Tuesday, May 29, 2007

VENEZUELA'S CHAVEZ ABRIDGES FREEDOM OF SPEECH

This is more proof that maybe governments aren't always out to protect us. In the past I've been a pro-Chavez kind of guy. He was elected on a populist platform which means he appealed to the majority of the people and gave them what they wanted. Ironically, the majority of Venezuela are what many of us white folks would call peasants. Poor people with no power. I call them peasants because that's what some guy on CNN called them over the weekend when these riots started. See, Chavez grabbed a corporation-run TV station and turned it all public-accessy and stuff. There were riots by what, I assume, are the rich folks. The CNN guy said something like: "this extends beyond the TV station, though, right? It goes all the way to Chavez seizing people's land and giving it to peasants." Isn't that neat how the good-looking, white, ethnocentric-as-fuck newscaster suggests there's a difference between "people" and "peasants"? ANYway, so Chavez nabbed this station and gave it over to "the people". The thing is, the rich folks are right on this one--Chavez is wrong to silence anyone. If he wanted to look like a good guy, he'd leave the corporate station alone and give the poor folks buckets of money to produce their own shows. Now he just comes off like a big brothery type guy who is only catering to the poor folks because they allow him to avoid fixing elections. As far as I know he's also still got the power to rule by decree. This power is supposed to run out after 18 months (I think) but it's only been like 6, if that. Since I've been a supporter of Chavez in the past, I knew it was a good idea to speak up and say that I'm not down with taking away ANYone's voice. Like I said if Hugo wanted to do some good, he shouldn't take away the rich guy's megaphone, he should just give a PA system to the poor folks. So what if this corporate station supported the 2002 coup against you, Hugo? You look really bad now--all Putiny and stuff.

Orignal From: VENEZUELA'S CHAVEZ ABRIDGES FREEDOM OF SPEECH

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