Pages

2011-01-08

Why Washington Hates Hugo Chavez

Vatic Note: We know we can no longer "trust" any of our institutitons any longer, we are fully on our own. So, if we cannot trust what our institutions say about anything affecting us, what makes us think we should trust what they say about those they want to beat up??? Chavez is one of those. So, now that I have seen the light about my gov and our corporations, banks, press, scientists, military etc etc, then why should I believe anything any of them say about Chavez???? Read this and see what you think. Remember, we can only count on ourselves, so lets keep that in mind in investigating Chavez and how we feel about him. We may not like his governmental structure, but does that mean he is a rabid elitest trying to control and manipulate his population and line his pockets???? No, he could have done that with exxon when they wanted to control his oil revenues. Instead he gave part of the revenues to help his people climb out of poverty without taxing them to do it. No taxes and using the oil revenues means that the people get to keep the fruits of their labor. Gee, what a concept. This is man who has done more for elderly and poor Americans in providing heating oil for the winter months, than any of our corporations or government. 


Why Washington Hates Hugo Chavez
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=22602
by Mike Whitney, January 6, 2011

In late November, Venezuela was hammered by torrential rains and flooding that left 35 people dead and roughly 130,000 homeless.  (VN:  HAARP?) If George Bush had been president, instead of Hugo Chavez, the displaced people would have been shunted off at gunpoint to makeshift prison camps--like the Superdome--as they were following Hurricane Katrina. But that's not the way Chavez works. The Venezuelan president quickly passed "enabling" laws which gave him special powers to provide emergency aid and housing to flood victims. Chavez then cleared out the presidential palace and turned it into living quarters for 60 people, which is the equivalent of turning the White House into a homeless shelter. The disaster victims are now being fed and taken care of by the state until they can get back on their feet and return to work.

The details of Chavez's efforts have been largely omitted in the US media where he is regularly demonized as a "leftist strongman" or a dictator. The media refuses to acknowledge that Chavez has narrowed the income gap, eliminated illiteracy, provided health care for all Venezuelans, reduced inequality, and raised living standards across he board. While Bush and Obama were expanding their foreign wars and pushing through tax cuts for the rich, Chavez was busy improving the lives of the poor and needy while fending off the latest wave of US aggression.

Washington despises Chavez because he is unwilling to hand over Venezuela's vast resources to corporate elites and bankers. That's why the Bush administration tried to depose Chavez in a failed coup attempt in 2002, and that's why the smooth-talking Obama continues to launch covert attacks on Chavez today. Washington wants regime change so it can install a puppet who will hand over Venezuela's reserves to big oil while making life hell for working people.

Recently released documents from Wikileaks show that the Obama administration has stepped up its meddling in Venezuela's internal affairs. Here's an excerpt from a recent post by attorney and author, Eva Golinger:

"In a secret document authored by current Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, Craig Kelly, and sent by the US Embassy in Santiago in June 2007 to the Secretary of State, CIA and Southern Command of the Pentagon, along with a series of other US embassies in the region, Kelly proposed "six main areas of action for the US government (USG) to limit Chavez's influence" and "reassert US leadership in the region".

Kelly, who played a primary role as "mediator" during last year's coup d'etat in Honduras against President Manuel Zelaya, classifies President Hugo Chavez as an "enemy" in his report.

"Know the enemy: We have to better understand how Chavez thinks and what he intends...To effectively counter the threat he represents, we need to know better his objectives and how he intends to pursue them. This requires better intelligence in all of our countries". Further on in the memo, Kelly confesses that President Chavez is a "formidable foe", but, he adds, "he certainly can be taken". (Wikileaks: Documents Confirm US Plans Against Venezuela, Eva Golinger, Postcards from the Revolution)

The State Department cables show that Washington has been funding anti-Chavez groups in Venezuela through non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that pretend to be working for civil liberties, human rights or democracy promotion. These groups hide behind a facade of legitimacy, but their real purpose is to topple the democratically elected Chavez government. Obama supports this type of subversion just as enthusiastically as did Bush. The only difference is the Obama team is more discreet. Here's another clip from Golinger with some of the details on the money-trail:

"In Venezuela, the US has been supporting anti-Chavez groups for over 8 years, including those that executed the coup d’etat against President Chavez in April 2002. Since then, the funding has increased substantially. A May 2010 report evaluating foreign assistance to political groups in Venezuela, commissioned by the National Endowment for Democracy, revealed that more than $40 million USD annually is channeled to anti-Chavez groups, the majority from US agencies....

