Tall & Rich

A Yanqui’s View of Latin American Politics

Archive for September, 2007

The Axis of Ultimate Evil

Posted by Jonn Lilyea on September 27, 2007

Well, you’ve got Hugo Chavez buying weapons from Russia, drilling oil with China (who is, by the way, drilling oil off the coast of Florida in cahoots with Cuba) and forming alliances with Iran and Nicaragua (not to mention Chavez coming out against boob jobs), Syria getting weapons technology from North Korea. And now Gateway Pundit reports that  Ahmadinejad is proposing an alliance with Robert Mugabe – the guy that even Poodle Chirac reprimanded. Given Mugabe’s record on human rights, I wouldn’t think anyone would take his side (Although Parade Magazine only ranks him number 7 in world’s worst dictators this year – down from number 4 in 2006, apparently. He’ll just have to starve more people to catch up to Kim Jong Il, I guess.).

I’m starting to see a pattern here. This growing alliance is cartoonishly evil – like some kind of alliance of fiends set against the Justice League or Superfriends. Except there isn’t any Justice League or Superfriends – there’s just us. Well, some of us.

Isn’t there anyone on the Left willing to admit that these people are just evil, that their intentions have to be evil and that maybe there’s just a little more danger in the world than they’ve been able to admit up to this point? Doesn’t anyone on the other side of the aisle see anything bad in all of this?

Update: Then again, as long as they make “retard” missiles, they can’t be all that dangerous, can they? Photo from Kamangir;

Posted in Hugo Chavez, Politics, Terror War, US Foreign Policy | 2 Comments »

Chavez the gladiator battling the evil oppressor

Posted by Jonn Lilyea on September 25, 2007

While the Ahmadinejad play fades into history, the other dwarf on the world stage is busy pumping up his stunted image with the willful assistance of the Associated Press;

“‘Gladiator’ — What a movie! I saw it three times,” [Hugo Chavez] tells an Associated Press reporter traveling with him in a Toyota 4Runner, along with his daughter and a state governor. “It’s confronting the empire, and confronting evil. … And you end up relating to that gladiator.”

The parallel is unstated but clear. To Chavez, the United States is the empire, and he is the protagonist waging an epic struggle to bring justice to the oppressed of Venezuela and the world.

Yes, the United States and George Bush, in particular, have so interferred with Chavez plans to conquer South America, haven’t they? He’s a brave soul to stand up to such a fearsome enemy. Dumbass. So interferring are we that we’ve sent hack-actor Kevin Spacey to undermine Chavez’ grip on power (h/t A Columbo-Americana’s Perspective) ;

Actor Kevin Spacey met privately Monday with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, one of Washington’s most outspoken critics in Latin America.

Neither Spacey — who has won Academy Awards for roles in “The Usual Suspects” and “American Beauty” — nor Chavez spoke to the press after the nearly three-hour encounter in the presidential palace in Caracas. They shook hands warmly on the red carpet as Spacey left after a dinner with Chavez.

Another in long line of failing Hollywood-types dipping their toe in world politics half-assed understanding the causes they’re supporting – or not supporting. I guess all that’s important is that Chavez calls President Bush “The Devil” – that’s as deep as they go.

And honestly, that’s as deep as Chavez goes, too. He’s made shallow promises to nearly every nation in South and Central America none of which have come to fruition. Of course this all the fault of the United States;

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Sunday denied media reports that he clashed with his Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva at a Thursday meeting, saying the United States was behind the reports.

“That is the handiwork of the Empire, but it will never achieve its goal of making us fight,” Chavez said during his Sunday radio and TV show “Hello, President.”

Chavez promises are now extending to Europe as well;

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez will visit France in November to discuss the fate of hostages, including prominent Franco-Colombian Ingrid Betancourt, held by Colombian Marxist rebels, the French President said Monday.
    “Mr. Chavez will visit France in November. I have spoken with him by phone three or four times over the past 15 days,” President Nicolas Sarkozy told reporters on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session.
    Chavez has offered to mediate between Colombian President Alvaro Uribe and the Marxist rebels who are holding 45 hostages including Betancourt, who has dual citizenship, and three Americans.
    “France’s obsession is to have Betancourt returned to her family as soon as possible,” he added.

