Why do scoundrels like Hugo Chaves get respect?

He collects billions of dollars from the pockets of Americans every week from his over priced gas at Citgo gas stations and then turns around and bad mouths everything American.

He has millions of his own poor back in Venezuela that are not receiving his help yet he finds the time to travel around the world throwing pocket change to a few people, mostly in America to get the sympathies of the world, and it works for him.

People like Chaves with their simple charms are nothing but wolves in sheep clothing. These wolves baring gifts have often condemned millions of people to poverty with their people’s party ideals.

Because of the record high prices of oil in the last two years Chaves is a multi billionaire, and lives like one---why then is there poverty in his country? He is a lefty, aren’t they suppose to share the wealth with their own people rather than squander it on themselves?

Sleeper, there is more, much more to the story. The Bush clan do not want any competition in their oil endeavors and right there is only one of the reasons why the Bushes don't like him and continue to spread propaganda/lies about him. He is in truth dedicated to bettering his country and eliminating the poverty they have there. He made Citgo a state-owned entity, meaning the People own it and the proceeds go to them. There is still poverty in Venezuela, because he's only been Pres 8 years and it takes much longer than that to change a situation that has become generational and longstanding. He gives oil away FREE to poor communities here in the U.S. so they can have heat. Not even USA does that for its own citizens. He has completely eradicated illiteracy in the last 8 years. He has come up with a workable land redistribution program, where enormous tracts of land, like 50,000 acres, owned by gazillionaires and which haven't been used in 20 years or so, are being redistributed. The rich still have their other lands and lots of money, so it will hardly make a dent in their wealth. Moreover, apparently the very rich are participating in the program willilngly.

He is concerned about American hegemony and how it will affect not only Venezuela, but the rest of the world, and rightly so. He doesn't like the American GOVT which is quite different from the people's wishes at this time, and he understands this and has nothing against Americans, instead he wants to help them.

Citgo doesnt charge any more for their oil, at least not in my part of the country, and after all, Hugo is charged with the well-being of Venezuela, and so it's understandable that he wants to get the best price for Venezuelan oil, as it all goes back to the People. He is supplying money for more medical training in VEnezuela, because they need more physicians to have better health care. He has greatly built up the infrastructure, as well.

There is so much more he has done that is good. And all of his criticisms of Bush are right on, he's the only one with enough courage to speak out. He is travelinlg around the world to form allliances, trade agreements and to be on friendly terms, something that our own GWB could learn from.

Hugo Chaves jet sets around the world as if he were a superstar, living high on the hog with the profits of his countries oil, while many of his people live in poverty. Socialists claim they will put the money they confiscate from private enterprise into improving the lives of their people, but that never happens.

Chaves confiscated the oil companies in his country from private ownership who have created the ability for Venezuela to become a world player in the oil business. Chaves is using that money from those companies as his personal piggy bank, and is now living like a Sheikh awash in oil. He and his Socialist friends live the life of rich Capitalists while many of his people live like communist peasants.

Socialist Chaves has learned well from his Communist mentor Fidel Castro

Since he is a wolf bearing gifts, then why aren't the "Angels" of this country doing the same thing? When was the last time you have ever seen or heard of an American oil company doing anything for Americans? Lats time I checked the American companies where toting profits in the Billions while gas prices were sky rocketing. Wheres your bonus rebate check?

I'm no fan of Chavez, but he's the head of state, of course he's going to be using gets to get around and have more money than most of the people in the country. Hell, its not like Chavez made those people poor, they were already poor under the older capitalist system.


And before that the rich Capitalists lived the life while the peasants were poor. What does any of this matter? The people of Venezuela voted Chavez into power, they wanted a socialist leader and a more socialist government. Were you complaining like this before Chavez was elected? Because there were poor people in Venezeula then too.

Hi forestlady,

I’m not in the Bush clan and I see Chaves for what he is, a publicity hound.




So they receive checks in the mail? Billions of us dollars go to Venezuela every week his people must me making lots of money---not happening



Venezuela has taken a turn for the worst when Hugo was voted in, and many investors have taken their money out of that country before he takes their companies, subsequently many more of his people will end up in poverty as this out flow of capital continues.




It’s not his oil to give away, it now belongs to Venezuela





America spends billions of dollars ever single day providing food and housing for those unable or unwilling to work. Those figures can be verified at any library.




That’s called reeducation camps. His people are getting educated in leftwing ideology. I realize that many would consider that a good thing but I don’t.



Lenin and Castro did the same thing, and they killed off those they stole the land from---again there are those that believe that is a good thing, but I don’t.




He wants to help Americans with his three dollar a gallon gas. He made billions from Americans and in turn gave a few million back---what a nice guy.





There is nothing good about Hugo; he is an opportunist as was his good friend Fidel Castro. Now that Hugo is in power he is not ever going to give it back, like his friend Fidel----he will die a dictator of Venezuela.

Hi pieman,

America is the most prosperous nation in the world because of free enterprises. The money the oil companies and other companies make goes back into the American economy, creating jobs and a better standard of living than any other system out there. Hugo is nothing but another Lenin, steals from those who have it and keeps most of it for himself.

Hi Nygdan,


A few people with money does not make a country a Capitalist one, Venezuela has limited democracy, and now has much less with Hugo in power.




People in democracies are allowed to vote in whatever scoundrel they wish, and Venezuelans have outdone themselves with Hugo.

