Go Chavez!

I can't believe Guatemala is even in contention. After so many years of impunity and genocide, it scares me to think that they could get on the security council. I mean Chavez has a loud mouth, but his battles are of ideas. And frankly, he would be an effective voice of the global south.

I pray that Venezuela is successful and that the U.S. and John (henchman)Bolton has not threatened (with their foreign aid refusals) and intimidated other countries into going along with them in selecting their crony Guatemala. But these days the UN (thanks to Bush administration intervention) is very ineffective and I would prefer that the other countries in the world develop their "own UN" group because the U.S., Britain and the other major superpowers will simply undermine any existing organization and render it ineffective or manipulate it for its own benefit.
Bush is very much the "DEVIL" as Chavez described him given his cheating (in the election - couldn't even legally get elected here), daily doses of lies, secrets, torturing, denial and self-serving changing of international and national laws, unlimited corruption, doling out millions to his friends and associates and continuing coverups. This country is most disgusting on every level in 2006 and I don't know how they can lead or direct any country or anyone, especially so-called "dictators," when their own actions are exactly the same on every level. The kidnap, kill, detain children, old people, fathers, sons and anyone without a clue who they are, launch innumerable "fear campaigns" to keep its people scared and supporting their misdeeds and absolutely illegal activties. They then have the audacity to try to hide everything calling it "a national security risk" when they and their actions have been the greatest threat to our national security than even 9/11.
I sincerely pray that God rids us of all of these devils as soon as is humanely possible.

After that ridiculous tirade, I pray the G. Pope dies of cancer!

Bush worries me more than Chavez, Ahmedinejad, or all the "Axis of Evil". I have seen pictures of Chavez hugging Castro and Ahmedinejad. Castro is a Communist, and Ahmedinejad is a conservative Muslim. When a leader pursues his country's national interest, and is not seeking to recreate the world in his own image, he must deal with all types of people and governments. Anyone who does not embrace "free trade" and a world controlled by multinational business interests becomes an enemy of the Bush Administration. I would rather have a beer with Chavez.

I believe Venezuela will be vitorious this coming monday. Times are changing and the third world wants an independent voice in the security council. Venezuela is that voice. Go Chavez, Go Venezuela.

Guess what? After Chavez's tirade in the UN about being the "devil", many governments might be having second thoughts about supporting somebody who risks converting the UN into a circus (not that it's much different now).

By the way, it's just laughable at how people might support autocrats like Chavez (or Ahmadinejad, for that matter) just to satisfy their own little personal vendettas against the George Bush. Oh, where is the "progressive" compassion?

Hey, any laughter is good for a Friday.

The UNSC desperately needs Venezuela's presence. It may not be enough to stave off the dogs of war, but it also just might.

Cut down on the caffene G. Pope! Get a life Bob.
The end of the world will not occur if the clown get his security council seat (as long as US stays in the room for crucial votes and not pull a USSR--Korea, 1950).
History will eventually pull him down (election or a coup). Castro had big ambitions but look at him now-Chavez is no Castro.

Chavez is a misget and without oil money would be begging for any assistance the US might be willing to offer. Our best hope is to ignore the little runt and any rant or rlunatic ravings he might make. Othwise if he buys his way into the Security Council the US can simply veto anything he might want to push.

Hey Bob -

Read what G. Pope says. Admittedly, he's going on a rant; but, "cheating (in the election - couldn't even legally get elected here), daily doses of lies, secrets, torturing, denial and self-serving changing of international and national laws, unlimited corruption, doling out millions to his friends and associates and continuing coverups." ... is all but exactly accurate. The cheating in the election -we'll never really know because Bush's cronies made sure a recount wouldn't happen.

But the rest... Bush does all those things. Just use your brain and read.

I say we start up some removal programs for American libs. We need to encourage them to follow their words and move to one of these left wing uptopias they keep romanticising.
Remember, you all support dictators over your own president.

For the sake of the world, and for the sake of Latin America, I hope "el loco" doesn't win. If there was anybody else being the leader of Venezuela, I wouldn't mind, but this guy is a nut and is just going to undermine the UN (more than it itself has already).

Chavez is already trying to destabilize South America and for all the rants about US intervention, is meddling in elections of other countries and militarizing the region.

Guatemala doesn't have a perfect record, but then again this is not the Guatemala of the past. Plus, maybe this will give Central America more visibility.

