Venezuela President Hugo Chavez is dead

The Western Hemisphere smells a little sweater.

Sean Penn weeps.

 

I hate to be the rat shit in the rice on the thread rejoicing his death but could it be argued that Venzuelan citizens are better off because of Chavez than if another US friendly politician had been elected.

I am aware of the many criticisms of Chavez but I also know the great deal he did for the poor and down and out in his country. I saw first hand the many people who benefitted from his Operacion Miilagro that saw poor Venezuelans go to Cuba for medical treatement in exchange for oil.

I don't know if any other politician would try to look after the poor that way.

 

What about Stalin?

 

Scratch one off the CIA to-do list.

 

We were destined to have a mod check in on this topic, I guess.

 

In saying what I'm about to say, I'm not defending Chavez because I think he was dangerous from a foreign policy standpoint, but if everything went to hell in Venezuela, why did he get re-elected?

 

It's a success story like D.C.

 

The same reason Saddam Hussein always got re-elected.

 

Maybe Venezuela can elect a Democratic mayor to succeed him.

 

Just send them Kwame Kilpatrick.

 

When the government takes over the country's TV and radio stations, it's pretty easy to control the message. And that's giving him the benefit of the doubt that there was no straight-up election fraud.