Useful Idiots

Ah ... Venezuela ...

Why go stand by side by Hugo Chavez in Venezuela? Why do that? Would you rather live under him than George Bush?


Sheehan: "Yes. Hugo Chavez is not a dictator like you introduced him. He's been democratically elected eight times. He is not anti-American, he has helped the poor people of America. He has sent aid to New Orleans, he has sold heating oil to disadvantaged people in America at low cost, and the people of his country love him."

Sean Penn:

"If the people of the United States, those millions and millions of poor people ... if that nation realizes what is truly happening here, there would be a revolution in the United States," Chavez said, eliciting applause from Penn.

Noam Chomsky:

“I have been quite interested in his policies,” Chomsky said. “Personally, I think many of them are quite constructive.” Most important, he said, Chavez seems to have the overwhelming support of the people in his country. “He has gone through six closely supervised elections,” he said.

And, in one of the most tone-deaf headlines, Venezuela's Proposed Reforms Don't Endager Democracy on the Huffy Post:

Polls indicate that the majority of Venezuelan voters may well approve the proposed constitutional reforms on December 2. If they do, the U.S. government and media - and the Venezuelan opposition - should respect the result.

I don't know what "respect the result" should mean, when already citizens in Venezuela aren't allowed to voice opposition.

A large number of National Guard and Metropolitan Police officers Wednesday prevented students of Metropolitan University (Unimet) from reaching Francisco Fajardo Avenue in Caracas to deliver fliers against the draft reform on the changes to the Constitution.

The purpose of Unimet students was to deliver informative material related to the contents of articles that President Hugo Chávez wants to change.

State security forces launched tear-gas canisters and pellets to students, who had to run.

Behold Democracy!




Remember, he is NOT a dictator, no matter how closely he resembles one.

h/t: Gateway Pundit, and photos from Reicht-Wing Propaganda Machine FauxNews, who I'm sure photo-shopped pictures of a peaceful protest against the Patriot Act, brought down by Bush's jack-booted thugs, to support this faux story.