberanos, Amigos acostumbrense o mueran de la rabia porque esto no lo para nadie, esto es solo el comienzo, los pobres del mundo son mayoria, esto no puede seguir asi, el modelo Venezolano es una alternativa, INSTRUYANSe no se dejen ALIENAR si entienden el termino, Saludos desde La Republica BOLIVARIANA de Venezuela
About the oil... is just COOPERATION.. we give oil to Cuba they give us doctors to the poor people that lives in the slums because the venezuelans doctors work to the private clinics they will never go to the poor areas, understand? Hear a complete speech and analyse it...
If you are Venezuelan Anonymous 4:36 pm you can explain the world people what's means "jugar rojo" or "jugar piragua" a expresion said by Chavez at Venezuelan official TV chanel, to the readers these are expresions to ruin anoter and can't be explainet by this media. Y para el anonimo de las 4:42 pm que pasa con la gente que anda de mercado en mercado buscando: azucar, leche completa, caraotas, carne, etc esas cosas que muchas viene desde Cuba despues de ser llevadas desde cualquier pais solo para pagarle tax a cuba y que se beneficie de los Venezolanos o de ls millones de dolares o euros que ragala a otros paises mientras el nuestro pasa penurias, es eso estar influenciado
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