Venezuela stands out as the Latin American nation where NED has most invested funding in opposition groups during 2009, with $1,818,473 USD, more than double from the year before....Allen Weinstein, one of NED’s original founders, revealed once to the Washington Post, “What we do today was done clandestinely 25 years ago by the CIA…” (America's Covert "Civil Society Operations": US Interference in Venezuela Keeps Growing", Eva Golinger, Global Research)

On Monday, the Obama administration revoked the visa of Venezuela’s ambassador to Washington in retaliation for Chávez’s rejection of nominee Larry Palmer as American ambassador in Caracas. Palmer has been openly critical of Chavez saying there were clear ties between members of the Chavez administration and leftist guerrillas in neighboring Colombia. It's a roundabout way of accusing Chavez of terrorism. Even worse, Palmer's background and personal history suggest that his appointment might pose a threat to Venezuela's national security. Consider the comments of James Suggett of Venezuelanalysis on Axis of Logic:

"Take a look at Palmer's history, working with the U.S.-backed oligarchs in the Dominican Republic, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Sierra Leone, South Korea, Honduras, "promoting the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)." Just as the U.S. ruling class appointed an African-American, Barack Obama to replace George W. Bush with everything else intact, Obama in turn, appoints Palmer to replace Patrick Duddy who was involved in the attempted coup against President Chávez in 2002 and an enemy of Venezuelans throughout his term as U.S. Ambassador to Venezuela." (http://axisoflogic.com/artman/publish/printer_60511.shtml)

Venezuela is already crawling with US spies and saboteurs. They don't need any help from agents working inside the embassy. Chavez did the right thing by giving Palmer the thumbs down.

The Palmer nomination is just "more of the same"; more interference, more subversion, more trouble-making. The State Dept was largely responsible for all of the so-called color-coded revolutions in Ukraine, Lebanon, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan etc; all of which were cookie cutter, made-for-TV events that pitted the interests of wealthy capitalists against those of the elected government. Now Hillary's throng want to try the same strategy in Venezuela. It's up to Chavez to stop them, which is why he's pushed through laws that "regulate, control or prohibit foreign funding for political activities". It's the only way he can defend against US meddling and protect Venezuelan sovereignty.

Chavez is also using his new powers to reform the financial sector. Here's an excerpt from an article titled "Venezuelan National Assembly Passes Law Making Banking a “Public Service”:

"Venezuela's National Assembly on Friday approved new legislation that defines banking as an industry “of public service,” requiring banks in Venezuela to contribute more to social programs, housing construction efforts, and other social needs while making government intervention easier when banks fail to comply with national priorities."...

The new law protects bank customers’ assets in the event of irregularities on the part of owners... and stipulates that the Superintendent of Banking Institutions take into account the best interest of bank customers – and not only stockholders... when making any decisions that affect a bank’s operations."

So why isn't Obama doing the same thing? Is he too afraid of real change or is he just Wall Street's lackey? Here's more from the same article:

"In an attempt to control speculation, the law limits the amount of credit that can be made available to individuals or private entities by making 20% the maximum amount of capital a bank can have out as credit. The law also limits the formation of financial groups and prohibits banks from having an interest in brokerage firms and insurance companies.

The law also stipulates that 5% of pre-tax profits of all banks be dedicated solely to projects elaborated by communal councils. 10% of a bank´s capital must also be put into a fund to pay for wages and pensions in case of bankruptcy.

According to 2009 figures provided by Softline Consultores, 5% of pre-tax profits in Venezuela's banking industry last year would have meant an additional 314 million bolivars, or $73.1 million dollars, for social programs to attend the needs of Venezuela’s poor majority." http://venezuelanalysis.com/news/5880

"Control speculation"? Now there's a novel idea. Naturally, opposition leaders are calling the new laws "an attack on economic liberty", but that's pure baloney. Chavez is merely protecting the public from the predatory practices of bloodthirsty bankers. Most Americans wish that Obama would do the same thing.