Liberals support dictators over their own country everytime. They hate "America" they are disgusted by our culture.

Look, lots of us dislike Bush, but that doesn't mean we have to support and be an apologist for every other person that doesn't like Bush. C'mon, Chavez is a wanabe dictator who doesn't beleive in the freedom of speech. We can protest against Bush without selling out our principles and supporting an obviously terrible man like Chavez

Chavez is the man! a leader with big "bolas" who is going to challange the Zionist running the USA and who want to rule the world.

Bolton's mustache is going to be erased by Chavez.

Latin American countries, Africa, the Middle East and Asia will be well represented by Venezuela.

Bob,
You are the typical republican (it's people like you that has brought the Bush curses to power)

Let's face it. You have to give Chavez credit for coming up with some pretty interesting campaigns and using parody to get his message across, dictator wannabe or not.

Augusto, the UN didn't quite undermine itself except in terms of conceptualization. The roots of its weakened legitimacy extends back to its inception due to the diplomatic wars as to which intergovernmental organizations would actually wield some power (IMF/IBRD - now World Bank/and what would become WTO). (See Nassau Adams' "Worlds Apart" for a great review of its history.) I don't think though that we have seen a more critical blow to the institution's legitimacy than the SC meeting in February 2001, which was not the UN's doing.

So, given the fact that the UN and those that it represents without vetoing power really have no "hard power" anyway, I think it would be very interesting to have an alternative voice with some creativity to his style. I believe that the "circus" allegation has already very much been in existence at least since 2001 if not earlier, so there's nothing that Chavez would to really make the situation worse.

What is the meaning of democracy for some comentators. If a country receives more than 2/3 of the votes and by the rules It can take turn holding the board presidency,
As a consecuence democratically "Venezuela could chair the body at least once during its term" You have to undertand that in that case that is the will of the people of the world, at least from most of them.
saludos, and Power to the people.

José

What is the meaning of democracy for some comentators. If a country receives more than 2/3 of the votes and by the rules It can take turn holding the board presidency,
As a consecuence democratically "Venezuela could chair the body at least once during its term" You have to undertand that in that case that is the will of the people of the world, at least from most of them.
saludos, and Power to the people.

José

Chavez succesfully survived 2 coup attempts spearheaded by the oil and gas oligarchy (Venezuelan and American-backed) and has worked to use his country's oil reserves to empower traditionally oppressed people. Prior to the Iraq War the refrain from "Road Warrior" - "Gasoline, Gasoline" seemed extremely relavent. While these reserves will be gone in 50 years, the world will be radically reshaped in those 50 years. Instead of using oil reserves to prop up corrupt cancerous racist regimes, as as traditionally been the case, Chavez has embarked on a dangerous but very admirable path. Yes, he has forged alledgiances with dangerous regimes (i.e. Iran) but war is not a polite affair. America has turned the world into a prison yard and now looks shellshocked as the world bares down on a rapist.

There are several postings in my blog concerning Chavez's infamous speech at the United Nations General Assembly last September. Diego Arria, Former U.N. Venezuelan Ambassador, is reporting that Chavez is actively campaigning at the United Nations for the Security Council Seat.

My blog is: http://maruangarita.blogspot.com/

I have come to the conclusion that terms like Liberal or Conservative reflect attitudes and not coherent political philosophies. I am totally disgusted with the term Neoliberal. My own political views are formed around the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and subsequent civil rights admendments. These are the documents that make me an American nationalist and a Democrat. No right wing idiot who supports the corporate Facism of the Bush Administration will ever tell me I don't belong in America.

How long has Condoleezza Rice been playing piano for Jorge Castamierda? Would he accept a cabinet position in her administration, now that he's become U.S furniture.

As hard as I tried, I just can't get interested in Chaves. I know he is a dictator, that he has lot's of oil, that he travels to places like Iran, and that he is best of friends with Fidel Castro (how much longer??). My interest in this man totally evaporated when he gave this insulting speech at the UN calling Bush "The Devil" - obviously he is a coward when you insult the real host of the country you are in. I know we have to watch him very closely and I'm sure we will. Next subject please.

As a native Venezuelan I pray to God that Chavez does not get elected to the Security Council for he would hardly be an asset to the Council. On the contrary, he would use it to promote his communist ideas, although not ideals, for his only ideal is to gain more and more power to be used against the true democracies of the world. I also wish fervently that he will lose our presidential elections in December for that would be the ruin of our country and the end of democracy and freedom for 26 million people.

