Chavez to U.S.: 'Go to hell, gringos!'

[Bigen12]

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/americ....ap/index.html

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) -- President Hugo Chavez returned to his weekly radio and TV broadcast Sunday, extolling the ideals of socialist thinker Karl Marx and telling U.S. officials to "Go to hell!" for what he called unacceptable meddling in Venezuela's affairs.

Chavez defended his government's effort to establish a socialist model and rejected U.S. concerns over a measure to grant him broad lawmaking powers, saying: "Go to hell, gringos! Go home!"

The National Assembly, controlled by the president's political allies, is expected to give final approval this week to what it calls the "enabling law," which would grant Chavez authority to pass a series of laws by decree during an 18-month period.

On Friday, U.S. State Department deputy spokesman Tom Casey said that Chavez's plans under the law "have caused us some concern."

Chavez, who this month announced plans to nationalize Venezuela's main telecommunications company and the electricity and natural gas sectors, says the law will permit profound changes in areas ranging from the economy to defense.

Relations between Caracas and Washington have been tense since a 2002 coup that briefly ousted Chavez, who accused the U.S. government of playing a role in the putsch. The Bush administration has repeatedly denied involvement, but recognized an interim government established by coup leaders.

Criticizing excessive consumption and self-indulgence, Chavez also announced plans to raise domestic gasoline prices and approve a new tax on luxury goods such as private yachts, second homes and extravagant automobiles.

"The one who will pay is the one who fills up the BMW," Chavez said of the gasoline tax.

He did not give details of the gasoline price hike, which he said would not affect bus drivers who provide public transportation, or the luxury tax. He said revenue from the new measures would be put toward government social programs.

In Venezuela -- one of the world's leading petroleum exporters -- gasoline costs as little as 12 cents a gallon thanks to government subsidies.

Fond wishes for Castro, comments on Hussein
In typical style, Chavez spoke for hours Sunday on his return after a five-month hiatus to the weekly program "Hello President," sending best wishes to ailing Cuban leader Fidel Castro and commenting on topics ranging from watching dancing Brazilian girls wearing string bikinis at a recent presidential summit and Washington's alleged role in the hanging of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.

"They took out Saddam Hussein and they hanged him, for good or worse. It's not up to me to judge any government, but that gentleman was the president of that country," Chavez said.

Chavez urged Venezuelans to embrace "21st-century socialism," which he said aims to curtail what he sees as U.S. cultural domination and redistribute the country's oil wealth to the poor through programs that provide subsidized food and cash benefits for single mothers.

"Socialism isn't going to fall from the sky. We are going to understand it, work on it, plant it, sweat it," said Chavez, praising Marx's ideals. "Socialism is built on practice."

Chavez said government officials were considering new legislation that would force businesses to set aside several hours a week for employees to study, and he recommended they read leaflets outlining socialist concepts.

A vociferous former paratroop commander who revels in the role of talk-show host, Chavez suspended "Hello President" over five months ago, saying that broadcasting the weekly program would have constituted unfair use of state airtime ahead of December's presidential election.

[J.S.N.]

lolz that guy is a stitch. world bank loans are paid off so he can pretty much do whatever he wants legally. he better watch out or his ego will get venezuela another embargo from the neo-cons/big oil though. naw j/k they have oil, they'll get invaded.

[chief_willie]

Go Hugo...give em hell!!

[Logan13]

Go Hugo...give em hell!!

see, that just shows how fuk'd in the head you are. I am sure that with comments like this, people must take you seriously..........

[Bigen12]

Go Hugo...give em hell!!

All I've got to say is, good luck with that socialism thing.....

I also liked the part where they are going to

force businesses to set aside several hours a week for employees to study, and he recommended they read leaflets outlining socialist concepts.

Big Brother will be watching....

[3Vandoo]

I give him two years to live

[chief_willie]

see, that just shows how fuk'd in the head you are.

uh oh....you need to read the rules my girl.

[Logan13]

uh oh....you need to read the rules my girl.

I guess that I had better wait until I get my 22 posts before I speak out..........

[Kärnfysikern]

He has the support of his people so I guess he is giving them what they want. But I dont know how they can vote for that man

[J.S.N.]

He has the support of his people so I guess he is giving them what they want. But I dont know how they can vote for that man

they're just so frickin' poor. i'd vote socialist to if i lived on few hundred dollars a year.

[Kärnfysikern]

they're just so frickin' poor. i'd vote socialist to if i lived on few hundred dollars a year.

Well then they are pretty stupid because the avarage joe is much richer in the western capitalistic countries then they have ever been in any purely socialist/communist country.

Its amazing how people in different countries fall for the same bullshit time and time again even though we have perfect demonstrations on how it will inveitably fail every time.

[3Vandoo]

I seriously think the last elections he ran were fake as hell!

