Hugo Chavez has for the fourth time been invested with essentially dictatorial powers by the Venezuelan National Assembly, this time for 18 months, yet more evidence of the truth of Spengler’s observation that “Socialism is not a system of compassion, humanity, peace and kindly care, but one of will-to-power. Any other reading of it is illusory.”
– Michael Knox Beran is author of the new book, Pathology of the Elites.
Not clear to me how Chavez's decretal authority stacks up against US president's executive order authority.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIf Chavez was just a dictator he could be a real problem for us. Since he has decided to be a socialist dictator, not so much. His country can soon look forward to all the success socialism has historicly enjoyed and we can watch as he is celebrated by the populace in the manner of Nicolae Ceauşescu.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI can imagine Barack Obama looking up from his newspaper, having just finished reading this story, and hitting himself in the forehead with the palm of his hand (a good solid whap! too) and exclaiming:
"Argh! Now *that's* what I should have had those idiots Reid and Pelosi ram through Congress for me!"
Okay, okay, maybe not exactly those words (and I seriously doubt he'd risk damaging that pretty face), but you know similar thoughts cross this one's mind on a fairly regular basis. Hey, Tom Friedman would endorse such a move, yes?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI think that we came a lot closer (to heavy-handed authoritarian government)than most people realize, and that we are not out of the woods yet.
Nothing as crude as the Hugo Chavez approach of course; but look at the left's refusal to enforce laws they dislike (border control, for instance), the use of activist courts and public intimidation to nullify conservative victories (California), the widespread voter fraud in left-controlled areas, and the parliamentary chicanery used to pass recent legislation in the face of widespread popular opposition.
One difference between the two countries (not necessarily a good one) is that in America, the elites seemed to have formed an unholy alliance with the poor to further both sets of aims at the expense of middle-class economic well-being and values.
I do seem to recall, as well, that the Obama administration took the side of the hard left in both Honduras and Bolivia.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIn case anyone still thinks there is a substantive difference between right-socialism (fascism/national socialism) and left-socialism (communism), is there any difference with what Chavez has and this? External Link
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse