Is Hugo Chavez a dictator?

[Massacure]

So the new semester started for me today, and my Government and Economy teacher made a remark about oil prices as well as "Hugo Chavez is a nice little dictator in Venezuela." But I recall some elections some time back. Were the elections fair, or is my teacher just stupid?

[AX10]

1. President.

Your government and economy "teacher" :eyes: is an ass who should be banned from "teaching".

[phusion]

2. Answer to your questions: Yes and Yes

The elections were fair and your teacher is stupid. :)

[MrMonk]

8. Chavez's government also survived a coup attempt.

Chavez is definitely a strong executive, and is not shy about exercizing his power, but he is by no means a dictator.

[phusion]

12. True...

Have you ever seen "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised"? It has footage of the coup...Awesome documentary.

[Swamp Rat]

3. Compared to what we have Chavez is a lovable muppet.

[rwenos]

15. Let's Not Kid Ourselves

There are PLENTY of ways to rig elections. Just set them on a day when all the little people have to work in the fields. And then there's Stalin's deathless line: "Who votes does not matter. Who counts the vote . . . that matters."

There's no payoff for the Democratic Party to defend Chavez, other than for the same reason the Pub's have to lick his boots - O-I-L.

Chavez started out as a populist, but he's looking like a dictator nowawadays.

[phusion]

18. Yea, rig elections when the "little people" have to work in the fields

That would REALLY benefit Chavez. :sarcasm:

I see the protests against Chavez...They all look like Freepers to me. And they are very WHITE.

[Cha]

26. And very Rich and want to keep

it that way..they're scared shitless they're going to lose one bolivar!

[rwenos]

30. OK, But Do You Really Think . . .

The elites will end up resisting Chavez? The history of strongmen in Latin America is the history of co-opting the oligarchy.

[Solon]

41. Do you call "arresting" him and overthrowing his government...

in addition to sending the police after protesters of the coup (killing quite a few) as resisting?

[1932]

47. the anti-Chavez coup plotters supsended the Constitutions too

and dissolved the legislature.

[1932]

48. the anti-Chavez coup plotters supsended the Constitutions too

and dissolved the legislature.

[Swamp Rat]

24. Buena suerte.

[w13rd0]

25. "Just set them on a day when all the little people have..."

...have to work in the fields."

Um, the "little field worker people" are the ones that overwhelmingly support Chavez.

[Cha]

23. "A loveable muppet"!

LOL! I think Chavez is a loveable muppet, anyway!

[MisterP]

28. that was quick, Swamp Rat!

and the original was bad enough!

[rman]

43. best leader of a nation this planet has seen on a long time,

hands down.

[IChing]

57. But I like our bucket of LARD, not.

and all our little piggies in their starched white shirts.

Chevez is a leader for many of the world's repressed and unrepresented that are against Neo-liberalism and the "great free trade lie".

[LittleClarkie]

55. Even so, at least physically, he reminds me of this dude

I suppose he's democratic enough. A bit heavy handed, perhaps, and with that attempted coup on his resume. But the Carter Center did certify 1998 and 2004 (but not 2000, due to unconstitutionally early elections, and non-transparency). But just so long as he's producing results for his people, the US shouldn't have alot to say (but probably will anyway, knowing Bush and Company.

[jpgray]

4. Don't forget the internationally monitored recall effort that failed

Whatever you think of Chavez, he is democratically elected by our own professed standards.

[BushOut06]

7. Ironic, isn't it?

Not too long ago, it was the elections in Central & South America that were crooked and rigged. My, how times have changed.

[Cha]

29. The pendulum Schwings!

I can't wait for our Faaaaaaaaar right penulum to Swing back the other way!

[Fenris]

10. Indeedy.

He's managed to be elected even after attempting a coup. That's like super-Bonapartism! :D

[jpgray]

19. Cornyn thinks Bonapartism is belief in the mysticism surrounding this:

[Fenris]

34. On a bonaparte is worthless if you get the short end.

[Fenris]

5. He's certainly a strongman, but he's a legitimately elected strongman

[MrMonk]

22. A predictable riposte:

"So was Hitler." Actually, Hitler was not elected, he was appointed after the Nazis and similarly minded groups took control of the parliament. (I don't think that Mussolini was elected, either. I doubt that any of the notorious dictators of the past century actually were elected.) Rather than arguing that, I would just challenge him/her (nicely) to tell you precisely what similarities he/she sees between Hitler and Chavez.

[Deja Q]

6. Hussein was a president too. Some refer to the leader of CHINA as pres.

Doesn't make them nice people either.

[TomClash]

11. He hasn't caused the deaths of 30,000 civilians either

Unlike some people.

[IDemo]

9. Hugo es un presidente. Tu maestra es una idiota

[Cha]

31. Si, es Verdad!

:toast:

[DrDebug]

13. Less inconsistencies than the 2004 elections

Even if there was some fraud there was significantly less fraud than with the election of George Bush. Hugo Chavez is a president who was elected democratically and your teacher is stupid.

[Divernan]

14. Chavez not even on the list of dictators published last Sunday in Parade

magazine. That's a pretty conservative publication - I'd say your "teacher" is extremely biased and unprofessional. Those type of teachers are also extremely threatened by any student who challenges them or argues with them or corrects them. They'll get back at you with their grading. So just send him some factual material anonymously; or leave a stack of copies in the classroom for the other students - but seriously, anonymously. Alternatively, keep a diary of his blatantly incorrect statements, and at the end of the semester, turn it into his dept. chairman AND the dean's office. If you have to take additional classes in that dept., make that anonymous also.