And don’t forget that he’s still best buds with Ahmadinejad;

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his Venezuelan counterpart Hugo Chavez, in a telephone conversation on Monday, called for further promotion of Tehran-Caracas cooperation.

President Ahmadinejad is currently in New York to attend the 62nd session of the United Nations General Assembly to begin on Tuesday.

“Ahmadinejad and Chavez are two brothers who have joined hands at international arena to establish peace and tranquility,” the Iranian president said.

Of course – that’s why Chavez has tossed out Christian Missionaries from the Venezuelan interior but allows Hezzbollah (the Syrian client terrorists of Iran) to recruit there.

The Devil’s Excrement explains why Chavez makes long term plans with foreigners instead of his own people;

The first few years of Chavez’ presidency, you could tell he was frustrated with economic issues, he did not know how to manage them, did not understand them and could not control them, in contrast with social and political issues where he could really understand what the people wanted and used it to his advantage, blaming the previous forty years for all the problems.

Since then, Chavez has learned that you can lie, exaggerate and make up numbers on just about any subject, but it is precisely in social issues where he has to walk a very fine line, because the people are not dumb. You can’t fool people into believing there is no crime or it has not increased, no inflation and he has stopped it, no shortages or a boom in housing. Thus, Chavez avoids these subjects. Chavez never says “we have built so many housing units…”, he knows that if he exaggerates, some people will feel that they were left out, so it is better to say “We will build so many thousand units…”. In a year, nobody will check anyway.

And that’s how he manages his foreign policy – he deals in vague statements, empty promises, crowd pleasing emotional outbursts. Full of sound and fury signifying nothing. Chavez is more like Alonso Quixano (ingenious hidalgo Don Quioxte, knight errant) than a gladiator and socialism is his fair and elusive Lady Dulcinea.

Bloodthirsty Liberal just cracks me up with his Chavez posts – everytime.

Posted in Hugo Chavez, US Foreign Policy | 3 Comments »

Iran/China/Syria/North Korea; the new Axis

Posted by Jonn Lilyea on September 20, 2007

Have you ever woke up in the morning and feel like you’re living in a Tom Clancy novel? That’s the feeling I get today. Yesterday, I read from Gateway Pundit and Bloodthirsty Liberal about the most recent murder of an anti-Syrian legislator in Lebanon;

Anti-Syrian Lebanese politician was murdered today in a bombing!
A 40-kilogram strong car bomb killed anti-Syrian Christian leader Antione Ghanem and eight others six days before the Lebanese Parliament is scheduled to meet to elect a new president.

And today from Spanish Pundit and Breitbart about Iran’s admission that China is supporting their nuclear program;

Iran’s interior minister said China renewed its support Friday for negotiations over his country’s disputed nuclear activities, and he warned that new U.N. sanctions could force Tehran to adopt “other means.”

From Kamangir and Crotchety Old Bastard, the US is kowtowing to that berserker Amadinejad and contemplating his tour of Ground Zero. Kamangir, the Iranian says;

Ahmadinejad must not be permitted to get close to where the twin towers used to stand?

The NYPD says ‘no’, but he claims he’ll go anyway. Either way, he’ll be a welcomed speaker at Columbia University.

From Free Korea, (h/t Gateway Pundit), North Korea and Syria are linked, too;

The details of the claims are vague, but one source told FOX News in late August that the North Koreans had sold the Syrians a nuclear facility, most likely related to uranium enrichment. Enriched uranium is necessary both for nuclear power and nuclear weapons uses. The United States accuses Syria of assisting terrorist groups including Hezbollah.

