Chavez seeks power to rule by decree for 1 year

[robcon]

Source: Yahoo (AP)

CARACAS, Venezuela – Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Tuesday asked congress to grant him special powers to enact laws by decree for one year, just before a new legislature takes office with a larger contingent of opposition lawmakers. The measure would give the president the ability to bypass the National Assembly for the fourth time since he was first elected almost 12 years ago.

Vice President Elias Jaua made the request on Chavez's behalf, saying the president will use the authorization to ensure fast-track approval of laws aimed at helping the nation recover from severe flooding and mudslides that left thousands homeless and in government shelters.

"The measures we have to take are deep. Almost 40 percent of the country was affected" by the heavy rains, Jaua said.

It is expected to win easy approval in the outgoing legislature dominated by Chavez allies. Chavez's opponents accuse him of using the natural disaster to impose socialist-inspired measures and undermine the power of newly elected opposition lawmakers.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101214/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_venezuela_chavez

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Chavez and Chavezistas are natural dictators. His supporters don't want democracy in Venezuela, IMO

[nxylas]

1. "His supporters don't want democracy in Venezuela"

And I suppose you believe his opponents do.

[notesdev]

3. if you wanted democracy...

... would you support a guy who wants to rule by decree?

[EFerrari]

2. When was the last time a dictator asked for anything.

[Creative]

4. "...in February 1933 and Hitler asks for emergency powers to catch those responsible."

Hitler was swept to power with 44 percent of the vote and coerced the remaining minor parties to give him the two-thirds majority for his Enabling Act which gave him the right to rule by decree...

[bitchkitty]

7. LMAO - you're not really "Creative" are you?

Even posting a picture of Hitler to illustrate your point.

They really should train you guys better!

[Donald Ian Rankin]

9. It was a reasonable answer to the question asked. N.T.

[EFerrari]

18. Every democracy has some kind of provision for natural disasters

but unfortunately they don't have one for goofiness.

I have to say, Hugo Chavez must be the most incompetent dictator ever because they have due process of law, regular elections and a strong opposition that we help fund here, to the tune of millions, from the States.

Why the people of Venezuela keep re-electing this incompetent is beyond me. :)

[social_critic]

23. Slate of laws being rushed through lame duck congress unrelated to natural disaster

Venezuela has had serious flooding and about 0.5 % of the population has been impacted. The government doesn't need a slate of laws to control the media, control the internet, have the president rule by decree, and so on, just because some people got flooded.

It's a pity to see the chaos in Congress, passing law after law before they have to leave office, and creating the conditions for a very inefficient system, because the Venezuelans seemed to have been headed towards a quality socialist government, but what is emerging isn't going to pan out.

[Creative]

21. Well, I figured that since Chavez's supporters worship at the alter of militaristic style dictators,

the least I could do was to provide you the thrill of seeing your leaders in their uniforms.

[Demstud]

32. Didn't need to be

It's was an easy question to answer :-P

[Gabi Hayes]

40. HEY! Baby! where you been?

check your PMs

aren't these threads fun?

[bitchkitty]

42. SWEETIE!!!!!

Calling you today...

[EFerrari]

8. LMAO

[leftstreet]

15. LOL That's the earliest in a thread I've ever seen a Chavez/Hitler fail

[Occam Bandage]

17. It's hardly a "fail." A question was asked; a correct answer was delivered.

The only "fail" was the rhetorical question preceding the Hitler remark.

[Creative]

22. Well, he asked...and although his idols are just small time thugs,

I figured he deserved an honest answer.

For those who are thrilled by the site of men in uniforms, here's another:

[Recursion]

29. How is it a fail? The question was, when have dictators ever asked for their powers

And the example given was Hitler. Napoleon and Julius Caesar would have worked too.

[The Straight Story]

5. Reminds me of Star Wars

:)

[Dr. Strange]

6. Who's Jar Jar Binks?

Wait, don't answer that.

[Odin2005]

10. AP = Lies.

[Matilda]

11. It's the same as granting emergency powers in the wake of any national disaster

in other democracies. He must still work within the framework of the Constitution, and is still held accountable to the Judiciary and the National Assembly. Both these bodies have the right to call a halt to anything he might do if they think it's not constitutional.

He's done it before and didn't cross the line, and this is an emergency for Venezuela.

[social_critic]

24. Sorry Matilda, but that's not the way it is

None of the comments you make are true. Maybe you should research the actual conditions in Venezuela, because you do sound very disconnected from reality. The emergency doesn't require control of the internet and press, for example. And the executive already has the resources within existing law to take care of people who lost their homes in a flood. The floods are just an excuse.