[Massacure]

21. Dean? I'm in high school not college.

I'm not sure who the department chair is, but I'll turn it into the principal.

[Cha]

32. Thank you for being an

activist in high school, Massacure!

[phusion]

16. You might want to ask your teacher

if he/she is aware of the oil/gas breaks that the "nice little dictator" has supplied to the poor of this country?

Then ask if Bush would ever do something like that for his own citizens, let alone another country?

[Nutmegger]

35. The Bush cabal...

would never think of doing that in a million years!! This is an embarrassment to the United States. We have a nation that, regardless of motives, gives discounted fuel...that's so sad!

Cheers!

[Endangered Specie]

17. Id like to vote other:

-suspiciously 'popular' president-

Sorry, I know he seems to be pretty good, but I will always remain skepitcal of someone who wins elections by such vast majorities... Power corrupts.


(just remember the names of famous dictators who were once elected)

[MrMonk]

27. I don't remember any.

I remember some who were appointed, and some who seized power, but none who assumed power by direct election.

[Catrina]

37. The Venezuela election was declared one of the cleanest

possible by all international agencies that monitor them. Including Carter. Some disgruntled rightwingers from the wealthy, ruling elite, claimed it was not. The votes were recounted and again monitored with the same results.

Chavez is NOT a dictator. He remains very popular with the people of Venezuela who elected him. International organizations that record progress in countries, have stated that Venezuela has reduced poverty and illiteracy by huge percentages since Chavez was elected. This is what he promised he would do. He is using Venezuela's oil revenues to benefit his own people. That's why the oil cartels hate him. They wanted to continue to rape Venezuela while the people continued to live in abject poverty.

[rman]

44. For a president to be truly popular is very simple

All you've got to do is truly represent the interests of the people.

But if you do you run the risk of a coup or assassination.

[oasis]

20. Chavez was elected by popular vote and Venezuelans are glad for it.

[mom cat]

33. Chaves is not a dictator,but Bush wants to be one.

[NI4NI]

36. Venezuelan elections were monitored

and sanctioned by at least 3 separate international groups; Jimmy Carter's group was one of them. And BTW, ask your teacher to name every dictator who has made free medical care available for citizens too poor to afford it.
Your teacher it seems is obviously a Republican. Chavez is a strongman not a bully.

[Nutmegger]

38. This is from Wiki

Chávez went on to win the Carter Center-endorsed 1998 presidential election on December 6, 1998 with 56.2% of the vote (Guillermoprieto 2005).

~~snip~~

Chávez thus campaigned on an anti-corruption and anti-poverty platform, while pledging to dismantle puntofijismo, the traditional two-party patronage system (Guillermoprieto 2005).

~~snip~~

No offense but your professor sounds like a freeper nutjob. I had one of those last year and had to show him the books.

HOWEVER, I find reports such as this a bit disturbing.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, who says he is leading a socialist revolution for the poor in his country, has teamed with allies in Congress to undermine the country's judiciary and limit press freedoms, Human Rights Watch said on Wednesday.

Absolute power corrupts absolutly...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugo_Chavez

[1932]

50. I've seen a lot that undermines HRW's credibility in SouthAm, and a

lot of it is in a recent thread here at DU.

[Nutmegger]

51. I'll have to do a search

I really don't know that much about the HRW; thanks for the heads up!

Cheers!

[datadiva]

39. I'm not sure but,

I also believe he is the best thing to happen to his country. He is a better president than *smirky

[leesa]

40. Why is this stupid question posted here? How many times does this guy hav

to win a popular election??

[rman]

45. Because the MSM don't tell,

or if they do tell they spin. And hardly anyone is paying attention anyway.

Though one would think DU-ers would know by now.

[LittleClarkie]

42. 2004, according to Carter Center, was legit. 2000, on the other hand,

the Carter Center, according to Wikipedia, couldn't certify, due to unconstitutionally early elections, and non-transparency.

[1932]

46. Where do you go to school?

[Massacure]

52. Some place within Wisconsin's eighth congressional district.

[LittleClarkie]

53. Howdy! I'm WI-5 meself

How red is YOUR district? Mine is quite red, but getting bluer if I have my way.

[Massacure]

54. I hope the door hits Green on the way out.

[LittleClarkie]

56. My favorite pub just had a fundraiser for him for Governor

So, the door may hit him on the way out of WI-8, but I hope we ALL don't end up with either him or Walker.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, I'm trying my damnedest to get rid of Sensenbrenner. We may have a chance.

[samhsarah]

49. Ask your teacher how many dictators are elected.

[jonnyblitz]

58. any leader that doesn't let the US come and a take advantage

of their cheap labor and resources (especially if there is oil involved) is an eevill communist dictator and has to go. I am sure the CIA and "School of the America's" types are trying their damndest to figure out how to get rid of him

and besides FOX news tells us he is a dictator...

[Orangepeel]

59. The Carter Center said they were fair

farcically, some people in this country (mostly on the right) claim that the elections in Venezuela were NOT fair because of electronic voting fraud, as evidenced by the fact that the exit polls were wrong.

[TankLV]

60. Of course not. And ANYONE who insists on repeating this crap is an idiot.

Or worse and not worth giving any attention to.

PERIOD.