I don't really know why he is so eager for that seat at UN, the Un's site is in the USA and there lives its president, Mr. G.W. Bush, of whom he referes with the least kindest words, maybe in his troubled mind(to say the least)what he really wants is "to get a little closer".

In a global system dominated by a capitalist social relations, asymmetrical relations between the developed countries and the developing countries, an intesive struggle epidemic of a bougoise interstate system, it is refreshing to listen and act upon the teachings of the voice of the opperessed and expoloited, Hugo Chavez. Chavez eloquoently exposed the class and imperialist nature of the United Nations, its history of collaborating with the US imperialism in its pursuit of bringing the developing countries to their knees. Further, Chavez correctly argued that the current United Nations is a heirarchical system representing the interest of its permanent members with is in contradication to the very idea of sovergnty and the treatment of all nations as equal partners in the international relations. Today US is commiting crimes against humanity in many parts of the world, including Iraq and Afghanistan. North Korea has every right to pursue nuclear capablities because its national interests so dictate. US has the atomic capacity to destroy the earth and huminity many times over. US is the only country that has ever used atomic bomb on civilian population. US has commited crimes the people of the Vietnam, Dominican Republics, Guatemala, Iran, Philippin,Chili, Aghanistan and many others. Us possesses absolutely no legitimacy to dictate to other countries not to pursue nuclear capablities when these countries are at any time threatend by US occupation

Mohammad,try speaking your mind in your native country and see what happens. You criticize the country that allows you the freedom to do so without reprisal. Chavez is a dictator, not a democrat and he is the son that Fidel Castro never had. He has done nothing useful for his country and never will. He spends money on arms while the roads fall apart. As a native Venezuelan, I can state that Chavez is a rude and disgraceful person.

I am a Uruguayan engineer.

Mr. Chavez government provided money to lift from the ground 2 very important and traditional manufacturing companies in Uruguay: Funsa (the only manufacturer of tires and rubber gloves) and Envidrio (the only manufacturer of glass bottles and containers). These two companies were part of an industrial base that dissapeared from Uruguay in the 1980s and 1990s, when the Uruguayan government then established that Uruguay future would be in the "services" area (following policies directed by the IMF and other international US supported organizations).

These policies represented a catastrophe for the still existing industry in Uruguay. People were layed off, entire neighboorhoods and towns were left in poverty, and engineers and other professionals had to emmigrate.

Uruguayans who worked in well paid industrial jobs for years, went to work as waiters/waitresses, store and bank clerks, and maids (filling in the "services" jobs recommended by the IMF as the future of the country) for low wage salaries and minimum benefits.

At the same time, the engineering programs and college infrastructure related to manufacturing, chemical, industrial engineering, etc., deteriorated to a point where many of us asked ourselves why the college of engineering of the University of the Republic was still opened to students that would not be able to find jobs in the country.

But nobody wanted to face reality and make the decision to close the college of engineering, so it continued opened and offering outdated education in a "make believe" world.

And how much money was involved in order to be able to update the equipment and infrastructure of the tire factory and the glass factory, to make them competitive with the neighboring countries? Just an investment of under 4 million dollars. Yes, just that small amount of money (considering American parameters) was needed to bring up two big factories that supply all the glass containers and all the tires in the country...

But what is much more important, these factories bring hope to many young people in this small country, and perhaps can give jobs to young engineers, so they hopefully won't have to face ever the hate of Americans if they get into the US as "illegal aliens" because they don't have jobs in Uruguay.

Why didn't the US government look for friends in Uruguay by helping to lift projects like this from the ground, important to many people and young professionals in Uruguay?

By the way, the US government does supply some money every year to the armed forces in Uruguay.

Sandy, you don't know what you are talking about,so refrain from giving an opinion until you have researched.

G Pope, why not? If Chavez can bribe with Oil Dollars, why can't the US use bribes like "aid refusal"? BTW, Chavez cannot win without fraud. So, what is your beef?

P,J, Casey: "Ahmedinejad is a conservative Muslim", surely you jest.

Palomudo (dumb stick), mejor te quedas mudo (better that you stay dumb - as in deaf and "dumb").

Jose Soto: There is nothing "democratic" about Chavez. You are believing the Vzlan Embassy propaganda. Do your own research.

