It’s been interesting to watch what’s been going on in Venezuela. It’s not often we get to see a socialist dictatorship emerge right before our own eyes. Today, Hugo Chavez was given the power to make laws unilaterally, so that he may “impose the dictatorship of a true democracy.” That is, a socialist “democracy”.
Just to give you an example of why I will never be elected president, I don’t see why the proper response to this isn’t to just say nothing, but to frame the noose that Saddam was hung with, and send it to Hugo, with a note attached saying:
Comrade Chavez,
Congratulations on your newfound power. I hope will will take this gift as congratulations, and as a reminder that I really do not like dictators, and those who have decided to cause trouble for us often find their lifespans severly shortened. But seriously, congratulations, destroying five decades of democratic rule in Venezuela is quite an accomplishment. Rest assured that the US stands ready to offer assistance to your country after you destroy its economy, and we’re forced to remove you from power.
Sincerely,
El Diablo
I mean, how could you resist that. Especially when you read stuff like this:
The law also allows Chavez to dictate unspecified measures to transform state institutions; reform banking, tax, insurance and financial regulations; decide on security and defense matters such as gun regulations and military organization; and “adapt” legislation to ensure “the equal distribution of wealth” as part of a new “social and economic model.”
I’ll bet Comrade Chavez is going to be making healthy use of that particular power. Remember folks, you have to disarm people before you can subjugate them. Let’s not help make it happen here too. Oh, but it gets better:
Chavez plans to reorganize regional territories and carry out reforms aimed at bringing “power to the people” through thousands of newly formed Communal Councils designed to give Venezuelans a say on spending an increasing flow of state money on projects in their neighborhoods, from public housing to potholes.
It’s good to see that Chavez has been reading his Lenin. You know what the Russian word for council is? That’s right, Soviet. If the Venezuelans know what’s good for them, they’ll put a bullet in this commie rat’s head before he can do too much damage.
But they have free health care!
Anyways, in all seriousness, this was inevitable. With falling oil prices, Chavez has little choice but to nationalize other industries with the hopes that it’ll pick up the slack to finance his promised social programs. The only way he was going to be able to do this was to wield what Monty Python described as “Supreme Executive Power”.
Of course, this nationalization effort won’t work and will only hasten Venezuela’s tumble into the precipice of poverty that eventually becomes of communist nations. One only needs to look in the direction of the USSR, Cuba, North Korea, and China until they liberalized their economy.
It’s just a downright shame that the opposition party had to pussy out and boycott the elections. But perhaps they knew the end was nigh.
I can understand why they would have boycotted elections that are rigged so you lose. But to be honest, when you have a government that won’t stand for a fair election, that’s when it’s time to start shooting people.
It’s time to start shooting people when you’ve won nearly half (hopefully more) of the population. Otherwise, your cause is screwed. If only 10% are to the point of being willing to pull the trigger or actively supporting those who do, I just don’t see how it would work.
You’re not going to see large-scale unrest or attempted rebellion by an anti-Chavez group. The people in Venezuela who are getting the squeeze by Chavez’s communist policies are businessmen, who aren’t exactly known for mounting an armed resistance. Usually, when businesspeople start getting the shaft, they do an Atlas Shrug: they stop working (i.e. stop creating wealth) or leave. Chavez is going to be in power for a long, long, long time. Venezuela is the new Cuba once Castro takes his dirt nap.
I agree it’s not likely to happen. This is a case of freedom not being taken, but willingly given away. It’s too late for the opposition now, and there’s probably nothing that will be done.
It does illustrate that democracies can convert into dictatorships, and the importance of a vigilant, and armed, if it comes down to that, citizenry. The US is in no danger of following down Venezuela’s path anytime soon, but there are those in this country who would happy trade away freedoms that would make the possibility of it happening here more likely.