Ok, this is getting old...
Another day, another Pat Robertson story. Ok, my blog is turning into a 24 hours Pat watch - so be it. This morning a new story involving the pious Virginia Beach preacher - but this time he's not pimping diet shakes, instead he's on air calling for the assassination of Venezuela's democratically elected President, Hugo Chavez. How Christian of him.
I'm not a Latin American geopolitical expert, but I have been to Venezuela, and know a bit about the Country. My assessment is that for the most part Chavez is a nut and an agitator, but he is democratically elected - and Chavez has attempted to address the extreme poverty that exists in his nation. Thus, endearing him to the millions of impoverished Venezuelans.
Chavez knows that "drumming up" anti-American sentiments within his Country is a cheap and easy way to score with some, thus this is likely why he is so hostile towards Washington. Not to mention that in 2002 Bush and company were suspected of engineering the one day coup that forced Chavez from office for a short time.
Though Venezuelans opposed to Chavez's rule claim he is not legitimately elected, there is no evidence that suggest this (or at least from legitimate sources). So regardless of you what you think of Chavez, you have to just live with it. (Just like we have to somehow live with the results from Florida in 2000 - which in my opinion would make election officials in Zimbabwe proud, anyway....)
Remember though, Robertson is not opposed to dictators or "rogue" leaders. For instance he strongly supported the Presidency of Liberia's Charles Taylor, the blood thirsty genocidal maniac who is wanted for human rights violations. Of course Robertson's support for Taylor had nothing to do with their joint gold mine venture.
Ok, I think you get the picture. We'll just have to wait and see what Pat comes up with tomorrow. This guy is starting to loose his cookies fast, he's starting to become the "Jimmy the Greek" of the televangelist world. I can't hardly wait to see what he says next...
posted by Will Vaught @ 8:39 AM
4 Comments:
At 8/23/2005 10:28 AM,
zen said…
"Jimmy the Greek" of the televangelist world
Love it!
One of the blogs I read titled their post about this, "Radical Cleric Pat Robertson"
I was thinking this would catch your eye.
Didn't he also blame the 9/11 attacks on hollywood and gays, er something simularly outrageous?
It's astounding that there are those that will fully support this Christian leader espousing radical, hate, death speech, or at the very least turn a blind eye to it, and not see the parallel when they chastize Islamic leaders for the same thing.
At 8/23/2005 10:47 AM,
Will Vaught said…
Zen - agree 100 % - I just can't seem to be able to get away from this guy
At 8/23/2005 12:05 PM,
Anonymous said…
When I saw this story this morning I thougt it would just get back page coverage, it is now on the front page of CNN.com Pat is going to take a major hit for this one
At 8/27/2005 11:11 AM,
Will Vaught said…
First, I disagree with your comment that "robertson is a nut just like Cindy Sheehan". No. Robertson has a LONG history of making inflamatory/hate driven comments for many many years, also as has been well documented through his diamond and gold mining operations he has been involved with "real" dictators such as the likes of Charles Taylor and Motumbuto (former Ziare). Sheehan on the other hand, hardly has such a record comparing the two is like comparing a petty shoplifter to Ted Bundy. Remember the far right likes to call everyone a "wacko" that doesn't drink their kool-aid, even thier own aren't above reproach: e.g. John McCain.
As far as Chavez being democratically elected, yes he is and you need not " " it either. There is no creidible source that will tell you different. VZ is a country of extreme wealth and poverty, and a "bolivarian/leftist" revolution was in the cards, because the basic needs of the poor were ingnored for many, many years (such things like decent schools, safe housing, you name it) the poor in VZ (unlike USA) vote. I think the turn out is something like 98 %, no shit. So in a simple popular election, all they needed was 50.1% and thus Chavez was elected.(by a much wide margin by the way)
Is he a "nut", yes and no. Chavez is unpredictalbe and somewhat despotic by nature, but he is smart enought to relize that if he invest in the poor (clincs, better school, and so forth which he has done) he can win the hearts and minds of the millions of poor, which he has done. then he can get to the real business, and is be a pain the ass of the "imperialist". Thus comes the paratrooper uniform, and meetings with Castro. (Just think about how the rich in this country love bush...tax loopholes, abolishing the estate tax, tax deductions for hummers, you get the picture, but it's just the opposite in VZ)
and of course Bush and Co. have done little to endear themsevles, to chavez either (see april 2002 coup which Chavez was ousted for a day, which many suspect the USA had a significant role in) Such actions as this have only increased Chavez's paranoia, and disdain for Bush and the USA - but guess what, in 2005 Chavez holds the "golden ticket", it's call loads of Oil -
Comments by Robertson only make Chavez boulder and reaffirm what he believes about the emperialist, as much as Bush and Co. don't like chavez, he must be dealt with in a rational way - even if he isn't rational. something like 2/3 of the world's countries are run by 'strongmen/dictators', and we seem to get along Ok with many of them(Mubarak, Putin, for example) Chavez does have the distinction of being legtimately elected (which many of the reason I previously pointed out), but this does not mean that he want try to consolidate power, and try to consolidate his power by illegitimate means (itimidate media, dissolve courts,adn so forth...think Frist, Allen, et al. trying to eliminate the fillibuster for a homegrown example) So in dealing with Chavez we need principled leadership, and a clear vision, not just "let get rid of this guy, so we can get his oil" ,in that case, we will only make him stronger..
as far as my own personal experiece in VZ, in the summer of 1998 (when chavez first started to run for president) i was their visiting some friend fom VZ who i met in grad school, and studying some spanish. I was there for a little over a month, this doens't make be geopolitical expert on VZ, just maybe I know a bit more than the next guy...
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