New Yorkers for Chavez
Anyone else feel like Hugo Chavez is getting a bad rap?
Andrew Friedman of the Drum Major Institute comes to the defense of the Venezuelan leader, who was called "a barbarian" by Governor George Pataki and "a thug" by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.
"What, precisely, is thuggish or barbarian about him? Leftist politics or provocative rhetoric do not make a thug. A thug is a thief or a bully. And, in fact, it was the gentile upper class in Venezuela, Chavez's opponents and America's steadfast allies, that tried to steal the presidency from President Chavez by force."
-- Azi Paybarah
I'm still trying to figure out what he said that was untrue, over the top and out of line in terms of rhetoric when compared to the religious, war mongering fanaticism of Bush ? US history in Latin America is repeating itself in the Middle East.
Did the Drum Major Institute's Board of Directors approve Friedman's statement?
I think he meant genteel.
Maybe one could call him undiplomatic, but he certainly called a spade a spade. Everything he said about Bush was true. Sorry if it upset any national Democrats.
It's pathetic that it took someone from another country to articulate what the Democrats should have been saying for years.
Its "gentile" in Italian. This is all NYC stuff, we can take a little give and take, so Chavez just comes off as giving and taking. But Bush's poll numbers went up after the exchange so it could be that the bible belt will rally around our guy when he is challenged by a foreigner. A lot like how his poll numbers came up after people hit the streets in NY to protest his administration's policies. NYC is hated in the rest of the country 911 or no.
chavez was democratically elected and receives the overwhelming support of the poor and working class in venezuela. he manipulated the constitution to allow for two successive six year terms (not including the two he had already served at the time of the constitutional amendment). about 30 or 40 percent of the venezuelan people hate him but he has popular support. one criticism of chavez in venezuela is that there is no reason he should try to help foreign poor communities when there are plenty of poor people in his own country that need help. people in the south bronx are relatively well off compared to the venezuelan poor. his downfall will be his big mouth and desire to make sensational remarks to garner press and somewhat of a following in latin america. aligning himself with iran and constant criticism of israel will cost him dearly. most latin american presidents think he is a fool, but a fool with plenty of oil to throw around.
andrew freidman and the other organization he works for, make the road by walking, has had a history of employing folks that are communist sympathizers who think poor people cannot think for themselves and big brother needs to intervene.
hugo chavez is an exemplary leader and a true revolutionary. just because he didn't stick to the hyper sensitive and politically correct vernacular of u.s. politicians in no way implies anything barbaric. in fact, he probabaly knew how much backlash he would receive for his comments and he still proceeded to say something funny and painfully true. which is why it hit so hard and why everyone was up in arms. maybe they should have paid attention to the message not the language. because sometimes beating around the bush doesn't get the point across quite as well.
"But Bush's poll numbers went up"
Nicolo, Bush's poll numbers are around 40% give or take a few points. 40% equals failure in NY and in the other 49 states as house republicans are about to find out. How shameful is it that a third world country has to provide heating subsidies for poor people in America. Forcing big oil companies to fork over some of their profits to social causes isn't such a bad thing, we ought to try it here in America. The only Venezuelans unhappy about Chavez are the wealthy Venezuelans who are probably more to blame for poverty in that country than anyone else.
They didn't have to provide anything to us. No one was going cold. Don't confuse lefty public relations with an actual attempt to help anyone.
what is this. the daily worker. you people have no class, just like the dictator Chavez.
"They didn't have to provide anything to us. No one was going cold."
Obviously you are completely clueless about the lives of poor NY'ers and the poor in America.
Chavez helped get the Bible Belt to rally around Bush? How about the crackpot tinpot getting *Charlie Rangel* to rally around Bush? As for this "Chavez spoke the truth" crap -- he told the U.N. General Assembly that Bush was the devil, and that the podium still reeked of sulfur, for chrissakes! Aren't we rational liberals supposed to be secularists? Or have the Drum Major whackos gone so far off the deep left end that *they're* now the ones spouting fire-and-brimstone rhetoric about Bush? How embarrassing. "Gentile" upper class, indeed -- and which one of you Stalinist nincompoops summed up Chavez with the unfortunate reference to "calling a spade a spade"? Good God, people, think a little before you blather on -- at least in print!
Bush claims he talks to Jesus and the he's on orders from his God (like Limbaugh) don't you find that highly offensive?
i spent the greater part of my childhood in venezuela and visits frequently, i must say that that venezuelans were tired of the do nothing pre-chavez two party system. this 2 party system only catered to the rich. the arrival of chavez was received with some hope, but in my humble opinion (that differs from 50% of my family)he has been a disaster. the infrastructure is crumbling, the poor are just waiting for handouts from the "revolution" like houses and paid party positions, and an overabundance of residents living in sub-standard housing in overcroweded caracas where 35% of the population lives. what gives chavez leverage is oil money. nothing more. since nationalizing oil refineries, he has turned into the latin american santa claus bearing gifts of oil to all who asks. one comment stated that the rich are the cause for the poverty in venezuela that is partially true but just like in the rest of latin america, the electorate gets more excited about politics than the administration of government. that must change. overall, i view chavez as an embarassment who has the support of about 60% of the population.