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Scrat;1135926 wrote: I guess Hugo Chavez won in his battle against term limits. I like most of the things he did for Venezuela but I don't think this is right. He should at some point be expected to step down and let someone else do the job.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/16/world ... ml?_r=1&hp


Yes, all too predictable I am afraid. Another populist South American dictator.

It seems to be a eternal problem in the politics of many South American countries that they fall prey to populist dictatorships and Caesarism.

Oh well, another benevolent dictator who will no doubt at some point destroy his country. I am thinking of people like Mugabe, Amin, and Papa Doc Duvalier, and these kinda guys who start out being interesting and promising so much, but can't seem to understand that their fate and the fate of their nation's are not the same thing.

Galbally;1135966 wrote: Yes, all too predictable I am afraid. Another populist South American dictator. Would you like to justify that? He's now allowed to offer himself for re-election in 2012, he still has to win the popular vote in order to continue in office. That's a far cry from dictatorship, populist or otherwise. There's no restraint on UK prime ministers seeking re-election, for example.

spot;1135977 wrote: Would you like to justify that? He's now allowed to offer himself for re-election in 2012, he still has to win the popular vote in order to continue in office. That's a far cry from dictatorship, populist or otherwise. There's no restraint on UK prime ministers seeking re-election, for example.


I know, I know, your right he is not a dictator yet. I should have rephrased that. He just exhibits all the signs of someone heading that way.

Look, he is an interesting guy, he has done some interesting things, and I think mostly he is well intentioned, he also has flair, and is brilliantly able to wind up the yanks (which given what happened to Alende may not always be so wise), but I dunno, its all going a bit Putinesque down Venezula way if you ask me.

As for the UK thing, well technically you live in a Parliamentary Dictatorship anyway, your just lucky that as an institution Parliment allows democratic elections every so often for you to elect its members. So maybe your right, you lot are in no position to lecture anyone about dictatorship, though to be fair now, despite the constitutional oddity of the British systsm, it does actually work for the most part, unlike a lot of other, more straightforward systems.

If he succeeds in achieving as much as the Cuban Revolution has achieved then he can justifiably feel his contribution has been worthwhile. I hope he manages it.

I'm dubious about this too.

We'll see.

btw, what is this unholy interest spot takes in dictators? Stalin's a pin-up boy for him as well!

(Clodhopper considers the possible decor of spot's house that this brings to mind...)

Clodhopper;1136257 wrote: I'm dubious about this too.

We'll see.

btw, what is this unholy interest spot takes in dictators? Stalin's a pin-up boy for him as well!

(Clodhopper considers the possible decor of spot's house that this brings to mind...)


Its just his way.

Clodhopper, what's your unholy interest in ignoring the blood at the feet of the dictators and presidents/kings of the west?


What makes you think I do? Crikey, human history is painted in blood! Fortunately there are redeeming feature to go along with all the pain. But dictators such as you've mentioned are people of the modern era responsible for truly spectacular amounts of human suffering and death. The Putins and the like aren't quite in the same category.