I admit Chavez’s Venezuela isn’t exactly a model of liberal democracy, but surely there’s something else more appropriate to bash. Holding a referendum on whether the people will assent to a constitutional referendum doesn’t seem like very autocratic behaviour to me. I’ve expressed that position in my own blog post on the subject, here.

Much of the poor don’t have running water either. You could say that other dictators did a lot of good for their countries… I do know the autobahn in Germany is pretty good

I suggest you stop being an apologist and read a little about the impending disaster in Venezuela.

Benjamin Tucker

“Well that’s the thing PhilBest, Venezuela has no similarity whatsoever to NZ’s history or culture and their people have made this stage of their nations development possible. It’s simply not as easy as adopting the position that all countries everywhere should be democracies.”

That moves the debate over, then, to what totalitarian rule is the best. Given the various track records in South America, the improvement in the economy and the standards of living, etc, do you think August Pinochet was OK? And why would you think Castro preferable, and why would you regard Chavez as likely to do better for Venezuelans than Castro has done for the Cubans? (Why would you regard either as doing any good at all?)

There once was. Today, the kiwi psyche is more closely tailored to the global socialist psyche. A dull conformity of thought and apathetic resignation to the idea that we need big government and the bigger the better.

…and you know the really sad part?

They don’t even know it.

I hold no brief for Chavez. I think he is as rabid as the Iranian looney, but he has not become president for life.

[DPF: Not yet, but term limits are vital when you have an executive President with strong powers. Our PMs have relatively limited powers]

I said exactly the same, the lefties have said nothing about it. The Standard have for once kept their mouths shut.

Says a lot about them doesn’t it?

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see some parallels with what had been happening here – EFA, State funding, political influence on state sector employees etc. Thank God NZ came to its senses and tossed our socialists out!

This time the he’s against the US; so, fingers crossed, his faith will be the same, i.e., assasinated by political enemies.

Chavez is a disgrace to the continent and his country, in particular. His behaviour at several international meetings has been incredibly rude, if not childish and obnoxious. Given his background, he was an Army Colonel, he fits very well the mold of the typical Latin American “gorila”.

Chavez has banned much of the private media and orchestrated a “coup” attempt against him by “American interests” a couple days before the vote, widely covered by state media – in an attempt to scare voters into voting for him. The country is heading down a slippery path and I reckon that with this vote going this way, the only way the people will excape it is by a revolution within the next ten years.

Remember, Chavez was always going to hold these referendums until he got the result that he wanted.