And so, it comes full circle – there is a global conspiracy against American interests, but Democrats would prefer to talk about healthcare and the minimum wage instead of facing the reality that we are under attack worldwide, that it’s been going on for sometime and Democrats are unwilling to recognize that there’s a problem, let alone formulate a plan for doing something. From Breitbart;

Former President Jimmy Carter said Wednesday that it was almost inconceivable that Iran would “commit suicide” by launching missiles at Israel.  

From the guy who figured it was inconceivable that Khomeini would succeed in taking over Iran. He’s really got his finger on the pulse of stuff, huh? And we need to put some more of those dimwits in a position of power.

Speaking of Iran, Kamangir has caught the Islamic Republic in another lie.

Posted in Politics, US Foreign Policy | 1 Comment »

Chavez takes over the school system

Posted by Jonn Lilyea on September 18, 2007

Hat tip to Atlas Shrugs for alerting us that Chavez is doing to the school system what he did for television in Venezuela – and just like when he warned private communication companies, he’s warning private schools;

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez threatened on Monday to close or take over any private school that refuses to submit to the oversight of his socialist government as it develops a new curriculum and textbooks.

Not bizzare enough for you? How about this quote;

“Society cannot allow the private sector to do whatever it wants,” said Chavez, speaking on the first day of classes.

Beautiful, huh? AP reports;

But one college-level syllabus obtained by The Associated Press shows some premedical students already have a recommended reading list including Karl Marx’s “Das Kapital” and Fidel Castro’s speeches, alongside traditional subjects like biology and chemistry.

The syllabus also includes quotations from Chavez and urges students to learn about slain revolutionary Ernesto “Che” Guevara and Colombian rebel chief Manuel Marulanda, whose leftist guerrillas are considered a terrorist group by Colombia, the U.S. and European Union.

So I guess the students’ education won’t focus on the three “r”s. Bloomberg writes;

Teachers and academics may see the measure as an attempt to politicize the classroom, speeding up a brain drain that has been underway for years as educated, skilled workers move abroad to escape Chavez’s “Bolivarian” revolution, said Ercilia Vasquez, director of the school of education at the Universidad Catolica Andres Bello in Caracas.

“This ideology is very strong,” she said in a phone interview. “We’re going through a process where a lot of people are looking for other alternatives outside the country. This could accelerate it.’”

The AP story continues;

Venezuelan officials defend the program at the Latin American Medical School — one in a handful of state-run colleges and universities that emphasize socialist ideology — as the new direction of Venezuelan higher education.

“We must train socially minded people to help the community, and that’s why the revolution’s socialist program is being implemented,” said Zulay Campos, a member of a Bolivarian State Academic Commission that evaluates compliance with academic guidelines.

“If they attack us because we’re indoctrinating, well yes, we’re doing it, because those capitalist ideas that our young people have — and that have done so much damage to our people — must be eliminated,” Campos said. 

Typical communist rhetoric – and it’s becoming too late to stop to stop Chavez. The left is so adoring, so emotional over the idea of an oil-rich communist empire that they forget the 100s of millions who’ve already been sacrificed at the altar of Marxism. Venezuela is beginning to look more and more like the Lord of the Flies. 

From The Devil’s Excrement, a Venezuelan’s view of Chavez latest endeavor;

But much like in Hitler’s Germany, Fidel’s Cuba or Franco’s Spain, Venezuela will now have official textbooks for all subjects, guaranteeing no impure ideas get through to the kids and all information gets the imprimatur from Bolivarian officials. I wonder if they will be signed by a Bishop or a General as a sign of approval or by the autocrat himself maybe.

Because according to the autocrat, texts used to preach the theories of the Empire, whether the North-American or Spanish one (Did Chavez look up pre-1724 textbooks?), but then the ranting got better when Chavez truly and really said:

“First, it was an ideologic education, the euro-centric vision, colonial, which taught us to admire the conquerors and then the cult to the animated characters of Superman, Mandrake or the Phantom, denying us the knowledge of Guicapuro, Negra Hipolita or Sucre”

Jeez, I wonder where he heard about these, as I do not recall learning about any of these characters in school, but I do remember learning about Guicaipuro, Negra Hipolita and Sucre, and was always taught a very negative view of the Spanish conquerors which cost me quite a few expulsions from class when I lived in Spain.

