Chavez and the Referendum

I have to admit that I was not following this event closely and, depending on where you got your information, it was either a set of very sensible reforms or mad grab at power. That said, Chavez has once again shown that he respects the democratic process as well as the rule of law. Musharraf didn't ask before seizing undemocratic powers, Putin seems to have rigged the most recent vote in Russia, and a host of US clients in the Middle East would be terrified by free and fair elections.

Yet if you watch what comes out of Washington and sympathetic press organs, Chavez is constantly cast in a much worse light than any of the others I mentioned. The way that Bush defends Musharraf in particular makes me think that Pervez is his abusive husband - it's sad because no one believes but you get the sense that Bush clings to his fantasy of Musharraf the democratic leader. My instincts these days leave me very suspicious at any increase in centralized executive powers, but I feel confident that if Venezuela does give Chavez more power, it will be a fair, democratic decision.

Et tu, Hugo?

There's something about Hugo Chavez that makes him a guilty pleasure. His speech at the UN that got all those Bushie noses out of joint? Classic. I like that he's serious about sharing Venezuela's oil wealth around a bit. That's something that I highly doubt his opponents would do. The alternative to him is very likely another Latin America oligarchy.

That said, I was more than a little concerned about Chavez's latest shut down of opposition media outlets. Larry Gambone posts a rebuttal on the topic in Sisyphus' comments section. I understand where Larry is coming from but I'm still leery of this new authoritarian lurch from Chavez.