MasterKalif
Posts: 648
Joined: 5/24/2004 Status: offline
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cyberdude has a point, but as juliaoceania pointed out "fascism" "populism" and "communism" have very old historical roots in south america....Chile had a Nazi party in 1932, which is significant...as it was before Hitler had absolute power in Germany....this is explained by strong historical ties of the Chilean army with the German military (dating back to the 1890s)...likewise, President Ibanez a semi-dictator (had fascist leanings)...in Peron's Argentina you have an absolute homegrown fascism that took power, and which even was a safehaven for nazis after WWII as well as Spanish fascists...close ties to Franco's Spain as well....same in Paraguay under Stroessner some fascist overtones (but more dictatorial in nature anyhow)...so fascism is very old and ties in with older paternalistic traditional dictatorships that preceded fascism in the region. Chavez is a clown, and while he is funny and I enjoy his anti-Bush and anti-american sentiments and have a big laugh, I don't think average middle class Venezuelans are laughing...because lets face it...with these type of disastrous regimes the poor have nothing to lose, they are already poor...at worst they stay the same...the middle class can lose much and become poor...the rich are always rich and can go to Miami or elsewhere and lose a bit, but not enough to make them poor. Chavez regime is what is known as old school socialist with communist overtones, but mostly a "populist" government...populism is what cheap governments do...promise the world, deliver little, steal much else....they are good at being inept and inefficient. Chavez is an admirer of Communist regime led by Fidel Castro, as well as the short lived regime of Salvador Allende in Chile, a populist demagogue and marxist (he declared this himself and won with only 36% of the vote), who in 3 years managed to destroy Chile's economy and bring chaos and disunity...Chavez can afford to do the same, because Venezuela is oil rich, and the state could finance a tv for every single Venezuelan if it wanted to. But mark my words, destroying checks and balances and giving him decree powers, only makes him a dictator, and now no one can counterbalance anything...he can do what he wants...and yes, the US won't be affected, but Venezuelans will...once the richest and most prosperous country in South America, now by far much impoverished compared to the 1970's. I say bring on a coup and get rid of him while Venezuela still can.
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