Tamara, you would have to put a "time limit" on speeches. Chavez can go on and on and on and on for 5 or 6 hours.

Maria Luisa Nino: From your mouth to God's ears.

Mohammad. Try to speak for yourself. Your comments are so "text book" communist. Try something original.

To all of you Left Wingers, come to Venezuela and visit just Caracas (if you wish to visit the interior of the country, do so at your own risk). Reading and listening to the Chavista propaganda, isn't enough. Come and see for yourselves. Murders are higher than Irak (a country at war), there are any number of "political prisoners", there are more than 2.000.000 (yes, two million) people living under bridges or wherever they can find to sleep -in a country of only 26 million), unemployment, when you set aside the street vendors as the government does, is ONLY 14%, inflation is, to date, at about 20%, 80% of the people eat only one, yes ONE, meal a day, this in a country with "record" oil income.

Get real !!!! Most of you have no idea how bad things are in Venezuela. And, for those that just reguritate communist "idiology", save it for another country. We know what we are living.

BTW, has anyone noticed that Ecuador is rejecting a Leftist candidate? Another "failure" for Chavez and Castro. Happy day !!!!

Para La Reina Picara:

Amiga, me parece que lo que tienes que hacer es comparar la situacion de pobreza en Venezuela a traves de la historia. No estoy tratando de ser irrespetuosa, tu sabras mejor lo que pasa en tu pais que lo que yo puedo saber.

Pero por lo que yo se, Venezuela es un pais en el que los pobres siempre fueron dejados de lado, y la violencia, debido a la pobreza endemica, siempre fue alta. Tu dices que hay dos millones de personas viviendo en la calle. Que pasaba en Venezuela con los anteriores gobiernos? El numero de gente en la calle era mas bajo, igual o mas alto?

Tu presidente Chavez no sera lo mejor, pero fijate cuales son las posibilidades de mejorar la situacion de pobreza en gobiernos de la derecha en America Latina. Has visto algun pais de Latinoamerica donde la derecha ha mejorado la pobreza y la educacion de los pobres?

Mira que yo no soy ninguna comunista, nunca vote por el socialismo, siempre fui esceptica. Sin embargo, ya ves, Uruguay tiene el primer gobierno socialista en la historia del pais debido a que los otros gobiernos nunca hicieron nada por la gente del pais.

"He spends money on arms while the roads fall apart. ... I can state that Chavez is a rude and disgraceful person."

Says "denalb," a so-called "native Venezuelan"...

Ok. Well, how about we ask the CIA.
Do you know what military spending as a percentage of GDP is?
We all know the USA spends the most on arms, but they have the largest economy, so its understandable. Actually, by looking at Military Spending as related to GDP, we can see the level of militarism of a given country.

According to the CIA Factbook:
https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/rankorder/2034rank.html

Rank

Country

Military expenditures - percent of GDP
(%)

Date of Information
1
Eritrea 17.70
2
Jordan 11.40
3
Oman 11.40
4
Qatar 10.00
5
Saudi Arabia 10.00
6
Angola 8.80
7
Israel 7.70
8
Liberia 7.50
9
Madagascar 7.20
10
Armenia 6.50
...
22
China 4.30
23
Djibouti 4.30
24
Greece 4.30
25
Kuwait 4.20
26
United States 4.06
27
Zimbabwe 4.00
28
Libya 3.90
29
Tajikistan 3.90
30
Pakistan 3.90
...
123
Belgium 1.30
124
Brazil 1.30
125
Latvia 1.20
126
Spain 1.20 2003
127
Venezuela 1.20

Do you see this?
The USA is 25th in the world in percentage of GDP spent on the military, Venezuela is 127th out of 167.

The USA spends 4.06% of GDP on military, more than Pakistan's 3.9% and almost as much as China's 4.3%!!!

Whereas: Venezuela spends only 1.2% of GDP on military expenditures, or "arms" as a so-called "native Venezuelan" calling him/herself "denalb" refers to them. That's less than Belgium, less than Denmark.

So who is the warmonger now?
I hope that $500 Billion military budget is worth the deficeit. Chavez's wealth may be based on oil resources, but at least he is not in debt to China through treasury bonds. This is why the USA can't do anything to anger China, and why China will eventually take over the world.

