Negroponte: Chavez A Threat To Democracy

[Gold9472]

Chavez a threat to democracy, US intelligence chief says

http://rawstory.com/news/2006/Chavez_a_threat_to_democracy_US_int_01302007.html

Published: Tuesday January 30, 2007

Washington - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez exports a form of "radical populism" throughout Latin America that poses a threat to democracy, the top US intelligence official said Tuesday. John Negroponte, during hearings on his nomination to become deputy secretary of state, warned that frustration in Latin America about the lack of prosperity under democratic governments could further fuel the populism advocated by Chavez.

US-Venezuelan relations have suffered during Chavez's presidency. Chavez has travelled the world lambasting what he considers American imperialism and in September called US President George W Bush "the devil."

Washington has objected to Chavez's crackdown on free media and civil rights groups, and says democratic institutions under his rule have been marginalized. Chavez is expected to be granted powers this week to issue decrees without parliamentary approval - a move that has been criticized by Venezuelan opposition parties as a step towards totalitarianism.

"His behaviour is threatening to democracies in the region," Negroponte told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Chavez's populist style has caught on in countries like Bolivia and Ecuador, which have elected presidents that have bypassed trade negotiations with Washington in favour of working out deals with US rivals like China.

"One of the trends that we need to be concerned about is a kind of a frustration among some of the populations of Latin America that democracy is not necessarily delivering the kinds of results that people had hoped for," Negroponte said.

"I think countries like Bolivia, among others, have been under the influence of Mr Chavez, who's been trying to export his kind of radical populism."

A career diplomat, Negroponte served as US ambassador to Honduras and Mexico as well as to the United Nations and Iraq. He has been serving as Bush's intelligence czar. His nomination to return to the State Department under Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is expected to be approved by the Senate.

[Eckolaker]

Looks like we may shift our focus from Iran to Chavez. Although, "they" are bold enough to go after both at the same time.

to quote Pee Wee Herman...."Connect the dots, La LaLa La La".

[PhilosophyGenius]

I don't understand why Chavez would do that (assuming this info isn't distorted or there's context to it). I thought Chavez was a man of the people and the majority loved him.

[Eckolaker]

The article is pure disinformation.

Further more, it doesn't mention anything about what the people think, but simply that the "opposing" party says its a step towards full "totalitarianism"


"It is not an escalation, it is an augmentation." Sound familiar?

"We know the WMD's are located somewhere north, south, east, and west of Tikrit". How about that one?

"The planes hit the towers, the towers fell down!" hehehe

[Gold9472]

Here (http://www.911blogger.com/node/4443)...

[Good Doctor HST]

Washington - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez exports a form of "radical populism" throughout Latin America that poses a threat to democracy, the top US intelligence official said Tuesday. John Negroponte, during hearings on his nomination to become deputy secretary of state, warned that frustration in Latin America about the lack of prosperity under democratic governments could further fuel the populism advocated by Chavez.


Populism

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Populism is a political philosophy or rhetorical style that appeals to the common people to unite and change societal structures ruled by an entrenched, self-serving or corrupt elite. [1] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Populist#_note-0) Most scholarship on populism since 1980 has discussed it as a rhetorical style that can be used to promote a variety of political ideologies.[2] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Populist#_note-1) Leaders of populist movements in recent decades have claimed to be on both the left (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left_wing_politics) and the right (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right_wing_politics) of the political spectrum, while some populists claim to be neither "left wing," "centrist (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centrism)" nor "right wing."[3] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Populist#_note-2)

Leaders of populist movements have variously promised to stand up to corporate (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporation) power, remove "corrupt" elites, fight for the "poor people of the country", and "put people first." Populism incorporates anti-regime politics, and sometimes espouses, especially among the right wing (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right_wing) varieties, nationalism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nationalism), jingoism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jingoism), racism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racism) or religious fundamentalism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fundamentalism).[4] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Populist#_note-3) Often they employ dichotomous (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dichotomy) rhetoric, and claim to represent the majority of the people. Many populists appeal to a specific region of a country or to a specific social class, such as the working class (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Working_class), middle class (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_class), or farmers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agriculture) or simply "the poor".

[Gold9472]

That's crazy.

[Good Doctor HST]

So I guess Radical Populism means rule for the benefit of citizens that the citizens really, really, fervently like. Yeah, what a horrible concept huh, Negroponte....

[Gold9472]

Words are fun...

Pop·u·lism –noun (http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=populism&x=0&y=0)

1. the political philosophy of the People's party.

2. (lowercase) any of various, often antiestablishment or anti-intellectual political movements or philosophies that offer unorthodox solutions or policies and appeal to the common person rather than according with traditional party or partisan ideologies.

3. (lowercase) grass-roots democracy; working-class activism; egalitarianism. (Gold9472: I didn't red egalitarianism cause I don't know what it means.)

4. (lowercase) representation or extolling of the common person, the working class, the underdog, etc.: populism in the arts.

[MrDark71]

Wow are you guys way off.....remember the huge oil reserves in Colombia and Venezuela?
They do.

[Eckolaker]

Wow are you guys way off.....remember the huge oil reserves in Colombia and Venezuela?
They do.

Blasphemy!

Venezuelans control of their own oil is a threat to democracy!

[Good Doctor HST]

Wow are you guys way off.....remember the huge oil reserves in Colombia and Venezuela?
They do.

Of course we know the real reason Venezuela is scowled upon by the U.S.A. Hugo has disrespected the Family; he won't pay his dues to the Don. He insists on using oil profits for the benefit of his own country. To see what may happen to Venezuela in the near future, please refer to what happened to Guatemala when Arbenz tried to aid his countrymen with monetary benefits from the United Fruit Company, circa early 1950's....

I just thought it was funny that Negroponte threw together two words like "radical populism" and tried to pass that off as a scare tactic. I mean, he could've went with any derivative of Dictator to get the point across (not true either, but in his case it would've worked better).

[Uber Commandante]

this reminds me of a talk show I was listening to (I think on BBC) where this reporter was saying that Chavez's influence was outsized because he was 'buying' friends by spreading the wealth around.

I thought to myself..."um, self. Isn't that the FUCKING POINT OF SOCIALISM????"

meaning, to spread the wealth around, rather then just keep it for a few greedy bastards. And of course that was a BAD thing to this reporter/tool who didn't even understand what a fool she was.

[AuGmENTor]

this reminds me of a talk show I was listening to (I think on BBC) where this reporter was saying that Chavez's influence was outsized because he was 'buying' friends by spreading the wealth around.

I thought to myself..."um, self. Isn't that the FUCKING POINT OF SOCIALISM????"

meaning, to spread the wealth around, rather then just keep it for a few greedy bastards. And of course that was a BAD thing to this reporter/tool who didn't even understand what a fool she was.The way that reads sounds as if you embrace socialism. Is that the case? Just wonderin is all, as I have never met anyone who did.