So where’s Jimmy Carter now that Venezuelans really need him? He’s busy bashing Jews and Israel on public access – apparently Chavez is off his radar now that Carter has insured Chavez’ employment for life. I’ve asked before – where are the human rights Democrats? Where are these so-called socially liberal conservatives?

Well, they’re all for taking education out the hands of the public sector, too. They want to indoctrinate students into Marxism – more overtly than they can now. The left wants to shut down news sources that they think oppose them. They want the wide latitude that Chavez enjoys – he’s running their dream nation where the only choice is the choice they offer.

But Chavez’ choices will be bathed in blood eventually.

Posted in Hugo Chavez, Jimmy Carter, Politics, Society, US Foreign Policy | 1 Comment »

Chavez plans a “Simon Bolivar Satellite”

Posted by Jonn Lilyea on September 12, 2007

Over the past few weeks, I written about Hugo Chavez squandering his petro dollars on 5000 sniper rifles from Russia, subsidizing bus fares for Londoners and paying for elections in Argentina. Today he announced that China is building a “Simon Bolivar satellite” (Washington Times’ Martin Arostegui);

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez says his nation plans to launch “the Simon Bolivar satellite” now being built in China as part of plans to develop an integrated ground- and space-based air defense — presumably against the United States.

“We have 100 satellite technicians training in China who be back in the next few months. The radars, tracking stations and air defenses are being installed right now,” Mr. Chavez said this week on his television talk show, “Hello President.”

With the Chinese ambassador present for the performance, Mr. Chavez made extensive comments on Venezuela’s growing ties with China in areas such as oil exports and national defense.

But that’s not all;

Mr. Chavez, who claims the U.S. has attempted to assassinate him and often warns of an Iraq-style U.S. invasion of Venezuela, already has the most powerful air force in South America with his recent acquisition of 24 Sukhoi Su-30 fighters from Russia.

He also is negotiating the purchase of nine Russian submarines.

So with children starving, staples absent from supermarket shelves, and Venezuela’s trading paper struggling, Chavez is investing his new ill-gotten wealth in strengthening his military position in a relatively calm region – and attempting to strengthen ties with China in South America – all so he can stick his finger in the eye of the United States (which by the way is no threat to him) and wave the Uncle Sam boogeyman in the faces of his chavistas.

China has invested heavily in Venezuela’s oil industry as part of efforts to gain ever greater access to energy sources.

They are jointly planning a pipeline through Panama to pump 800,000 barrels of oil a day to Pacific ports. This would allow a vast increase in Venezuelan exports to China at the possible expense of the U.S.

China is also assisting Cuba in oil exploration off the coast of Florida – another reason for them to build a pipeline through Panama. In Panama, they already control about 40% of the ports through their COSCO company (according my source there) and they’re assisting Panama in their endeavor to widen the Canal over the next 5 years.

Posted in Hugo Chavez, Politics, US Foreign Policy | 3 Comments »

5000 new rifles, but no milk in Venezuela

Posted by Jonn Lilyea on September 1, 2007

I read this statement from Venezuela President Hugo Chavez’ Alo! Presidente speech last Sunday as quoted by the Christian Science Monitor in the Washington Post today; 

“I’m going to buy 5,000 Dragunov rifles from Russia…with telescopic sight, the best in the world, with infrared night-view. We will knock out any imperialist that approaches.”

I guess we know at which imperialists Chavez wants to aim his Dragunov rifles. Any soldier worth his salt would prefer a Remington to the clunky Dragunov, though - but Hugo isn’t a real soldier anyway – he just pretends to be one in his drama play for the world’s thugs.

