Chavez affirms that he is a dictator.

[Sikander]

His need to pump up his own power by creating a conflict with the United States when it is completely unnecessary says a lot about his personal requirement for unlimited power. It reminds me of Castro and Khomeini.

[Spiffor]

Chavez' regime has always suffered from one-man-ruleism. This is just an extra step toward the Cubanification of Venezuela.

Geez, at a time where everybody wonders what will happen to Cuba's socialism once Castro dies, Chavez could get the hint, and try to make his regime into something that goes beyond his own person

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by Oerdin
Ahh, Techu-whatever can always be relied upon to be a rock; a rock untouched by reason, facts, or experience. I salute you even if you haven't a clue.

Right back at ya. You're like a broken record, that no amount of reason or evidence will ever change.

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by Spiffor
Chavez could get the hint, and try to make his regime into something that goes beyond his own person

First you have to get it going. They're barely in the begining stages. As for keeping it going, the truth is, no one on this board has much of a clue about what's going on in Venezuela . . . most especially Oerdin, who must have been watching an anti Chavez peive and then smacked on his head hard so it's become permanently imprinted in his brain and will never come out.

We don't know what other leaders are around Chavez to know if there's a movement that will sustain itself.

[chequita guevara]

The following article is both very critical of Chavez, but doesn't buy any of Oerdin's BS.

http://www.the-spark.net/csart513.html

[Winston]

If it wasn't for its connection to his username, I might've found the inspiration for techumseh's avatar. It's quite apparent that he's got a beautiful case of idolization going on..

[Barnabas]

Hey, I have a paraguayan relative who owned a restaurant in venezuela for 3 years during the chavez administration!

Thats totally second hand information!

[Jaguar]

Originally posted by Brachy-Pride
This thread goes to show no argument for Chavez being a dictator has been given

He's not a dictator, he's just retroactively changing election laws that limit his own power! Really!

[chequita guevara]

In order to be a dictator, you kinda need to rule by dictate. Chavez ain't there yet.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Brachy-Pride
For sure, when he loses an election and decided he wants to stay Ill call him a dictator.

I dont like Chavez myself, what I find funny, is that idea that the poor media is opressed by Chavez, or that Chavez does not have the support of most venezuelans,

there are no good guys in this

The point is not whether there are good guys. Its that ending legal protections for the press is a step toward dictatorship, whether the press is made of nice guys or not. Esp in context of the other actions.

[chequita guevara]

Libel and slander are not protected forms of speech.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara
Libel and slander are not protected forms of speech.

In a democracy, use of libel laws to protect a head of state is very dangerous, which is why we have pretty high standards for their use wrt any public person here. And to establish laws that SPECIFICALLY protect the head of state, more than any other person, well that goes well beyond.

[lord of the mark]

Heres something interesting - one of the guys Chavez admires.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norberto_Ceresole

[Sava]

Originally posted by techumseh
So Chavez has "affirmed" that he is a dictator?

Right. By the same standard, you have "affirmed" that you are an idiot.

QFT

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by lord of the mark
In a democracy,. . .

In our democracy, yes, but this isn't some universal standard. I also think that our democracy could stand to give its leaders some libel/slander protection as well, considering **** like Swift-Boating. It's one thing to try and protect the opinions of those who are opposed to those in power. It's another thing to allow people to make up lies out of whole cloth for the purpose of throwing an election or bringing down a government. The 1st helps democracy. The 2nd thwarts it.