Look when Bob and whoever else on repugs rightside get done with their quotes. We will do right to get rid of the white- suprimacist who keep attacking those of us who are doing little more than what the first amendment of the constitution allows us and that is the "freedom of speech"

Lucia, tu respuesta a la Reina Picara es tipica de una persona que esta viendo los toros desde la barrera. Te puedo garantizar que todo lo que ella dice es la purita verdad pues yo lo estoy viviendo junto con ella. Has visto tu alguna vez a alguien hurgando en los pipotes de basura para ver si encuentra algo que comer? Has visto tu niños haciendo malabarismos hasta con limones en los semáforos para recoger unas cuantas monedas que no alcanzan ni para comprar pan? Has visto tu gente en harapos echadas en las puertas de las panaderías o del automercado que se los permita pidiendo que les regales algo de comer? Has visto tu familias enteras escarbando en los botaderos de basura de la ciudad en busca de algo que sirva para lo que sea? Has visto tú gente desarmada atacada ferozmente con bombas lacrimógenas y perdigones en manifestaciones pacíficas reclamando sus derechos? Y alguna vez ha caído muerta al lado tuyo alguna persona por esa misma razón? Has visto a presos políticos condenados a años de prisión por el solo hecho de usar su derecho a la libertad de expresión? Amiga, no sé de dónde vienes ni que habrás leído y te creo que no seas comunista, pero todo lo que te digo arriba lo he vivido yo (y millones de venezolanos) en carne propia. Y ahora el cínico de Chavez tiene el descaro de decir que necesita mas tiempo y que todo lo que ha hecho es por AMOR! Te reconozco que la pobreza y el abandono de las clases más desposeídas siempre han existido y en gobiernos anteriores no se les ha dado las soluciones urgentes que esto requiere, pero lo que sí te puedo garantizar pues tengo casi 8 años viviéndolo, es que lo que está pasando en Venezuela hoy en día, gracias a un maniatico como Chavez que ha acabado con todo lo que es decente y legal en este país en pro de acumular mas y mas poder, JAMAS se había visto aquí antes y le pido con todo mi corazón a ese Dios que está en el cielo y en el cual creo fervientemente, que no se vea NUNCA MAS!

The best option? We must root for whoever the U.S. opposes. Washington under Bush is today the greatest threat to humanity and this planet; in these extreme dangerous circumstances, whoever takes a strong stand against the Bush regime deserves our support.

Para Maria Luisa Nino

Amiga, todo lo que tu mencionas lo he visto en Uruguay y en Argentina, tanto durante la dictadura militar como con los gobiernos que vinieron despues. Yo soy de Uruguay.

Lo que tu mencionas de la gente comiendo de la basura, chicos en los semaforos pidiendo, y aun mas, mujeres, chicos y chicas menores prostituyendose para comer, todo eso esta pasando ahora en los paises de America del Sur y America Central, y eso yo lo vi en mi pais y tambien en Argentina.

Lo puedes ver ahora mismo si viajas a Mexico tambien.

Amiga, los gobiernos derechistas tampoco solucionaron nada de eso, y la gente necesita tener esperanza de que esas cosas pueden cambiar, por eso la gente vota gobiernos populistas, socialistas, etc., porque los otros ya tuvieron su oportunidad y nada mejoro.

Te digo por experiencia, Uruguay y Argentina son paises tradicionalmente de gente muy bien educada, donde la mayoria estaba acostumbrada a ser de clase media y no se votaba por el socialismo, el comunismo o nada de eso.

Los malos gobiernos y los malos consejos de organismos internacionales como el IMF (y el desinteres de los gobiernos de US) convirtieron a esos paises casi en paises tan pobres como los paises africanos, y hasta gente de clase media se podia ver en Buenos Aires y en Montevideo comiendo de la basura. Que te parece?

Pues, mi niña, tu si tienes con que comentar....no como algunos de estos, como Antonio, que comentar ridiculeces.