According to the Wall Street Journal, "Chávez has threatened to expropriate large banks in the past if they don't increase loans to small-business owners and prospective home buyers, this time he is increasing the pressure publicly to show his concern for the lack of sufficient housing for Venezuela's 28 million people."

Caracas suffers from a massive housing shortage that's gotten much worse because of the flooding. Tens of thousands of people need shelter now, which is why Chavez is putting pressure on the banks to lend a hand. Of course, the banks don't want to help so they've slipped into crybaby mode. But Chavez has shrugged off their whining and put them "on notice". In fact, on Tuesday, he issued this terse warning:

"Any bank that slips up…I'm going to expropriate it, whether it's Banco Provincial, or Banesco or Banco Nacional de Crédito."

Bravo, Hugo. In Chavez's Venezuela the basic needs of ordinary working people take precedent over the profiteering of cutthroat banksters. Is it any wonder why Washington hates him?

Mike Whitney is a frequent contributor to Global Research. Global Research Articles by Mike Whitney



The article is reproduced in accordance with Section 107 of title 17 of the Copyright Law of the United States relating to fair-use and is for the purposes of criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.

5 comments:

  1. I've never believed one way or the other what the MSM has always told me that i should hate Chavez and Castro and whoever else. Looking at pictures of their countries, the people always look happy enough to me.

    Saying that, i know the idea of population control is not a popular idea on this website. However, i will reiterate that Venezuela would not have a housing crisis or problem with its 28 million people IF people were educated on contraceptives and abortions allowed. This goes for every country in the world.

    The world’s population is now more than 6.8 BILLION and continues to grow by 83 MILLION people per year -- AND THE WORLD'S POPULATON IS ON A TRAJECTORY TO DOUBLE IN 49 YEARS.

    These growth rates put strains on limited resources, and the money has to come from somewhere, as we see as an example in the Chavez article. I applaud Chavez for dealing with the banks in the way he does. However, population, if left unchecked and undealt with, soon the well will go dry. And then the next round of the blame game begins. Even governments are only human and cannot be expected to come up with god-like solutions to every little problem that humans have.

    Frame the situation, and look at all the variables that make up population growth and its consequences at the link.

    It is only RATIONAL to begin somewhere in the education of humans, probably mostly the poor. Teaching them to have perhaps 2.5 children is a start. Their limited resources could be better spent in giving a more quality upbringing and education to their 2.5 children, than for going for a brood of kids that now the government must find ways of dealing with.

    Let me just add that living in a rural output is a fine and dandy thing and no doubt you would like to keep it that way. I understand that due to population growth, planners and investors are soon coming to your neighborhoods. It's on the boards.

    Not everything has to be a sinister plot. It is a FACT of no denying that worldwide populations are increasing. Is it not RATIONAL to TEACH PEOPLE to take control of their own lives?

    Lastly, at the Al-Jezera website, are pictures and articles about the newest riots in Algiers over jobs, housing, food prices. The rioting muslims speak about a solution -- they want to IMMIGRATE to Western Nations. This would mean people from these rioting countries come to the U.S.A. and now they COMPETE WITH YOU for food, jobs, and housing.

    You know what i would do? Send them out to the rural outposts and you can take care of them *smiles*

    Let them fill up all the rural areas.

    It's NOT EUGENICS PEOPLE -- TEACHING PEOPLE ABOUT ABORTION AND CONTRACEPTIVES AND LIMITED EARTH RESOURCES IS ONLY COMMON SENSE!

    ReplyDelete
  2. You totally misinterpret this site and what we say about depopulation. Lets start with your misinterpretation:

    1. We have never come out one way or the other on "voluntary birth control", not ever.

    2. We have never said we are against or for "population control".

    3. We have only discussed FORCED AND UNINFORMED DEPOPULATION WHICH IS A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE from population control

    4. We are against any medical procedure that is involuntary and subtrafugely done with out the permission of the patient or client or citizen.

