Venezuelan Tyrant Threatens Opposition
It's getting harder and harder for Western socialists to defend their idol, Hugo Chavez. He is rapidly becoming just another third world Marxist dictator.
From Cuba's La Prensa Latina
Caracas, May 25 President of Venezuela Hugo Chavez warned the oligarchy of is nation that "if it dares to attack again, it will get the strongest response from the Government, the Armed Forces and the people."
In Friday s speech at an air base to present the Simon Bolivar air group of eight Russian-made Sukhoi-30 planes, Chavez reiterated that concession won't be renewed to private RCTV, the main promoter of a fierce anti-government campaign from the opposition.
He said the economic group controlling the channel has maintained a real tyranny, to the point of attacking public peace through terrorism, coup and economic sabotage.
The president particularly warned those who use "generate uneasiness within the Armed Forces" and denounced a false report on alleged surveillance of military commanders.
"I absolutely believe in the Armed Forces and all its members, and the people believe in them, love them and respect them too, because they have joined the people to defend the country's sovereignty, government, Revolution and democratic institutions," he stressed.
Chavez called on all the people to be alert to prevent any destabilizing action.
From Cuba's La Prensa Latina
Caracas, May 25 President of Venezuela Hugo Chavez warned the oligarchy of is nation that "if it dares to attack again, it will get the strongest response from the Government, the Armed Forces and the people."
In Friday s speech at an air base to present the Simon Bolivar air group of eight Russian-made Sukhoi-30 planes, Chavez reiterated that concession won't be renewed to private RCTV, the main promoter of a fierce anti-government campaign from the opposition.
He said the economic group controlling the channel has maintained a real tyranny, to the point of attacking public peace through terrorism, coup and economic sabotage.
The president particularly warned those who use "generate uneasiness within the Armed Forces" and denounced a false report on alleged surveillance of military commanders.
"I absolutely believe in the Armed Forces and all its members, and the people believe in them, love them and respect them too, because they have joined the people to defend the country's sovereignty, government, Revolution and democratic institutions," he stressed.
Chavez called on all the people to be alert to prevent any destabilizing action.
posted by Trevor Loudon at
5/26/2007 02:12:00 PM
14 Comments:
RCTV: Chavez defends the revolution
In 1992 the British government ended the licence of Thames Television, which since 1968 had broadcast to London. The government had changed the franchise rules in the 1990 Broadcasting Act, which minimised the requirement of a high quality of service, in favour of allowing bids to be decided by money alone.
There was widespread discussion at the time that the Thatcher government had been politically motivated in changing the rules specifically to enable them to end Thames's licence because of the award winning 1988 documentary, “Death on the Rock” where Thames TV exposed the British government’s murder of three Irish republican volunteers in Gibraltar in 1988.
The Thatcher government recognised that there is no such thing as free speech, and acted in their own class interests. Nevertheless, there was no international outcry about “censorship”, or claims that Thatcher was a dictator.
Thames TV’s licence had come to an end, and the government, who was responsible for issuing licences, had exercised its legal right to award the licence for the next period to a different broadcaster, Carlton.
The Venezuelan government has now decided not to renew the TV licence of the channel RCTV. It has not banned the channel; it did not even cancel their licence prematurely. They have simply exercised their right as a sovereign nation, as the British government did in 1992, not to renew a public broadcasting licence, through an entirely transparent process. Nor is this unusual, since 1969 the American Federal Communications Commission has closed three stations: WLBT-TV in Mississippi, CBS affiliate WLNS-TV in Michigan, and Trinity Broadcasting in Miami.
Nevertheless, despite acting legally, and within the international norms of a public broadcasting licensing body, the Venezuelan government are being accused of dictatorial conduct and censorship, an accusation being echoed by some of the more superficial voices on the “left”.
The question of free speech is being raised. However freedom of speech is not an abstract concept, but one rooted in social and political conditions.
Trade unions offer no right for management to speak at trade union meetings. It is even normal practice in British trade unions for management grades to be organised in different unions or at least different branches, because we seek to keep management out of meetings so that those they supervise are not intimidated by management’s point of view. These are both restrictions on an abstract freedom of speech, but are obviously unexceptional.
The RCTV channel not only encouraged and promoted a military coup in 2002 that briefly overthrew the government, but during the so-called oil strike of 2002-2003 (actually an employers' lock-out of employees who wanted to work) the station repeatedly called upon its viewers to come out into the street and help topple the government. As part of its continuing political campaign against the government, the station has also used false allegations, sometimes with gruesome and violent imagery, to convince its viewers that the government was responsible for such crimes as murders where there was no evidence of government involvement.
But RCTV has also been guilty of various financial irregularities under the Venezuelan criminal law, such as the withholding 0f six billion Bolivars of national insurance contributions.
Venezuela is a country in the middle of revolutionary change. Power is being disputed between on the one hand the radical popular movement, rooted in the workplaces and communities, and on the other hand the boss class, the corporations, and the imperialists. The Chavez government is a progressive one, that is helping to roll back the idea that there is no alternative to neo-liberalism, and is seeking to encourage and build the popular movement.
In these circumstances, the debate about freedom of speech is not an abstract one, it is a question of whether the state defends the interests of the popular movement and the working class, or whether it allows the boss class to undermine the revolution through their ownership of a tatty tabloid TV station. The question is in which class interest is the state acting, and in Venezuela the government has acted in the interests of the working class by revoking RCTV’s licence. Well done Chavez!