Regardless, his choice of weapons isn’t the subject of this post. It didn’t take me long to find something more worthy of Chavez’ money instead of rifles. Julia, a Venezuelan who blogs on The end of Venezuela as I know it writes about the shortages of staples in Caracas. In Part I there’s sugar;

“This is flour!” – I said – “No… try it… it’s also sweet… it’s the snow sugar that your mom uses for decorate the cakes…” I thought the sugar shortage was extreme enough when I started to get used to the brown sugar. I was clearly wrong; you never know when it’s extreme enough because my dad couldn’t even find brown sugar that day so decided to buy the two kinds of sugar that remained in the supermarket just to, well, give us the option to decide between the worse of those two.

In Part II it’s cooking oil and milk;

Then I make a quick calculus, 1000 ml for six people (without counting my godchild who is three months old) it’s almost nothing and won’t last for long. Besides, the shortage now its just partial, but before we notice it, we are not going to be able to find not even that small package of normal milk in a while…

But Julia will very happy to learn that Chavez will have 5000 new sniper rifles with which to fight those nebulous imperialists that will never come – irrespective of who owns the rifles.

I almost choked on my beer while reading this piece of trash from some pencil-necked dork named Steve Lendman who claims that Venezuela is a more perfect form of democracy than the United States. Sorry, I’m not linking it – you can google the retard;

Chavez wants his new United Socialist Party (PSUV) to drive the revolutionary process and continue his agenda of reform for all Venezuelans. He wants everyone to enjoy the benefits, not just a privileged few like in the past and in the US today. Under his leadership, their future is bright while in America poverty is growing, the middle class is dying, and the darkness of tyranny threatens everyone under George Bush with his agenda likely continuing under a new president in 2009.

Governance differences exist between these two nations because their constitutional laws are mirror opposite, and America has no one like Hugo Chavez. He’s a rare leader who cares and backs his rhetoric with progressive people-friendly policies. In the US, there’s George Bush, and that pretty much explains the problem. Knowing that, which leader would you choose and under which system of government would you prefer to live?

Well, Stevie, I don’t see Americans flocking to Venezuela – do you? And I think if you read Julia’s Part II, you’ll get a pretty good idea which Venezuelans prefer;

I should be able to go protesting everywhere I want to without having the fear of being attack or/ and detained by the police. I should be able to go out and came back home at any time I want or I need to without taking the risk to be mugged or kidnapped or killed. I should be able to say whatever I want to say about the government out loud even in government institutions without being called oligarch, rich or imperialist just because I think different. I should be able to ask any government’ help or support in health, or education or whatever I need or have the right to request as a citizen without being forced to wear a red t-shirt.
[...]
Sometimes I want to be like other young people are, of course they have troubles and concerns in their political systems but they don’t feel constantly threatened by it. Some people can criticize and oppose to their governments and continue having a normal life. They can go to the beach in their own countries and find some peace. Not halfway peace, but real tranquility. I should be able to go to have some drinks with my friends, concerning only about calling the attention of the guy I like; without saying good bye because they are leaving the country.

Chavez promises refineries to Nicaragua and Panama, oil to the Caribe Basin, oil to Cuba, pays for his cohorts’ political campaign in other countries. Oh, and this from AP;

Laid-off Brazilian factory workers have their jobs back, Nicaraguan farmers are getting low-interest loans and Bolivian mayors can afford new health clinics, all thanks to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

Bolstered by windfall oil profits, Chavez’s government is now offering more direct state funding to Latin America and the Caribbean than the United States. A tally by The Associated Press shows Venezuela has pledged more than $8.8 billion in aid, financing and energy funding so far this year.

Yet his own people don’t have staples. What a wonderful guy.

Related; Mary Anastasia O’Grady reviews two new books about Chavez and Venezuela in the Wall Street Journal today.

Hugo Chávez By Cristina Marcano and Alberto Barrera Tyszka Random House, 327 pages, $27.95

¡Hugo! By Bart Jones Steerforth, 570 pages, $30

Posted in Hugo Chavez, US Foreign Policy | 5 Comments »