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Bush Faces Venezuelan Test Sunday
In a big test for President Bush’s foreign policy, on Sunday Venezuela holds a recall election with the following question:
- Do you agree to nullify for the current presidential term the popular mandate conferred through democratic and legitimate elections on Mr Hugo Rafael Chavez Frias as president of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela?
In 2002, the Bush Administration failed to support a coup against Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Consequently, the tyrannical Chavez regime has been consolidating power. Further, Chavez’s potential for fomenting international conflict has demonstrated itself in his support for terrorists in Colombia and hosting of al-Qaeda terrorists.
Instead of a coup, the Bush Administration has supported the recall process as a constitutional and peaceful process for change. Ironically, this is the opposite of US policies toward Saddam’s Iraq, Iran, and Cuba.
Further, it is evidence that the US State Department did not learn the lesson of Yugoslavia, where constitutional change removing checks and balances led to a democratically elected tyrant, and a blood bath. In Venezuela, the coup was precipitated by similar constitutional changes.
According to the Bush Administration’s Venezuelan policy, the majority of Venezuelan’s will either vote themselves into or out of Marxist slavery on Sunday. Under the same democratic idealism, the majority of Iraq may vote itself into Islamist slavery.
This Socratic fallacy that the majority may rightly vote by whim to destroy an individual was rebuked in the US Constitution’s design of limited government, check and balances, and protection of individual rights. Unfortunately, the Bush Administration does not recognize that this design is undemocratic for a good reason.
Chavez and Castro Embrace
Image Source: Esmas
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The Bush Administration did, in fact explicitly support the coup, and only supported the bizarre recall process when the coup failed. The comparison to the former Yugoslavia is irrelevant, as the issue in Venezuela is not religious or racial, but whether the oligarchs should resume their God-given position as unquestioned rulers over the wishes of the clear majority of the country.
It is a truly herculean effort to turn "honest elections" into "marxist slavery". Prior to Chavez, the wealth of Venezuela had become more concentrated, and opportunities for the 80 percent of the country who were poor had virtually disappeared. Chavez has given political voice to the majority of his country, and they have spoken. It will be interesting to see if the very rich can rig another election.
Don't mistake oligarchy for freedom.
8/16/04 10:11 PM
The point regarding Yugoslavia is relevant in that the issue is constitution changes that weakens structural controls in favor of greater democratization, but in effect empowers tyrannical demagogues.
Regarding Marxist slavery, Chavez advocates public ownership of the means of production, and redistribution of revenue based upon need.
Regarding jimatarrow's comment on freedom, there is no mistake. Freedom is a consequence of Justice. As Chavez does not offer Justice, he will not increase Freedom.