    Further, we have never said what our position on over population or under population is. What we do know for a fact is you could take the population of the entire planet, give each a quarter acre plot in the state of Texas and fit the entire population of the planet into that state. We are like John Lennon, we do not believe their is a "population problem" and neither does the elite.

    What they believe and want is there is a "POPULATION CONTROL" problem. Resistance to their fascist NWO is thier problem and that is why they are using a legit issue to hide behind to mask their real agenda. Killing off millions by race and genotype to affectuate the "right people" to work their slave animal farms for them who will not be a problem and fit within their idea of a good race genetics.

    Anyone taking the time to read the blog would know all of the above. Is this Elizabeth????

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh ok. I can agree that forced or uninformed contraceptives or sterilization is a bit much. Even though some people believe this is going on, i'm still not sure about this. I can read articles about this, and listen to talks about it, but I find it highly improbable such a secret agenda is going on.

    However, I HIGHLY doubt one can take the world's population and fit it into Texas, and give them a quarter acre each. You can think this if you want, but I don't believe it.

    Venezuela, and all other countries, would find their problems lessening with less population, and more importantly, a population educated enough to understand the rationale of taking care of themselves, and financially what that means. Other than this, we see what we have: governments incapable of coming up with resources to suit everybody's needs, whatever they want.

    Humanity growing up has got to start somewhere. I harbor some vague hope that if the Elites see the world population acting responsibly, then the Elites might be more inclined. Leastways the resources should be there, by freeing them up, for those truly unable to help themselves.

    See the movie Idiocracy , or read a review of it. It's what we have now. It is my feeling the Elites are simply culling the cream of the crop - the more intelligent ones capable of reason and with high IQs, for education and advancement. And why should they not? The converse is a world full of idiots who expect 'the government' to pay for everything for them.

    It's a deep issue. in order for Civilization to exist at all, there has to be planners. And planners work with resources available. It's not a sinister plot. Look at the phenomenon of single females giving birth and going on the public dole. i was told the high school down the street has a DAY CARE CENTER for crissakes. you may think this an 'enlightened' advancement to provide day care for high schoolers and giving them WIC and whatever else in the way of public programs -- and picking mine and your pockets to pay for it.

    I don't call it an 'advancement'. I call it an Idiocracy .

    ReplyDelete
  4. Seems I forgot a URL for an overview of The Magnitude Of Population Growth And Its Consequences

    http://www.populationmedia.org/issues/

    ReplyDelete
  5. Well, we can agree to disagree, however, for you to say you do not believe there are bad people trying to take a legit issue and use it for their own nefarious purposes, is a bit insulting. lol Not too much though.

    If you believe that then you have not been paying attention at all. Does that mean slowly gutting our bill of rights has a good purpose? Or poisoning our food is just our imagination? Passing that SB 510 taking full control of our food away from us is ok???? Chemtrails with aluminum that eats the cortex of the brain is really just a joke????

    I mean come on, you can't be serious??? After all they have already done to us you still pretend that things are normal???? Here read and watch these and thats only 1/10th of what I have.

    http://vaticproject.blogspot.com/2010/12/obama-depopulation-policy-exposed-red.html

    http://vaticproject.blogspot.com/2010/03/bill-gates-talks-about-vaccines-to.html

    http://vaticproject.blogspot.com/2010/11/bill-gates-funds-approval-of-gm.html

    http://vaticproject.blogspot.com/2010/05/bill-gates-funds-covert-vaccine.html

    http://vaticproject.blogspot.com/2010/10/media-pushes-brain-eating-vaccine-nano.html

    ReplyDelete

Vatic Clerk Tips: After 7 days, all comments to an article go into the moderation queue for approval which happens at least once a day. Please be patient.

Be respectful in your comments, keeping in mind that these discussions will become the Zeitgeist of our time that future database archeologists will discover. Make your comments worthy and on the founding father's level in their respectfulness, reasoning, and sound argumentation. Prove we weren't all idiots in our day and age. Comments that advocate sedition or violence are not encouraged. Racist, ad hominem, and troll-baiting comments might never see the light of day.