Venezuela is a sovereign country and Venezuelans are not an inferior species

How they decide to rule their country is not a business of US or spanish oligarchs.
Even if Hugo becomes a dictator in the future, I am sure he will be more concerned about the happiness of his people than the filthy corporations would ever be.
If he was really a dictator then it would be easier for him to accept the bribes and live like a rich puppet king (Like the saudi leaders) rather than giving the finger to the US and spanish oligarchs. Don't you think?

...m'kay.

...that if it's a choice between dictatorship and corporatism he'd pick dictatorship. The point I was trying to make was that this is a false choice.

...when it comes to nearly all of Chavez supporters. It's bizzare and sickening to my stomach at the same time.

:(

a form of dictatorship, where instead of having a ruling family, you have half a dozen ruling families.

It seems that the truth is the exact opposite of what you say.

Why do you suppose?

There are many false-choice posts in the dozens of Chavez threads posted on DU recently.

should be declared illegitimate.

Don't you think you're painting with a brush several miles wider than that which is required?

It's interesting (and somewhat horrifying) how these global corporate predator "memes" get stuck in the brains of even well-meaning DU posters and north Americans.

There is no evidence--none!--that Hugo Chavez is, or ever intends to be, a "dictator." And because every flimsy basis trotted out to support this charge evaporates upon investigation, they had to invent the "meme" that he wants to BECOME a "dictator." And now THAT is stuck in peoples' heads.

I understand your point that what Venezuelans do in their country is their business. Yet the Bush Junta and the Bush USAID-NED, and the Bush-purged CIA, and Exxon-Mobile, and Donald Rumsfeld* have MADE IT "our" business--so we had better pay attention, try to get the facts, try to think clearly, and try, with as little power as we have in our own country, to head off another U.S.-instigated horror in South America.

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*(WaPo published a Rumsfeld op-ed this weekend that virtually declares war on Venezuela.)