Half the British working classes regularly voted for Thatcher. Vast numbers of American workers are rock-solid Republicans. Why do people vote against their own interests? This question is an old topic. Frank's Kansas book is the current best left survey of the question from a US perspective; Mike Davis's old Prisoners of the American Dream the best general (US) take I know. Why it might happen in Venezuala I don't know.
Btw, an old college friend of mine I haven't spoken to in decades, but we were really close in college, Andres Mata, is editor of El Universal downin VZ, he's not a Chavez supporter, but maybe I might try to get in touch with him and ask what he thinks. It would be an excuse to try to re-establish a connection, anyway:
From the BBC:
Friday, 12 April, 2002, 16:13 GMT 17:13 UK
Venezuela press condemns 'autocrat' Chavez
Mr Chavez resigned under military pressure
Venezuela's major newspapers have welcomed the ousting of Hugo Chavez, heaping condemnation and insult on the deposed president.
Nowhere were the attacks more virulent than in the pages of El Nacional, which called him a coward who had brought the country to the verge of chaos.
With this miserable and cruel act, you committed the worst of your political errors and betrayed your country
El Nacional "We all knew about his mental problems, that he would shrink when the real battle started, but we ignored his lack of scruples, which became manifest when he ordered his sharpshooters to open fire on innocent people."
"With this miserable and cruel act, you committed the worst of your political errors and betrayed your country."
El Nacional accused Mr Chavez, a former paratrooper, of "soiling the military uniform and the institution which gave you an opportunity in life".
"They say history elevates or buries men; for you it has reserved a pit beside the Venezuelan leaders infamous for their atrocities."
Your obsessions have cost Venezuela countless moral and material losses, never has so much madness been seen in this land
El Nacional
His threats to shut down the main television stations were akin to "turning Venezuela into a jungle", the daily said.
"Your obsessions have cost Venezuela countless moral and material losses, never has so much madness been seen in this land."
Shared responsibility
For the editor of El Universal, Andres A Mata, Mr Chavez is an autocrat who has lost his way.
After being freely elected as a democratic leader, Chavez stopped being one
Andres A. Mata
"After being freely elected as a democratic leader, Chavez stopped being one."
In his piece headlined, "Hugo Chavez: An autocrat in both style and substance", Mr Mata says the former president also violated several international laws
"He violated the Inter-American Democratic Charter by denying Venezuelan workers the right to meet freely and hold open elections... He violated the Rio Agreement in publicly declaring on more than one occasion that Afghanistan is only an example of the terrorism sponsored by the United States worldwide." Michael Perelman [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
Thank God he won! Still, I have a question. If 70% of the people are poor, how didthe opposition get so many votes?--Michael PerelmanEconomics DepartmentCalifornia State UniversityChico, CA 95929Tel. 530-898-5321E-Mail michael at ecst.csuchico.edu
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