Si, la situación en Latin América está caotica, pero Venezuela tiene entadas "record" si todo se esta utilizando para construir casas en Cuba (con todos los que necesitan casas en Venezuela), asfaltar carreteras en Bolivia (cuando las nuestras se estan cayendo a pedazos), comprar armas (¿para qué? ¿Atacar a Colombia? Porque ni este bolsa seria tan estupido como para atacar a USA), construir bases militares en Bolivia (Chile debe estar feliz de tener nuevas bases en Bolivia). Lo unico que Chavez ha hecho en Venezuela es implementar las misiones (que no son nuevos.....solo tenian otros nombres bajo otros gobiernos, y el mismo los elimino cuando subio a la Silla Grande). Y, ¿sabes cuanto le pagan a los que estan en las misiones? Lo que aqui llaman un "sueldo basico" que, ademas, no cubre para comprar la "cesta basica" de comida. Inmaginate que Chavez le esta regalando "heating fuel" a los, y que, pobres del Bronx. Quisieran los pobres de Vzla recibir los que los "pobres" del Bronx reciben de su gobierno....se sentirian reyes. Y, mi siquiera te he comentado sobre la corrupcion (robo) de este gobierno. It is mind boggling.

No, Lucia, este gobierno esta hundiendo a Venezuela. ¿Sabes que Chavez ha dicho que siempre destruye lo que ama? Dos matrimonios, el CAN, el Mercosur, las Fuerzas Armadas, PDVSA, y pare usted de contar. Este hombre es la peor plaga que le ha caido a Venezuela.

Amigas venezolanas,

De la misma manera que yo les comento como es que el populismo y el socialismo ha ganado elecciones en Uruguay, Uds se tienen que preguntar como es que Chavez gano elecciones en Venezuela, porque el tiene los conciudadanos de Uds. que lo estan votando y lo estan defendiendo
(como en el caso del apoyo que recibio durante el golpe que trato de sacarlo del poder, porque no fue posible sacarlo del poder en ese entonces).

Hay una razon para esto, hay una razon detras y es que la gente venezolana que lo esta apoyando, desde mi punto de vista, no ve que existe posibilidad de que otros politicos o fuerzas politicas en Venezuela puedan mejorar la situacion social alli. Quizas porque muchos gobiernos han pasado en Venezuela, y nadie mejoro la situacion de los pobres.

Tu comentas del sueldo basico que pagan en las misiones que no alcanza a ser una canasta basica...Te cuento que el gobierno socialista de Uruguay, tambien esta dando algo asi, pagando un sueldito para paliar un poco el hambre de los que estan en la calle. Mira, es mejor eso que nada en absoluto, si te pones a pensar. Y estoy segura de que si tu hablas con mucha gente que recibe el sueldito, muchos si no la mayoria, estan contentos porque antes los gobiernos no daban nada.

Por otro lado, yo creo que Chavez esta ayudando a Bolivia, a los pobres del Bronx y a otros paises principalmente para obtener apoyo politico externo. Mira, el gobierno socialista de Chile en 1973, que fue votado en las elecciones por los chilenos, fue sacado a sangre y fuego del poder porque a Nixon no le gustaba la posibilidad de un gobierno socialista en America Latina.

Y ojo, Allende era un moderado, y nunca hablo en contra de Estados Unidos en los foros mundiales. Y cuando el gobierno de Allende cayo, nadie pero nadie en el mundo protesto, o hizo bloqueos, o nada de nada. Y por que? Porque Allende no hizo lobby afuera del pais para tener apoyo externo a su gobierno. Entonces, la dictadura militar hizo lo que quiso en Chile, y con el apoyo de los paises poderosos del mundo.

Y sabes lo que creo, que la culpa de muchas actitudes de Chavez y de otros en Latinoamerica la tiene el gobierno de Estados Unidos por haber tenido por mucho tiempo y por tener ahora una posicion de tanta soberbia, y por tanta hipocrecia en sus relaciones con estos paises.

En cuanto a Venezuela, amigas, la forma de sacar a Chavez es votando. Si el trata de reformar la constitucion para quedarse mas tiempo, la gente de Venezuela todavia tiene el voto por si o por no a la reforma constitucional.

En Uruguay, en 1980 la gente voto por NO a la reforma constitucional que el gobierno militar propuso para quedarse en el poder, y por eso el gobierno militar tuvo que dejar el poder en 1984.

Adrain McDonald wrote:
--Do you know what military spending as a percentage of GDP is? We all know the USA spends the most on arms, but they have the largest economy, so its understandable. Actually, by looking at Military Spending as related to GDP, we can see the level of militarism of a given country.--

That is a false comparison if I ever saw one. Why should military spending be in anyway related to GDP? The only influence GDP has on military spending is to limit it. A country typically spends what it needs to spend based on its perceived threats and within its military alliances and economic realities. To say that a country's GDP determines the level of spending, and thus a higher level of spending per GDP is a sign of militarism, is laughable. You undercut your own argument since China is on par with the US!

