Yesterday was a day of celebration for capitalist pigs everywhere as they heard about the death of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez at 58. Like many democratically elected socialist Latin American leaders before him, Chavez was considered a dangerous enemy to the powers that be in the US. Repeated attempts were made on his life, repeated attempts were made to remove him from office illegally, and many of these – if not all – can be traced back to American politicians and American corporate lobbies. Always the watchdog for its corporate and political masters, the American mainstream media has had a severe hate-on for Chavez since his first popular election in 1998. They have called him every name in the book, which is pretty rich coming from a country that elected (twice) the stupidest president to ever live, ever, in eternity. While treating G.W.B.’s mental incapacity with golden gloves, they demonized Chavez for his socialist policies, policies that aimed to better the living conditions of the vast poor of Venezuela and that literally took money out of the hands of the rich. Coming from a country with a healthy interest in public media, I have a hard time feeling sorry for the private media who are out to make a buck wherever they can. But CNN feels sorry for them – quoting from CNN’s “obituary” for Chavez:
But Chavez also leaves a legacy of repression against politicians and private media who opposed him.
He concentrated power in the executive branch, turning formerly independent institutions — such as the judiciary, the electoral authorities and the military — into partisan loyalists.
Oh…you mean like the Supreme Court of the US, whose judges are openly partisan rather than rational and apolitical? Or the US military, who is partisan towards fucking Jesus of all people (aka the Republicans)? Say what you want, I have a huge amount of respect for Chavez, who called the US media and political system out on its bullshit time and time again. For his efforts, he was plotted against in public and private American institutions, with one semi-successful US-backed coup against him in April of 2002. The amazing Irish documentary about this coup attempt, The Revolution Will Not be Televised, opened my eyes to the lies that we have been force-fed for decades when it comes to US foreign policy. As a young Communications major, one of my profs screened this documentary for us as a part of his lecture series on “how the mainstream media lie through their teeth for money.” After the jump, watch the The Revolution Will Not be Televised, so you can hear it from people who have done their research, and not just from me ranting.
Alexandros Galanos
March 18, 2013 at 9:42 am
@ Metalinyourdick, like your American capitalism works…? How by bombing Iraq for it’s oil, or Afgahnistan for its resources…?
How does it work when 30-40% of Americans live in the poverty line, and they do not have health insurance…Listen buddy surely you get beer there in the US of A, but drinking too much makes you forget what kind of state you are in…
CVLT Nation
March 7, 2013 at 12:00 pm
Very well said!
Santyago Santyago Chasipanta
March 6, 2013 at 3:10 pm
The awareness that capitalism is in crisis … and it is time that poor countries revolutions in thinking. that’s what he did Hugo Chavez mainly. Changing the way people think of Latin America. Now that his legacy is dead.
METALinYOURDICK
March 6, 2013 at 11:58 am
Socialism doesnt work because eventually the rich, run out of other peoples money. Chavez didnt help the poor in his country, he made them dependent on the government. He was a thug.
CVLT Nation
March 6, 2013 at 12:52 pm
“eventually the rich, run out of other peoples money” – I think the same can be said of American capitalism don’t you think? Except here we just give them more of our money to play with once they run out. As far as being “dependent” on the government, the people pay the government salaries, give them money to implement policies, so isn’t it better when those policies actually benefit the people? Case in point – I grew up with government-run socialized health care, meaning I never thought twice about going to the doctor, hospital or calling an ambulance because the cost of these things was…free. Now I live in LA and have several thousand in outstanding medical bills and I can’t afford health insurance that would actually cover anything. I can tell you which situation I preferred to live with.
Chavez implemented policies that made food 40% more affordable for the average poor citizen (and cut in to the profits of privately owned grocery chains); he created thousands of soup kitchens to feed people for free; he launched free literacy programs; he gave free health care; he decriminalized land occupation (squatting) for landless peasants; he gave property titles to peasants who had informally lived on government land for many years, handing them the opportunity to own their property.
What do my taxes go to here? Wall Street bailouts, war, covert operations against American citizens, corporate subsidies. The economy sucks, Walmart and Target are allowed to kill small business, and foreclosures are everywhere in my city and state. The US government is actively making this country a 3rd world nation. Chavez policies aimed to reverse the same trend in Venezuela.
METALinYOURDICK
March 6, 2013 at 5:13 pm
Thanks for replying, i took a cheap shot there at the end, but i feel its pretty spot on.
You keep using the word “free” but I dont think you know what it means. Taxes pay for all of that, there is no such thing as truly free healthcare. Chavez plundered that country into the weak economic state that it is in now. It doesnt matter how cheap the food is, when the currency has been devalued 3 times since hes been in power, including again in the last 6 months by a third! And what about the taxes that go to the govt for things like police and other civil services, they are non existent down there with a murder rate that makes Chicago look as safe as heaven itself. He ran every sense of free trade out of that country and fueled his power on bully tactics and cheap rhetoric. Do i think we have it perfect in America, hell no, and i feel sorry that its even worse in CA than most of the rest of the country.
And i dont think the same could be said (about running out of money) with American capitalism because it breeds competition and changing market with ups and downs, success and failures, the urge to try and try again and never quit. With Chavez’s socialist views eventually you hit a stagnant wall of normalcy and mundane that only sheep would enjoy. One huge difference here is that you have more of your own money (because of less taxes) to choose for yourself where you would like to direct that money. I enjoy that every day. I also enjoy not having to worry about frequent blackouts.
CVLT Nation
March 6, 2013 at 5:52 pm
Healthcare in Canada is indeed funded by taxes and also by premiums, but they don’t even compare to the costs of health insurance here. From the time I was born to age 26, my healthcare was actually free, as in $0 for anything, for me. After that I paid a tiny monthly premium ($26) based on my income.
I’m not trying to get into a discussion of whether life in the US is better than life in Venezuela. That depends on your definition of “better,” and you have to keep in mind that Americans enjoy the fruits of being the biggest economic and military bullies on the planet. Things are cheap here because the WTO is controlled by US interests, and the US makes sure that every free trade agreement primarily benefits America, and not whatever country it is making that agreement with. Chavez was by no means a perfect leader, but he stood up for people who have historically had no voice in Venezuela, and he attempted to make the economy work for the poor. Of course that’s not the way the global economic system works, and it’s not like he had the support of many of the large economies of the world.
My main question is this – if Chavez was just a bully who was driving his country under, at which point it would be very easy for a more pro-American politician to come into power, why has the US put so much time and effort into destabilizing his government and country to get him out of power? Why was he such a threat? Check out destabilization programs like the ones being run by CANVAS and Stratfor – Wikileaks leaked a bunch of documents describing their ongoing activities in Venezuela.
METALinYOURDICK
March 6, 2013 at 6:23 pm
I wouldn’t want to be on your side of the argument of Venezuela being a better place to live than America either, its a losing argument every time no matter how you define “better”. Define “is” while you are at it, Clinton. Chavez wasn’t intentionally driving his country under. His actions fueled by his drive for power and wealth had consequences on the country. By enacting those policies you speak of, he didn’t better the country but grow his constituency of votes and support because he became their only lifeline. His opposition was routinely put in prison or shut down. He silenced anyone who spoke against him.
BreadGod
March 6, 2013 at 6:17 pm
Socialism: making everyone equally poor since 1917.
peteywheats
March 6, 2013 at 6:53 pm
Oil is not other people’s money. It’s Venezuela’s money.
Jector
March 6, 2013 at 4:48 am
Since December 1st. 2012 Mexico now has the stupidest president to ever live. Not a joke. R.I.P. Hugo Chavez