Colombia stirs up trouble: war???

[Die Neue Zeit]

Regional tensions rise after Colombia raid into Ecuador (http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5htqm5A0bbSSTN2xbt-HNS0KmvT7g)


Venezuela and Ecuador moved their armies to the Colombian border and shut down their embassies in Bogota, as tensions soared over Colombia's cross-border killing of a top Colombian FARC rebel in Ecuador.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said Sunday he was sending troops, tanks and fighter aircraft to his country's border with Colombia, a move the White House called an "odd reaction" to Colombia's fight against what the US government deems "a terrorist organization."

"Mr Defense Minister (Gustavo Rangel), send 10 battalions at once to the border with Colombia! Tank units, military aviation get moving!" Chavez said during his weekly "Alo Presidente" television and radio program.

Chavez' fiery words followed a Colombian army raid Saturday on a jungle camp just inside Ecuador of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), the country's largest leftist rebel group. The attack killed FARC's second-in-command Raul Reyes.

Chavez said Ecuador "is moving troops to its northern border (with Colombia)," adding that Ecuadoran President Rafael Correa "can count on Venezuela for whatever it needs, in any situation."

"We don't want war," said Chavez, "but we won't let the Empire (United States) or its lap dog (Colombian) President (Alvaro) Uribe to try to make us weaker."

[Ele'ill]

FARC is horrible.

Venezuela does not stand a chance. I may eat my words later but I don't think this is going to be a war. I think someone is going to get offed and it will be an inside job.

[spartan]

FARC is horrible.

What about the right wing paramilitaries funded and supported by the pro-US government of Colombia?

Of course the age old accusation against FARC is that they operate the drug trade in Colombia, this is false as all they do is tax the drug farmers who grow it on their (FARC) land.

Of course the right wing paramilitaries supported by Uribe have admitted that most of their funds come from the illegal drug trade which they happily participate in as transporters of the drugs to places outside of Colombia.

At least FARC have an excuse to tax the drug farmers (Lack of funds due to loss of financial support when the USSR broke up), the right wing paramilitaries do it simply for business!


Venezuela does not stand a chance.

Venezuela has better and more aircraft than Colombia and also has more ground troops, add to that the fact that Colombia will be fighting on two other fronts, against Ecuador in the west and the FARC inside Colombia proper, and i dont see how Venezuela "does not stand a chance"?

[Ele'ill]

What about the right wing paramilitaries funded and supported by the pro-US government of Colombia?

They are pretty atrocious too.


Of course the age old accusation against FARC is that they operate the drug trade in Colombia, this is false as all they do is tax the drug farmers who grow it on their (FARC) land.

Hey, I mean the drugs have to be grown somewhere! Right?


Venezuela has better and more aircraft than Colombia and also has more ground troops, add to that the fact that Colombia will be fighting on two other fronts, against Ecuador in the west and the FARC inside Colombia proper, and i dont see how Venezuela "does not stand a chance"?

If Venezuela's leaders are assassinated.

[Sankofa]

FARC is horrible.



*yawn*

[Dejavu]

If I were to pick a country to be the most successful in South America it would certainly be Chile.

Pinochet might have been a ruthless dictator but I wouldn't say everything he did was actually all bad. He unleashed Chile's economy by simply adopting more laissez fair methods (i.e. He didn't try to command the economy too much, but this is not saying the junta was friendly to free markets) and these 'radical free market' principles started setting Chile ahead of the rest.

Eventually the Lagos administration took over and Lagos is a self-defined socialist and anti-junta. But I honestly don't think Lagos is very much of a socialist ( though he might have some social-democratic tendencies) because he mostly keeps the governments hands off of Chile's growing economy. Chile's economy is out growing others in the region posting a 7% growth consecutively for several years now.
Many would consider Lagos even a 'free market reactionary' but the results are undeniable. Chile has resumed its historic position as the 'merchant' economy and benefits through trade some less fortunate neighbors as well.

I'm not going to promote Lagos because he's still a politician. I oppose his push for centralized public schooling. English is mandated in public schools but even this is to promote economic growth but still it goes against my fundamental principles against govt centralization.

When a self-proclaimed socialist like Lagos knows how to exercise restraint and adopt a 'hands off' policy with the economy ( laissez fair) and conservatives in America who pay lip service to free market principles but actually espouse more govt regulation in practice its time we really look at how our economy functions in the U.S.A. Chile has moved in front of America in the Economic Freedom Index and Chileans have far less debt than Americans ( $700 per capita in Chile and over $20,000 in the U.S.) and Chileans have a better and positive savings rate over Americans. Perhaps we need to look at this rising Latin American country as an example to remind us that less govt intervention in the economy always yields better results.