Now, the other mistake you make in your poor analysis is that you assume each country is spending for its own defense. That is probably true of Jordan, China and many other countries, but the US is doing a lot more. We have troops in Japan, Germany, South Korea and many other places to act as deterents. We provide a nuclear umbrella for Europe and allies in Asia and that is not cheap. We maintain a slew of satallites to observe world threats and share that information with allies who have no satallites.

Few other countries on earth spread their military around to protect other nations as does the US. It stands pretty much alone in this respect. If the US were to announce it was withdrawling its forces from around the world, including its nuclear umbrella, and would no longer share satallite and other intelligence information, you would hear a groan from our allies and war planning from the likes or Iran, North Korea, Syria, and possibly Russia. And China would certainly attack Taiwan the next day. Think about it ... if the US were to isolate itself and withdrawl its protective military umbrella, war would be the result, not to mention an increase in spending for those countries now laid bare with our withdrawl, Japan and South Korea being the most obvious. That is why many of us believe the US maintains its military forces to maintain peace. Bush's military adventures are an aberation unlikely to be repeated in the future considering we now have a solid history of presidents being destroyed by unpopular wars they created or supported. But that should be expected from a C-student who likely skipped history class like he skipped his Guard duties.

Sully is da man!

All those who decry the United States' military spending like to think themselves as holding some kind of moral ground. It's easy to say, "Oh, if only the "empire" spent less on defense, there would be less poverty in the world." At the same time, it's that same military power the very institution that allows these people to have the freedom of speech to rail against the "empire."

When there are natural disasters around the world, the United States is the one that normally provides the bulk in logistics to transport food, water, and medicine to those places (as a small example, using an aircraft carrier to transport, among other things, thousands of bottles of clean water to Indonesia for the tsunami victims).

And as usual, when a conflict arises in the world, the "empire" is always the first country sought to end it, the prime example now being Darfur. Why haven't the oh-so moral Europeans intervened in Darfur? Why haven't Sudan's "African brothers" stopped the genocide? Where are the "compassive progressives" of the world willing to sacrifice blood and treasure to free an millions of brutalized and famished North Koreans? And the list goes on and on.

Curiously, all the world demands the United States to do "something", because the rest of the world doesn't have the guts to "walk the walk."

Lucía, nos podemos pasar semanas enteras discutiendo los puntos tratados arriba, pero no creo que valga la pena ni nos lo permitan aquí. Hablas del voto y ese es la clave de todo. Tenemos un candidato de oposición que en pocas semanas ha aglutinado a millones de personas pobres que se dejaron manipular con las promesas engañosas de Chavez, quien utilizó su miseria para ganar votos y luego los desechó como desechas algo totalmente inservible. Ese candidato es honesto, se acerca a la gente y le reconoce sus problemas y les sugiere posibles soluciones de llegar a la presidencia. Pero volviendo al tema original del VOTO - El único interés de Chavez es acumular poder y más poder para su beneficio personal y de perder las elecciones no va a entregar el poder. Ya sabemos que las máquinas de votación están programadas para un gran fraude y las normas electorales establecidas en la constitución están siendo totalmente ignoradas por el Consejo Nacional Electoral que está manejado por Chávez ya que de sus 5 miembros principales 4 son chavistas. Así y todo saldremos masivamente a votar, para tratar de que no nos roben el voto y tendremos que defenderlo en la calle, a sangre y fuego, o como dicen los cubanos - patria o muerte. Es nuestra última oportunidad para salvar nuestra democracia y preservar nuestra libertad. Creo que nosotros los venezolanos hemos aprendido nuestra lección y con Manuel Rosales, el candidato único de oposición, lograremos corregir los errores del pasado, a pesar de agarrar un país saqueado y en ruinas. Chávez con su avión de jeque, relojes Cartier, trajes de Armani, etc. tiene la cara dura de decirle al pueblo hambriento que ser rico es malo. Rosales le dice al pueblo que en Venezuela todo el mundo tiene derecho a mejorar sus condiciones de vida y que hará todo lo que esté en su poder para acabar con la pobreza. En diciembre nuestro derecho al voto debería definir nuestro futuro, pero ese voto no será libre ni transparente y como ya te dije, tendremos que defenderlo con nuestras propias vidas y que Dios nos agarre confesados. Y para terminar, no creo que el problema radique en que el Jefe de Estado y su partido sean socialista o de derecha, el problema radica en los valores y principios éticos y morales de las personas que tienen la potestad y la obligación de conducir a un país por un camino donde todos los ciudadanos sean considerados iguales y con los mismos derechos.

