fiddler, you strike me - usually - as an intelligent man. For this very reason, you should be ashamed of your comparison between Chavez and Hitler.
There is an initial, extremely superficial resemblance between them in that both came to power following failed coups a number of years before. But that's all. In the first place, the political situations and historical circumstances are completely different - even in terms of the coup attempts, there are practically no parallels between the Beer-Hall putsch and Chavez' attempted rebellion against the corrupt and repressive Pérez. Secondly, Chavez' political views and philosophy are diametrically opposed to those of Hitler in almost every respect. Just because his Bolivarian democratic socialism is different to other models (such as US representative democracy) does not mean that it is per se non-democratic, or less democratic than other models. Hitler and his NSDAP party never won a majority of the German vote before coming to power, Chavez has repeatedly obtained overall majorities in presidential elections in Venezuela. I have stated that I have no interest in defending everything Chavez has done (personally, I am disappointed with recent moves which suggest a tendency to perpetual presidency [although the actual removal of term limits as a result of a referendum last year does not mean that Chavez automatically stays in power, simply that he can run again for office in 2012]), or does, but ridiculous, insulting comparisons such as you make here cannot go unanswered. Francis On 27 Jan., 21:01, fiddler <[email protected]> wrote: > I, too, wish to see that day. I'm tired of interventionist policies > where and when they are completely unneeded. This has always led to > more enemies than allies for every nation that has tried it. > > The difference in this thread is that I do not give chavez a free pass > to honour his achievements while ignoring the brutality and anti- > humanist activities that he has engaged in. It is remarkeably similar > to people that say "Well ya, hitler killed some people. But look at > the roads, economy, and education programs he installed!" A repugnant > human being is no less repugnant because he did some good deeds. No, > Chavez hasn't equaled hitlers body-count (and frankly can't due to > information speed nowadays) but his actions are more violent so far > than hitlers rise to power. > > Ian: I'm in school right now, I'll look for those links tonight. > > On Jan 27, 9:10 am, frantheman <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > Let me first state that, while I admire Chavez for a lot of what he > > has done and is trying to achieve in Venezuela and the Americas > > generally, I'm not calling for his canonisation! > > > Where Chavez stands today is (partly at least) a reaction to his > > opponents/deadly enemies both within his country and beyond its > > borders. Action - reaction. He's not the first in this case and, > > sadly, he won't be the last ... Morales, Ortega, Allende, Castro, > > etc., the list is long and the sinister spoiling hand of the USA has > > always been evident. > > > Just imagine the following scenario; A fairly radical, left-leaning > > personality, with a thoroughgoing reform agenda is democratically > > elected to leadership in a Central or South American country. The USA > > reacts by enthusiastically welcoming the result, calling on the > > various opposition groups to accept the democratically expressed will > > of the people, promises aid to help install the reform programme in > > cooperation with the newly-elected regime and goes on to actively > > realise this promise ... > > > I suppose, like Joni, I'll just have to go on dreaming. > > >http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6z79WMOPtk > > > Francis > > > On 27 Jan., 04:48, fiddler <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > I wasn't trying to promote any ideology, I just detest violent and > > > brutal dictators. > > > > On Jan 26, 4:13 pm, archytas <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > Chavez might just be only another in a long line of centralising > > > > capitalists like Hitler, Mao, Stalin and the increasing focus of money > > > > into the bwanker-sphere and bureaucratic hands. Everywhere,a s in > > > > this discussion, ideology is pitted against ideology - the idea is to > > > > try and surpass this. > > > > > On 26 Jan, 22:35, fiddler <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > If you need sources for stories as simple as this, you need to read > > > > > more.http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nation-world/sns-ap-lt-venezuela-med... > > > > > This all over the media and is only the latest assault on his own > > > > > people. > > > > > > as for: > Give sources, support your claims, or be quiet. > > > > > > Ya Vohl, Herr Kommandant! > > > > > > On Jan 26, 1:38 pm, Ian Pollard <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > 2010/1/26 fiddler <[email protected]> > > > > > > > > So causing the growing percentage of poor, closing down any media > > > > > > > outlet that doesn't stop everything to show him whenever he > > > > > > > chooses, > > > > > > > sending troops to stop any demonstration, arresting and murdering > > > > > > > opposition members, determining curricula in schools to reflect > > > > > > > only > > > > > > > what he desires, arresting the economy and preventing growth, > > > > > > > ...all > > > > > > > of these are good to you? > > > > > > > Ian- Hide quoted text - > > > - Show quoted text - -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups ""Minds Eye"" group. 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