(no subject)
What was it you were saying about America being a tyranny, Hugo Chavez?
Seems he's pretty far along the road to that point himself. Let's assume for a moment that there was no intimidation of voters or manipulation of results in this election, which isn't a given considering that election fraud happens even in countries with a tradition of fair elections (look at 2000 here in the States, for instance). Even if this was totally fair and 54% of the electorate wanted to make Chavez President-for-life, it would still be a bad idea. The reason that we have term limits is because it's dangerous to allow one person to control things for too long. Even in free nations with a long history of freedom and democracy, leaders who stick around too long tend to do things that make us with they'd left sooner. Chavez has already proven himself to be somewhat of a megalomaniac, positioning himself as the new Bolivar and framing his political disputes in epic terms. Imagine what would happen if we had another Castro, another dictator in all but name who had no fear of losing power and every incentive to increase his own power at the expense of his people. Chavez may have some good ideas about national ownership of natural resources and opposition to Bush-era American imperialism, but his oversize ego and lack of concern for Constitutional rules more than overtake any positive things one might say about him. It is possible to oppose George W. Bush without calling him the devil (Lyndon LaRouche, you might want to pay attention), just as it is possible to institute needed socialist programs in a country without turning it into a Castroesque one-person state.
Seems he's pretty far along the road to that point himself. Let's assume for a moment that there was no intimidation of voters or manipulation of results in this election, which isn't a given considering that election fraud happens even in countries with a tradition of fair elections (look at 2000 here in the States, for instance). Even if this was totally fair and 54% of the electorate wanted to make Chavez President-for-life, it would still be a bad idea. The reason that we have term limits is because it's dangerous to allow one person to control things for too long. Even in free nations with a long history of freedom and democracy, leaders who stick around too long tend to do things that make us with they'd left sooner. Chavez has already proven himself to be somewhat of a megalomaniac, positioning himself as the new Bolivar and framing his political disputes in epic terms. Imagine what would happen if we had another Castro, another dictator in all but name who had no fear of losing power and every incentive to increase his own power at the expense of his people. Chavez may have some good ideas about national ownership of natural resources and opposition to Bush-era American imperialism, but his oversize ego and lack of concern for Constitutional rules more than overtake any positive things one might say about him. It is possible to oppose George W. Bush without calling him the devil (Lyndon LaRouche, you might want to pay attention), just as it is possible to institute needed socialist programs in a country without turning it into a Castroesque one-person state.