Hugo Chavez: today's lesson in irony

Why are some people incapable of hating Bush and the current state of our democracy... without being so absolute that they can't call Hugo Chavez what he is?

A thread like this is just ridiculous when you have people who really state with a straight face that he is popularly-elected (not true, obviously) and that they prefer him to George Bush (scary, if it is true). If whoever said that actually makes their living in something media-related, they almost deserve to live under Hugo Chavez. They'd either be out of a job because of the crackdown on the media (for example, the popular TV station put off the air earlier this year), possibly in jail on a trumped up charge for having reported something offensive to Chavez, or working for a state-run TV station or censored publication.

Article 147 of the penal code created by Chavez two years ago: "Anyone who offends with his words or in writing or in any other way disrespects the President of the Republic or whomever is fulfilling his duties will be punished with prison of 6 to 30 months if the offense is serious and half of that if it is light."

Of course, that only applies to someone who "disrespects" the president on private. The prison term is increased by a third if you do it in public.

 

Actually, dictator is the word... It's OK if you call Bush a clown.

The difference, of course, is that you can call Bush a clown without threat of going to jail.