[Matilda]

38. It is exactly as I said.

The decree is the same that was granted to him for 18 months in 2007, and according to the Venezuelan Constitution it provides that:

"Chavez has not been granted the right to decree whatever he chooses. He remains bound by the limits of the constitution, and the Supreme Court has the power to rule on whether any law passed by Chavez violates the constitution. The National Assembly retains the right to modify or repeal any law Chavez decrees."

http://www.greenleft.org.au/node/36971

This new law is framed under the same terms and conditions of the 2007 law, and will come into effect only if passed by the democratically elected National Assembly. This does not constitute a dictatorship. However much you might like to think it does, the reality is otherwise - Chavez will be able to rule by decreee for a limited time only, and within the framework of the Constitution.

[Nye Bevan]

31. OK. So if George W Bush had done the same thing in the wake of 9/11, that would have been just fine

and dandy, right?

[social_critic]

35. Bush was bad but we do have a Constitution

The Supreme Court has already ruled on this matter, a branch of government can not delegate its responsibility to one of the other branches. This is why the line item veto was tossed out. The way our spineless Congress has behaved in the past, I wouldn't put it past them to just crawl home after giving power to a President, but the Supreme Court has the balls to stop that move.

[Matilda]

37. Many of us wouldn't have liked it,

but it wouldn't have been illegal.

[apocalypsehow]

12. Chavez is Mussolini-lite, and without even the snazzy uniform. Rec. n/t.

[Bucky]

14. You rec plus my rec brings the thread's grand total to.... plus one rec

[apocalypsehow]

16. For now: I expect the OP to get the full UnRec treatment shortly. Rallying the troops, all that. nt

[devilgrrl]

13. What an evil f***!

:boring:

[immoderate]

19. Follow the money.

As the result of all transactions, does the money move up the chain or down the chain? So far as I can tell people of Venezuela are better off from Chavez.

--imm

[phleshdef]

20. Ah, so THIS is what people mean when they say Obama needs to "lead".

I guess as long as you ask nicely to be excused from participating in a Democratic separation of powers, you aren't a dictator.

[FLPanhandle]

25. I'm still amazed at the hypocrisy of "liberals" that support such a move.

Imagine if Bush wanted to do that after Katrina.

[social_critic]

26. They are not "liberals", I think

I'm a real liberal, and I have seen some really outlandish comments coming from that side. Some of them are more into personality worship, some seem to be so radical they advocate violence, and some are just confused, remind me of the two chicks in Rommy and Michelle.

I like to say, why can't we all learn to get along? But it just doesn't seem to work.

I'm starting to feel like a leaf floating in the air, completely powerless to control where I go. I see so many dark forces, irresponsible politicians, ignorant people, and intolerance...it's as if I were in the Days of the Comet. Why can't we just sit down and talk without hitting each other over the head with the nearest blunt object?

[seabeyond]

27. isnt it funny. been watching for years on du. nt

[Recursion]

28. I remember a couple of years ago saying this would happen

And having the Hugo Brigade jump all over me.

[social_critic]

30. Some people must be disappointed to see the way things are turning out

I imagine they must be disappointed. I know I am. They could have been contenders.

[Nye Bevan]

33. I think the Chavez lovers are finally starting to realize the truth about their hero

Not many have shown up in this thread and the ones that have are pretty half-hearted in their defense of him.

[robcon]

34. It's cognitive dissonance. Hugo's supporters don't want to see his dictatorial grab.

They like democracy. But they see that Chavez is no democrat - in fact he's a dictator. (Could the definition of a dictator be any clearer than someone who wants to rule by decree?)

So they refuse to see him as a Castro-worshiping dictator.

[HuckleB]

39. I don't know about that.

I suspect they're still in lock step. What's funny is watching some of them accuse Obama supporters of being blind.

[NaturalHigh]

36. I can't say that I'm surprised.

I've never liked Chavez. He's an egotistic, histrionic dictator.

[Cerridwen]

41. You know this is the 4th time he's been given this power, right? (edited)

You know that he's not the first President of Venezuela to be given this power, right?

You know that he's used the authority granted him under the Enabling Act twice before and didn't declare himself dictator, right?

You do realize that President Obama is frequently called some horrific names and accused of heinous intentions by *our* opposition parties, too? See for example anything out of the mouths of republicans and tea baggers.

You do know that our press in the US is a little less than un-biased when reporting, right?

Do you have handy the list of areas in which he is allowed to legislate? And you're also aware that anything he "Decrees" must be evaluated by the Venezuelan Supreme Court, right?

I swear the only difference between his opposition parties and ours is English versus Spanish.

[Odin2005]

43. Note to Chavez haters, this is an emergency measure because of the flooding...

...they have been having. There is nothing sinister about this.