Also, aligning himself with great man such as fidel, the ****tard in Iran and so him gives him so much credibility!

I say nuke caracas!

[J.S.N.]

I seriously think the last elections he ran were fake as hell!

Also, aligning himself with great man such as fidel, the ****tard in Iran and so him gives him so much credibility!

I say nuke caracas!

they were more legit than the last 2 united states elections, sadly enough. there were all kinds of international watchdogs present and they used actual hand-tallied paper ballets.

Well then they are pretty stupid because the avarage joe is much richer in the western capitalistic countries then they have ever been in any purely socialist/communist country.

Its amazing how people in different countries fall for the same bullshit time and time again even though we have perfect demonstrations on how it will inveitably fail every time.

the problem is the average third or second world government is corrupt as **** and more than willing to rape it's own citizen on behest of the "free market." a great example is jamaica. they have arguably the most fertile land on earth, yet world bank uses all their power to make them monocrop bananas (which they have a guaranteed market for in britain), and makes them accept monocropped produce from the US, mexico, etc.

the monocropped foods are of course cheaper (in both ways) so the poor ass people buy them and the debt cycle stays intact. plus some shady, shady officials have made a system called maquilladoras where a little chunk of land in a country like jamaica or mexico becomes part of america or germany or britain like an embassy, so the goods produced there are labeled "made in america/germany/britain" yet for some crazy reason they don't have to follow any wage laws, provide safety, respect child labor laws, etc. these people aren't allowed to farm, and have limited job opportunities, so the sweatshop is where they're being railroaded. with that in mind they'd have to be stupid to actually want to be capitalist for the time being.

plus the way they're painted in the foreign press changes one's assumptions dramatically. for instance in america we think of you swedish as socialists, even though your socio-economic system is really almost the same as our own (actually venezuala's is too). it's just a misunderstanding of how the term is used in europe.

if you want an example of a heavily socialist regime that turned life around for it's citizens, then vietnam is a good example, and i'm sure they idealize cuba even though cuba's social reforms have had mixed results.

one could make a really good argument that socialist reforms have produced most of the important changes in the standard of living in our current industrialized countries. we call them labor laws and such but they surely aren't free market concepts. there used to be people like mineers or factory workers and mine/factory owners literally bombing and shooting each other over labor practices.

[juicedOUTbrain]

You and I may disagree with Hugos remarks, but the sad fact is, he is reflecting an opinion held by most of the world at this point...

You could argue that its all about the anti-US propaganda that the rest of the world is fed 24/7...or maybe, just maybe the US actually has something to do with it?!?


His domestic policies are riddled with corruption (like ours aren't ), but his election was fair. He even provided buses for the poorest venezualans to get to polling stations. The same can't be said for our current leader

[3Vandoo]

I hate Chavez

When this ****tard influenced the price of my SUV's gas tank!!!!!!!!

[mcpeepants]

they were more legit than the last 2 united states elections, sadly enough. there were all kinds of international watchdogs present and they used actual hand-tallied paper ballets.
the problem is the average third or second world government is corrupt as **** and more than willing to rape it's own citizen on behest of the "free market." a great example is jamaica. they have arguably the most fertile land on earth, yet world bank uses all their power to make them monocrop bananas (which they have a guaranteed market for in britain), and makes them accept monocropped produce from the US, mexico, etc.

the monocropped foods are of course cheaper (in both ways) so the poor ass people buy them and the debt cycle stays intact. plus some shady, shady officials have made a system called maquilladoras where a little chunk of land in a country like jamaica or mexico becomes part of america or germany or britain like an embassy, so the goods produced there are labeled "made in america/germany/britain" yet for some crazy reason they don't have to follow any wage laws, provide safety, respect child labor laws, etc. these people aren't allowed to farm, and have limited job opportunities, so the sweatshop is where they're being railroaded. with that in mind they'd have to be stupid to actually want to be capitalist for the time being.

plus the way they're painted in the foreign press changes one's assumptions dramatically. for instance in america we think of you swedish as socialists, even though your socio-economic system is really almost the same as our own (actually venezuala's is too). it's just a misunderstanding of how the term is used in europe.

if you want an example of a heavily socialist regime that turned life around for it's citizens, then vietnam is a good example, and i'm sure they idealize cuba even though cuba's social reforms have had mixed results.

one could make a really good argument that socialist reforms have produced most of the important changes in the standard of living in our current industrialized countries. we call them labor laws and such but they surely aren't free market concepts. there used to be people like mineers or factory workers and mine/factory owners literally bombing and shooting each other over labor practices.

nice post

[Benches505]

I say nuke caracas!

Too many fine ass women down there to nuke the place!

[Bigen12]

they were more legit than the last 2 united states elections, sadly enough.