"The Thatcher government recognised that there is no such thing as free speech, and acted in their own class interests. Nevertheless, there was no international outcry about “censorship”, or claims that Thatcher was a dictator."
What sort of insanity is this? Now Chavez is picking on Thatcher? How about the fact that Britain, U.S. and Western Europe had societies that can freely elect their leaders? Funny how Chavez supports the societies that are quite totalitarian.
Venezuelans have freely elected Chavez in election after election, each time increasing his vote.
"Venezuelans have freely elected Chavez in election after election, each time increasing his vote."
Uh, I do not think one man can get that many votes in a real democraticly elected country. What are Venezeulans' choices? The same sort of choice the Iraqis had when Saddam used the "electoral process" to promote himself as a "legitimate" Iraqi President?
sad when right wingers cant take a beating at the polls.
Mah, I'm convinced you labour under a persecution complex - Oh, it runs deep doesn't it ?
Like in your post above where you claim Chavez is "picking" on that very bright but ultimately crazy woman, Thatcher.
You alright mate ?
Anonymous,
Do you care about Chavez now setting up a state-run radio station?
Steve, you're nothing more than a totalitarian swine to embrace the likes of Chavez who wants to Sovietize Venezuela. Can you take a hint that Thatcher was freely elected while Chavez gets to abuse his position over, and over again? Or are you also going to root for the Soviet blocs too? Do you care that Chavez is backed by totalitarian Communist Cuba under Fidel Castro who is supporting Chavez and his mini-mes?
You're nothing more than a totalitarian swine, just like anonymous.
Totalitarian swine - uneducated troll - liar - diseased of the mind - maori - filthy commie - soviet bloc lover - sad (12 times consecutively remember ?):
These are just some of the labels which in the name of "debate" you and your armchair generals in your tatty NY digs have attached to me in recent months.
The stirring spectacle of brigades of battle-ready tin soldiers saluting their generals hard out like screeching, unconfigured cuckoo clocks. "Mein Fuhrer, Mein Fuhrer - Cuckoo Cuckoo !"
Not that I mind. Your wild-eyed fulsomeness proves my point really. But then you go all pathetic and limp and start snivelling that I'm a "bully".
Let's have some mature balance here Mah. I'm sure you're older than 14 - there's the defninte smell of TCM about you.
All I've ever called you is a fanatic, a fascist, and a Holocaust Nazi. And a protagonist for IDF: 10 Palestinians: 1 of course. Well, I might've been a litle harsh about President Maxwell (The Chickenhawk) Smart and Fetid Rummy....but that's OK.
C'mon Man, be fair. Lighten up !
"Well, I might've been a litle harsh about President Maxwell (The Chickenhawk) Smart and Fetid Rummy....but that's OK."
You should be the one to lighten up, because you are the one who is supporting the totalitarian Hugo Chavez who shouldn't have to shy away from receiving support from the likes of the Communist dictator-Fidel Castro.
How does it feel to support someone who gets rid of a privately owned station, but then supports a state-run station where journalists have to obey Chavez and Chavez isn't just friendly toward Castro, but also to the Zimbabwean Marxist dictator-Robert Mugabe?
If there is anyone who is a fanatic, fascist and a holocaust Nazi, it's you who supports the totalitarianism of Hugo Chavez and his friendliness toward other dictators like Castro and Mugabe.
I know, I know Mah. The situation is really dire.
I mean, just the other day I saw Mickey nicking some blintzes from Minnie's larder, or was it Lada ?
Must be that frontman spot he's got on that Palestinian TV show. Fux News I think they call it. Anyway, he's been quite above himself since then.
Stardom does that to people though, doesn't it ? You've been a bit unbearable yourself since that "Mission Accomplished" weekend on the carrier off Longbeach. With your Uncle Maxwell. You gotta watch the company you keep Mah.....
You don't want a bad name in the 'hood do you ?
"Stardom does that to people though, doesn't it ? You've been a bit unbearable yourself since that "Mission Accomplished" weekend on the carrier off Longbeach. With your Uncle Maxwell. You gotta watch the company you keep Mah....."
Knock off the abuse. You don't give a damn about the sort of carnage the terrorist insurgency in Iraq is unleashing against the Iraqi people do you Steve? Or are you just going to call the U.S. President a "chickenhawk" and other sort of names, while real chickenhawks are blowing themselves up in Iraq against Iraqis whose only crimes were to just attempt to live their daily lives?
You didn't care about the Iraqis, like you didn't care about the Vietnamese, Laoses or Cambodians under the brutal Communist dictatorships that rose once U.S. forces left the region. Do you also care Steve about Osama bin Laden, his al-Qaeda and Taliban friends returning to power in Afghanistan once U.S. forces leave Iraq?
was thames television private or taxpayer funded?
Oooo godwins law invoked ! Wonder if it counts when its only a joke ?
I'm enjoying the style of Steve's writing, very joycean.
Having a lot of trouble with Chavez myself, see the post on the TV station. Though all the elections stats on him check out, so he was democratically elected. What he's done since then worries me a bit. See above
"was thames television private or taxpayer funded?"
Do you care that Chavez's new state-run station is owned by the government and now journalists have to obey what Chavez states? Or are you just going to find some ways to justify Chavez's grasp of totalitarianism?
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