So what do you guys think, and know about Chavez?

[BIG BROTHER]

Since I'm no expert on politics and my desire is to learn as much as a can, I was wondering what you guys know and think about president Chavez of Venezuela.

Personaly I applaud any actions he has taken that have helped the proletarian, and I support his oposition against the Imperialism of the US. But as I see it, I think his real goal is to gain absolute power for himself.

What do you guys think? or is there anything I should know about him?

[jake williams]

I think he's a fairly tame, but honest, populist democrat with some basic socialist conceptions and some relatively revolutionary ideas. Hardly perfect, and I don't know how far he wants to take things, or can, but he's good for his people and should be supported.

[Tatarin]

I consider him a social democrat with some "radical" rethoric, I mean, Venezuela is still a capitalist country. But I'd rather see Chavez in power than some puppet for the US.

[jake williams]

Can't say a lot of my attraction to Chávez can't be put down to "personality", and I don't just mean his "smell of sulfur" bits, though them too. Not, of course, to say that's a majority of it.

[#FF0000]

I generally like the guy. I always used to believe that violent revolution was the only way to achieve socialism, but with how close the last referendum came to being passed, it got me thinking on the reform vs. revolution debate again. I'm interested in seeing where this 21st century socialism business goes.

However, he is in my opinion, just another politician. I remember watching a documentary (The War On Democracy, available on Google Video) with him being interviewed, and how he sort of danced around the question when asked about the poor in Venezuela.

[Holden Caulfield]

The War On Democracy,

i have this book its about Latin American politics and socialism, and basically i agree with you on the line of if Chavez can drastically improve peoples lives through reform then we as revolutionaries should support him, he isn't perfect but nobody is and at least he stands tall in the face of amerikkkan imperialism in what he is trying to do

[Comrade Castro]

He is good and I support him, infinitely better than any other politician who ever lived in Venezuela, but he needs to stop with this "moderation", "pacifism" crap.... In some ways the country is falling apart due to his incompetent subordinates and unwillingness to truly attack the bourgeoisie.

[VukBZ2005]

Comrade Castro, I agree with you on the point that the "country is falling apart" due to Chavez being un-willing to confront Capitalism, but, that, in and of itself, is stating, to the Venezuelan working class, that the time has arrived to break away from Chavez, that is, if he is not going to do the necessary job of getting rid of the "old money" that has ruled Venezuela, in one way or another, since colonial times. Otherwise, we may very well end up seeing a situation that has not been seen in Venezuela since Feburary and March of 1989; a situation of direct and violent confrontation between Venezuelan Capital and Labor, albeit, with higher forms of organization on the side of Venezuelan Labor.

[BIG BROTHER]

But do you guys really think he's really supporting the proletarian or not.

[Bright Banana Beard]

But do you guys really think he's really supporting the proletarian or not.

From my POV, he not attacking the bourgeois and he is not setting up to get the proletatriat to get aware about how much they can control the country.

[jake williams]

But do you guys really think he's really supporting the proletarian or not.
I think he genuinely supports the masses of the population of Venezuela, even the world. Whether or not he's using the right methods, or going far enough, is however a different question.

[Luís Henrique]

But do you guys really think he's really supporting the proletarian or not.

Do you think that he knows what the proletariat is?

Luís Henrique

[BIG BROTHER]

Do you think that he knows what the proletariat is?

Luís Henrique

you mean Chavez? or me?

The only thing that really worries me about Chavez, is that if he does bring a socialist revolution in Venezuela, he'll just transform into another Stalin and concentrate more on being all powerfull, rather than creating a stateless clasless society.

[jake williams]

you mean Chavez? or me?

The only thing that really worries me about Chavez, is that if he does bring a socialist revolution in Venezuela, he'll just transform into another Stalin and concentrate more on being all powerfull, rather than creating a stateless clasless society.
I very much doubt it, Chávez is a super-democrat. He's not remotely Stalinish.

[Herman]

Chavez has done a lot of great work to help the working class.

Raising minimum wages, lowering working hours, encouraging the creation of communal councils to support a new participatory democracy (there are thousands of these!), nationalizing some industries and allowing workers to take over factories (self-management).

It's going on the right direction. It's moving too slow though.

[BIG BROTHER]

Chavez has done a lot of great work to help the working class.

Raising minimum wages, lowering workign hours, encouraging the creation of communal councils to support a new participatory democracy (there are thousands of these!), nationalizing some industries and allowing workers to take over factories (self-management).

It's going on the right direction. It's moving too slow though.

Oh that's nice to hear, even though I knew he somehow helped the poor I didn't know exactly what he did.

And what do you guys think also about the oposition of Chavez? I mean I think is almost half the country that's against him, and even though obiosly the burgoise are againts him, they can't be the 50% of Venezuela. Why would the other people be against Chavez?

[Bright Banana Beard]

Oh that's nice to hear, even though I knew he somehow helped the poor I didn't know exactly what he did.

And what do you guys think also about the oposition of Chavez? I mean I think is almost half the country that's against him, and even though obiosly the burgoise are againts him, they can't be the 50% of Venezuela. Why would the other people be against Chavez?

The private industry of entertainment is very against him for obvious reason, also the church opposed him and CIA are working to denounced him and the USA kept telling the people that he is dictator and passing the reform of the constitutional will give him power that in fact it gives the people more power.

[BIG BROTHER]

The private industry of entertainment is very against him for obvious reason, also the church opposed him and CIA are working to denounced him and the USA kept telling the people that he is dictator and passing the reform of the constitutional will give him power that in fact it gives the people more power.

ahh, so the CIA is messing trying to sabotage Chavez by giving him a bad image. Thanks for the answer.

[Atrus]

I don't know an awful lot about Chavez other than what I've discussed in General Studies, but on the whole what I've seen has been good. He is just another politian, not so much a revolutionary, but I think he is certainly very good for Venezuela. What exactly is the CIA claiming that he does wrong? because I can't really see why they'd oppose him.

[BIG BROTHER]

Well he treatens to stop selling oil to the US and his anti-american imperialism.

[Dros]

I approve of his resistance to US imperialism.

In terms of politics he seems to advocate "bandaid capitalism" and I disaprove of that. He is not a communist.