If they think they had poverty before, they have seen nothing yet. Oil is not going to sustain them for long, and then what are they going to do for jobs having become anti-corperation?

chavez has done something for his country that this country hasn't done

dirt cheap oil prices for the people

and why is this in the socialism thread?

isn't this an issue with a political figure?

Having confiscated the oil companies why is he charging anything at all for the oil, it now belongs to the people, or perhaps it belongs to him and his cronies. He can sell it for cheap to those in his country because he didn’t pay anything for the oil or the companies and their equipment that he stole.



Ask Nygdan, he moved---hid it, in the socialist board, perhaps believing no one would read it there.

To Nygdan

Is that how you deal with posts you disagree with, put them in the socialist trash bin?

Hugo is a socialist but so are 80% of public figures, why aren’t they all being discussed in the socialist board?

Because he's an actual socialist. And not, i don't 'trash' posts I disagree with, I debate them. This thread is about hugo chavez, a socialist. The socialist forum is not a trash-bin, its is a perfectly legitimate forum. You originally put a thread about hugo chavez and what he's done for/to venezuela in the US Politics forum. That was clearly the wrong forum. This is a perfectly reasonable one for it to be in.


Venezuela was not socialist before Chavez, and there were certainly lots of poor people in the country. They're the ones that voted him into power. He is hardly responsible for their being poor. And if the previous government had shown as much concern for the people as you are demanding of Chavez, then there'd've never even been a voting bloc for Chavez in the first place.

I am no fan of socialism or communism, and I seriously doubt that Chavez is going to work for the 'socialist/communist utopia', like every other petty socialist ruler. But, oil sure as heck isn't going away any time soon, Venezuela will be able to make money off of it for a long time to come. Now, instead of that money lining the pockets of rich industrialists who dont' care about the public, its going to Chavez. All that really makes him is as bad as the previous rich industrialists.

Yes, and?

Chaves is clearly trying to affect US politics by bad mouthing the president and throwing pocket change in order to influence social unrest.

I’m not debating socialism I’m debating a world leader who is campaigning for the hearts and souls of Americans, for his political gain back in Venezuela.



It certainly wasn’t Capitalist.





Is that why he hangs out with Fidel Castro, praising everything the communist dictator did and does?



So you prefer poor industrialists?

If you are not a socialist you sure have the qualification of one

And yes the socialist board is the trash bin.

Hugo owns Venezuela; he owns the oil, the people and everything else in that country, just like Fidel Castro owns Cuba and its people.

Hugo will be reelected because he owns the elections and most of the legislature. He will keep some opponents in place to give the illusion of democracy.

Hugo has the power now and he loves it and will never give it up, reminds me of some of the mods on this board---

Well then you definately don't know the mods on this board. And you definately don't know Venezuela... Tell the rich Venezuelians that chocked the poorer people for so many years that they're socialist. They'll think you're crazy.

Bandit out.

All the rich are bad and all the poor are good, wow, must me easy living in the mind of a left thinker.

I can't compete with that kind of reasoning.

First of all. NEVER EVER label me as thinking in any direction! This is the last time you are doing that!!! Stop that nonsense now!

You don't know me, and you don't how I think. Who the heck do you think you are judging me like that?

Now... Leaving that aside. I am speaking out of experience. Aruba is a very popular destination for those rich Venezuelians. Of course there are exceptions, of course there are good rich people. But the majority of them I have seen think and act like that. That and we have two Venezuelian channels, and Venezuelian radio. People here know about what goes on in Venezuela than most places on the planet. And we also get lots of legal and illegal immigrants.

The Socialism section is NOT a trash bin.

It is not frequented regularly because so few people
actually care.




Apart from, as Bandit said, you should'nt automatically label
someone,
being a Leftist thinker is'nt bad, yes there are some bad
decision made, but there are bad decisions made in every
group.


As for President Chavez, I like him, he gives oil to the needy
here in America (regardless of what his motives may be, it's a
good thing), and he has enough cojones to openly insult Bush,
which is a great thing in my book, not insulting him, but rather
standing up and voicing his opinions on him, regardless of what
our government may like.

People tend to hate people that have more then them and whether you are left or not most on the left hate the rich, they are envious of those who have more or appear to have more than them.

That is why many around the world hate Americans, the world perceives Americans as rich.

And in comparison to the rest of the world Americans are richer---because of Capitalism and competition.

Other countries want their socialism and communism then they moan and groan at why they have it bad.

And lash out at those that have it good.


And many of those rich from Venezuela you speak of are leftwing cronies, friends of Hugo. Tyrants always treat their family and friends very well. They are the ones that put Hugo in office to keep legitimate competition from coming to Venezuela.

Because these people live like Capitalist don’t mean that they are. Everyone who can lives like a Capitalist because that is the good life, and socialist and communist at the top rungs live like Capitalist.

I’m the biggest Liberal out there but the party has been infested with insane ideology which is hate Capitalism---there is nothing in this world more affective at bring people out of poverty than Capitalism, yet the left hates it.




He made billions of dollars off the backs of most working Americans who had to pay big bucks for his oil---he didn’t buck the trend and charge less than the other oil companies.

The money he is returning to a few Americans is a drop in the bucket, pocket change, insignificant---yet the news media makes it look like he walks on water.

Hugo steals from the middle class and gives to a few of the poor---strictly for the media mileage.




He has a big mouth and he is a big show off, nothing more.