What do you think of Hugo Chávez? Good guy or bad guy?

[Towlie]

I just got one of those "forward this to all your friends" emails criticizing Hugo Chávez. It calls him "one of the most dangerous dictators in our hemisphere", and claims that "if he had his wishes, he would destroy our government and our way of life." It goes on to say that he came to our country and called our president the devil while standing on American soil, and that "the highest office of our country should be respected and those who blaspheme it (Honest, that's what it says!) with such comments shouldn't be rewarded for their egregious behavior." And of course, it wants me to boycott Citgo.

So tell me, is Chávez a good guy, bad guy, or somewhere in between? Does he really qualify as a dictator? I've heard him called both a fascist and a communist, which seems contradictory to me. Is he either? How corrupt is he compared to our president? I've read that he uses his country's resources to help the poor. Is that true? I'd really like to know what the consensus is here about this man, because "I have NO idea what's going on." :)

[whathappened]

1. try this on for size

just maybe this whole thing was a set up to get all the freepers boiling mad again , maybe jr. paid him to say these things just to get his base on his side of the street again , ah well what do i no sorry for the thought

[snowbear]

2. 28 posts and your asking this... SORRY .... sounds like a set up

[Virginia Dare]

5. This is the second such post I've seen today...

somebody wondering onto DU looking for info on Hugo Chavez...kind of makes you go hmmmm.

[snowbear]

7. I wish others here would get it.. DON'T FEED THE TROLLS !!!!!!

[arcos]

3. He is not a dictator, he has been elected 3 times President 3 times...

All three times in fair and clean elections. His proposals have garnered the support of voters another 3 times, so he has won 6 elections in less than 8 years.

Personally, I think his heated rethoric is unnecessary, and I don't like his authoritarian streak, but his people want him, and he has done lots for the poorest Venezuelans. So, no, he's far from a dictator.

However, you won't find a consensus here, and you should expect this thread to become a flamefest pretty quickly.

[yurbud]

4. one news account referred to him as an "elected dictator"

He has won at least three internationally monitored elections, including a US backed recall, and survived a Bush backed coup.

Like any democratically elected leader our foreign policy establishment doesn't like, he is putting the welfare of his people ahead of padding the profits of transnational corporations.


If you want to find out why they are pissed off at him, read CONFESSIONS OF AN ECONOMIC HITMAN by John Perkins. He makes it pretty clear what happens when leaders don't play ball with the Wall Street guys.

[AX10]

True. I say to any Trolls who come around here...

that they have to accept that Chavez was democratically elected.

[Spaceman Spiff]

6. He's like any other good politician:

He tells the people what they want to hear.

[Virginia Dare]

8. I suggest the library...

that would be a good source of information so that you could make up your own mind, rather than some anonymous posters on an Internet site.

[Syncronaut Seven]

9. I want to have his children

and that's not even a biological possibility.

I do hold him in greatly higher esteem than our own little lord-pissypants.

[IndianaGreen]

10. Viva Chavez! Down with the tyrant Bush!

Torture is illegal in Venezuela!


Chavez is my hero and champion!

Bush is the scourge of mankind.

[blondeatlast]

11. What matters is your opinion. Why don't you read up and let us know what

you think?

I have an opinion, but I won't offer it to you--you need to form your own.

Especially with 28 posts...

[Reaction]

12. Neither!

He's the product of working people's reaction to American neo-liberal economic policies imposed upon S America. Unfortunately, he shuns a true international approach to solving the problem of meager wages in favor of a program of opportunistic national chauvinism (similar to the Democratic Party). He will go the way of Castro, Stalin and others before him. Talks a good game, though, and is a quite entertaining fellow.

[snowbear]

13. WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT ????????

Damn DU --- read these friggin threads before you respond!!!

Look at what "Reaction" and their 6 whole threads just said.

STOP FEEDING THESE TROLLS !!!!

[Reaction]

14. Thanks for the warm welcome

I assure you that I am not a troll. I hold democratic principles very dear. Please elaborate on what exactly it is that you object to in my analysis of Mr Chavez and I will happy to have an intelligent discussion with you. Are you a Castroist or something?

Two troll pics on a single thread. Congrats on your 1000 posts.

[Towlie]

16. I think he meant me...

I think I'm the one being accused here, Reaction. It was quite a surprise for me to come back from watching Keith Olbermann and see this.

For those who question my patriotism and love of America, I assure you that I regard the Democratic Party as conservative, the Republican party as fascist, and myself as a true liberal, just like our founding fathers. I'm asking for sincere opinions here and this is certainly not a "setup", whatever that is.

Yes, I have only a few posts here so far, but one learns by reading, not posting, and as Reaction pointed out, sheer numbers of posts mean little if they consist largely of mindless and repetitive accusations and other trite comments. I think most of the posts I've offered have enough substance to clear me of this careless and unfounded label of "troll".

So please, keep the comments coming. Thanks.

[Thickasabrick]

15. I'll bite Towlie - I think he's funny and he makes me laugh because

he's such a colorful character. I also think he's harmless and he really likes attention. He seems to have a good heart and genuinely cares about poor people (an admirable quality that sets him way above our current regime).

He is no more outrageous than shrub or darth Cheney. At least he hasn't shot anyone recently.

[The Magistrate]

17. Locking

This has become a flame-war, though it might have been an interesting and informative discussion.

It is a violation of the rukles to accuse fellow members of the forum of being trolls, infiltrators, and the like, or ostracize over post count. If you have genuine sucpicions, send us an alert.