You post some good comments, Maria Luisa. Also, Chavez spends so much money abroad trying to buy influence he desperately wants (and apparently won't get if the UN vote says anything), yet so many in his population are poorer than before.

It is a disgrace that somebody who proclaims himself as a voice of the needy and defenseless around the world perpetuates poverty, and now, autocracy, in Venezuela.

Matedecoca, in just a few words you hit the nail right on the head! Maybe now people who defend him here will begin to understand why we desperately hope not only that he doesn't get that seat at the UN Security Council, but also gets kicked out of our lifes forever and ends up in The Hague.

True, Maria Luisa, but that doesn't mean that the "traditional" politicians (Caldera and Lusinchi, just to give a small example) don't deserve some of the blame for the mess of the creation of Chavez.

I just hope that when Chavez's time is gone, the new government will truly work for the people, and not continue with Venezuela's sad track record of corruption and poverty.

I'm more interested to see how Chavez will do in the Venezuelan elections this December. Too bad it's only the UN elections that are secret ballot and not controlled by electronic voting machines.

I'm surprised no Chavez administration officials have publicly threatened to fire UN diplomats for abstaining from voting, as they did to Venezuelan government employees during the last "congressional" elections in VZ.

Why has nobody pointed out the obvious error in Hugo Chavez calling Mr. Bush "the Devil"? As I always heard this mythical creature described, he was not only evil, but also clever. So Bush cannot be your man, Sr. Chavez. Case closed.

B20, if we were to believe even 10% of the Bush haters' wild conspiracy theories of how he's able to control the world (manipulating the world economy, causing hunger and poverty worldwide, causing the Indonesia tsunami and other natural disasters, responsible for climate change, causing France to lose the World Cup finals, causing Minnie Mouse to separate from Mickey Mouse, etc., etc.), George W. Bush would have a larger IQ and be more clever, omnipresent, and handsome than... dare I say it?

The Lord our God.

Chavez is crazy, but he's funny in an infantile way. It's always good to laugh.

Chavez has some credibility problems, but not nearly the credibility problems of the Bush White House. Given that choice, I'd side with Chavez every time, and so, I predict, would most of the rest of the world -- irrespective of who the U.S. manages to buy off to prevent a Venezuelan victory in this U.N. vote.
Until you Americans elect a credible administration that abides by international law, you can continue to expect the rest of the world to hold your nation in contempt and do all we can to resist your government's plans for the world. George W. Bush, through his disrespect for basic principles of international law, has turned the entire United States into an enemy of humanity. Bravo, I say, to any nation that stands up and resists this menace.

Jorge, who's buying who? Chavez traveled all around the world offering cheap oil in exchange for UN votes, and even his petro-dollars can barely muster 1/3 of the members' votes. That's how bad Chavez's clown antics have cost him.

Until the "rest of the world" stops begging every time the United States for economic, military, technological, cultural, and scientific aid, your sanctiminious demand for accountability remains mute.

The rest of the world is not begging for anything from the United States, other than that it become a law-abiding nation, stop waging pointless, destabilizing and illegal wars, end its pro-torture policies, stop turning the entire Arab world against the West, stop destroying the planet with its wasteful cabon emissions and start treating the rest of the world with a modicum of respect.

Just digressing from the topic. This month is the 5th anniversary of the deadly anthrax attacks.

Has anyone else besides the two men who were falsely accused and later exonerated of this hideous attack has been detained or even questioned?

Or will Chavez be blamed?

"He would use that magnificent pulpit to glorify his 'blank', to help his friends in 'blank' and to thwart his enemies"

And we (US) use our seat to ?????

I for one hope Chavez gets the seat. Yes, Zionists are running the show here and he will fight it, and help avoid WW3.

Israel is the problem, Modern Terrorism is DRIVEN by the atrocities committed by the rouge state and most of the anti-US sentiment is due to our blatant, "no questions asked" support of Israel.

Don't as American if we continue to interfer with these third world county it is going to have an impact on us. Venezula has 300 million oil on reserve, Iran, 150 million, and America 25 milloin on reserve. If these countries come together including Cuba what impact do you feel it will have on our future.