Selling the Rope

“Sweet justice” is the phrase you’re looking for:

President Hugo Chávez, buffeted by falling oil prices that threaten to damage his efforts to establish a Socialist-inspired state, is quietly courting Western oil companies once again.

Until recently, Chávez had pushed foreign oil companies here into a corner by nationalizing their oil fields, raiding their offices with tax authorities and imposing a series of royalties increases.

The sad thing is, Chavez might just be able to hold onto power long enough to do it all over again.