[costamarianavia]

Chavez is a close ally of Cuban leader Fidel Castro, but an overwhelming 84 percent said they oppose adopting a political system like Cuba’s If you sleep with dogs, expect fleas.

[Wckcvhsg]

He's what the people want, so that's fine by me.

[Lotyqnag]

I dont really like him much, he is too friendly with iran, likes to hug Ahmadinejad etc

He is like, every enemy of the USA is my friend, and that is wrong, latin america has a lot more in common with the USA than with the muslim world.

He also wastes a lot of money, if oil somehow gets cheap again I dont think he would be able to finish his term

[Zhgrlpil]

I agree Latin-American leftism has always been always been filled with too much vitriolic anti-americanism, anti-capitalism to make rational policy. I'm not saying these feelings are "wrong" in a morale sense just that ANY goverment not guided by real-politics is going to do dumb things.

P.S. I can still respect him for being gutsy enough to call Bush the Devil at the U.N.

[cinggooft]

Anti americanism also goes back to the mexican american war, spanish american war, the the creeation of panama and the panama canal issue, not only XX century issues

[Edifsdubs]

Yes I completly agree with you guys, thats why I pointed out I didn't think these feelings were wrong. Simply that it dosn't do any goverment any good to base policy on emotional issues. A nations leadership should act to prevent the emotions of the masses from contributing to bad policy, doing whats in the best interest of their nation is their morale responsibility. Anger clouds that.

[Alexunda]

Originally posted by OzzyKP
Did we get any good will when we returned the canal to Panama? Yes, but we lost it supporting the Contras, propping up murderous dictatorships in Guatemala and El Salvador, invading Panama, etc.

[Essefsbyday]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara


Yes, but we lost it supporting the Contras, propping up murderous dictatorships in Guatemala and El Salvador, invading Panama, etc. One step forward, two steps back. We'll get there eventually....

[TpDoctorOneTp]

Chavez is a clown. He's got good entertainment value

[ireleda]

Chavez wins re-election by a wide margin
AP - Mon Dec 4, 6:55 AM ET

CARACAS, Venezuela - Emboldened by a resounding re-election, President Hugo Chavez pledged to shake up Venezuela with a more radical version of socialism and forge a wider front against the United States in Latin America. Opposition contender Manuel Rosales accepted defeat Sunday night, but promised to continue countering a leader whom he accuses of becoming increasingly authoritarian.

[pageup85]

Originally posted by Spiffor
Now, maybe he could try to prop up a team and make his ****ing regime not entirely revolve around his person? Why would he do that?

[Toninvell]

That's one of the strangest posts I've read.

[DownloadADOBEsoftware]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara
Cuba's got oil too, and they're going to start exploiting it. Once that happens, expect their economy to start doing a lot better.

BTW, the reason Latin-American leftism is so anti-American is that America is the big bully in the schoolyard. Any time these countries attempted to do something remotely popular, the U.S. overthrew the government and put in someone friendly to our business interests. You'd be a hater too. Then I guess no govt in the region has done anything remotely popular since 1973, since that was the last US supported coup (and that coup was essentially run by locals, with only winking support from the US - youd have to go back to the 1960s for a REAL CIA planned coup)

[Greactbet]

Then I guess no govt in the region has done anything remotely popular since 1973, since that was the last US supported coup (and that coup was essentially run by locals, with only winking support from the US - youd have to go back to the 1960s for a REAL CIA planned coup) well except for Chavez of course.

[malishka1025]

No, that was not a failed coup, Chavez won.

[gyjsdtuwr]

One of the things I would like to know is why Latin Americans, on the whole, believe in the far left? Socialism, whereever actually implemented in Latin America brings what one would expect, economic collapse and stagnation.

[optormtix]

Originally posted by Ned
One of the things I would like to know is why Latin Americans, on the whole, believe in the far left? Socialism, whereever actually implemented in Latin America brings what one would expect, economic collapse and stagnation.
It is probably cultural, the spanish were not friends of capitalism and free trade, like the dutch or english, and amerindian cultures were very communal here, the incas were almost communists, and the catholic church is also rather anti libertarian both in social issues of personal freedom and in economics, the church believed that there was a "fair prize" and that selling above that prize was sinful, that giving loans for an interest was sinful, that god blesses the poor etc the jesuit missions naturally evolved into a quite communistic direction
BTW
(you can find articles in the internet from protestant anti-catholics about how the catholic church invented communism and how the jesuitic missions were a communist experiment of the catholic church)

Spain + Catholic Church + Pre columbian cultures is not a combo that produces love for free trade and capitalism, I think south america ahs a natural tendency towards communalism, and strong authority figures

[kilibry]

go live in SA and get treated like a local. then come back and tell us how you like that.

[Sironimoll]

Originally posted by Brachy-Pride
(you can find articles in the internet from protestant anti-catholics about how the catholic church invented communism and how the jesuitic missions were a communist experiment of the catholic church) Yeah, but these were the same nutters who earlier claimed communism was a Jewish conspiracy. I never did understand how they could claim Jews were the lead bankers/industrialist exploiters but why the Jews also favored communism.

[derinasderun]

LoTM, I agree that much of SA is recovering from its extreme leftism, almost like a drunk swearing off drinking after he has experienced the hangover.