“Assuming that you support the truth, that means that you supported what Thugo said about Dubya.”

Saying that Chavez told the truth is not supporting Chavez. He just told the truth. He was not the only one knowing that Bush was a lousy president, millions knew that but didn’t have the platform that Chavez had at the UN.

Right now, I don’t give a fig what Chavez thinks or says.

You previously stated the following:

Chavez may be a bad president and may be killing his country, but his popularity in some circles stems from the fact that he exposed the sad truth about GW Bush. He may have used undiplomatic terms, but his distaste for this puppet of a president was shared by many millions around the world.

When you stated that he exposed the sad truth about GW Bush, you implied that Thugo stated the truth about Dubya. Assuming that you support the truth, that means that you supported what Thugo said about Dubya.

If you truly thought that you were neither defending nor opposing Chavez, you need to make your writing much more precise. Which is why I call you “wannabe.”

Yes, Chávez was speaking truth to power. When no one else was denouncing Dubya, Thugo stood against the crowd and spoke against Dubya . Yeah, right. Seemed to me that there was a rather steady drumbeat against Dubya. If you believe that Thugo exposed the sad truth about GW Bush (your words not mine), you haven’t been reading the papers for the last 8 years. Herta Däubler-Gmelin , then Germany’s Minister of Justice, compared Dubya to Adolf Nazi back in 2002, without any prompting whatsoever from Thugo.
Chávez speaks:

“He goes and accuses me of exporting terrorism: the least I can say is that he’s a poor ignoramus; he should read and study a little to understand reality,” said Mr Chavez, who heads a group of left-wing Latin American leaders opposed to the US influence in the region.
“My, what ignorance; the real obstacle to development in Latin America has been the empire that you today preside over,” said Mr Chavez, who is a fierce critic of US foreign policy.

Here Chávez has shown his distaste for the puppet of a president named Barack Obama .

Here is Chávez again:

“I hope I am wrong, but I believe Obama brings the same stench, to not say another word…”

The popularity of Thugo “in some circles” stems from the old saw, “ the enemy of my enemy is my friend.” Because Thugo called Dubya Mr. Danger ( see video below with English subtitles), some thought Thugo was hunky-dory. They didn’t have to live in Venezuela, where the murder rate has more than doubled in Thugo’s decade in power.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mwka2ytMjLY Mr. Danger w english subtitles. From Venezuela.
His Yanqui de Mierda is another hit.

I would think the real Alek Boyd would know better than to look to stir up trouble for the writer’s family.

“’I couldn’t believe it. Had [George W.] Bush perpetuated himself in power they wouldn’t put up with it, but they put up with it if it’s happening far away.’ …I think it is more accurate to say they would put up with it here too, if it’s origins were on the left.”

Indeed! Just days after Obama’s inauguration, a “grass roots” organization sprung up, calling for the abolishment of the 22nd amendment that set Presidential term limits, specifically to allow Obama to run for a third term.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Obamas-Third-Term-END22com/50340334653

Obama has barely begun, and some already want to give him Roosevelt-like powers to be President for Life. What would the Lefties say if some conservative were to suggest the same about a brand-new Republican President??

…And they have the gall to say the Tea Partiers are crazy???

A) Not all Latin American governments are populist, Communist, or Peronist. There are several relatively successful democratic Latin American nations, including Costa Rica, Chile, Brazil, Peru, and yes, even Colombia. Many of these nations, though with ostensibly socialist governments, have maintained a business-friendly atmosphere, which has promoted economic growth, and raised thousands above the poverty line.

B) Chavez & Co. have NOT raised many out of poverty. In fact, in Venezuela today there are shortages of some of the most basic food produces (such as milk), there’s rampant inflation, and rampant crime. The state oil company has become terribly inefficient, because no foreign company wants to invest in new infrastructure, and Chavez uses much of the company’s profits as his personal piggy bank.

C) It’s true that many Latinn American countries were ruled by inept or corrupt political elites for decades. Many of the impoverished masses were repressed by these elites, and the poor are now rebelling against them, in countries like Ecuador and Bolivia. But what they’re getting is often worse than what they had before.

D)For all the socialists out there, let me state, as one born and raised in Latin America, I have seen how inefficient, bloated Latin “socialist” governments wasted what little capital a country had, and scared off investors who could bring in income and jobs. Tell me, if socialism is so good, why do people live so awfully in Cuba and Venezuela? Why do they live so much better in countries with stable, free market economies like Chile and Costa Rica? Why is it that, after decades of impoverished Communist rule, countries like China or Poland are finally revving up their economies after embracing free market policies? The secret to lifting up the poor is not finding new means of income redistribution, it’s finding new means of income generation: jobs, small and large businesses, etc. That’s something socialism can’t create.

I’m not advocating a purely laissez-faire government mentality. Government is necessary to regulate businesses, make sure they’re honest, and up to par in terms of safety or environmental standards. But there’s a difference between regulating a market, and thinking you can control it. When Chavez, like many socialists before him, thought he could beat inflation by enacting price controls, he created the food shortages seen in Venezuela. Why would any business sell milk for $1 when it costs $1.50 to produce? Or why sell it in Venezuela for $1 if you can sell it in Colombia for $2? Would you?