Gabriel Garnica
Chavez re-election lessons
By Gabriel Garnica
"Just think of how stupid the average person is, and then realize half of them are even stupider!" George Carlin
While I never expected to begin an article with a profound quote from a liberal comedian, the message above proves that anything is possible in this world, including the continued re-election of a man half of a nation considers a buffoon. Many of my Venezuelan friends are weeping today for a once proud and successful nation which has allowed itself to fall into the tight grip of a socialist clown not qualified to be elected block captain much less the leader of any country.
How can this continued tragedy befall any country? What can we learn from this spectacle of rampant stupidity? Since I have already started making my point using the contributions of liberal comedians, let me borrow David Letterman's Top Ten List to itemize the lessons we should all take away from the recently concluded Venezuelan election.
The Top Ten Signs Your Country is Elevating Stupidity to a National Political Pastime
Sign # 10........... You re-elect a leader who fancies himself a modern-day version of a past iconic president. Despite his denials, Chavez clearly fancies himself the reincarnation of Simon Bolivar, which is like a community organizer even mentioning himself in the same paragraph as Abraham Lincoln.
Sign # 9............ You re-elect a narcissistic leader with nearly messianic delusions. Chavez has compared himself to Christ and often refers to his mission and destiny regarding Venezuela's history. Hitler and Stalin are just the tip of the iceberg regarding how dangerous it is to elect, much re-elect empty suits( or uniforms) who fancy themselves the center of attention ( or eye candy for anyone with brains).
Sign # 8............ You re-elect a leader who brazenly attacks and mocks religion and faith.
Chavez once mocked the Pope, and has called Catholic leaders and groups bandits and imperialists. A Danish scholar who studied his beliefs opined that he only saw Christ and Christianity as vehicles for Marxist imagery. How could a nation founded on Judeo-Christian principles elect, much less re-elect an enemy of those very same principles?
Sign # 7 You re-elect a leader with a history of disrespecting and mocking others and blaming everyone but himself for his failures. Hugo Chavez once called George Bush the devil and Condoleeza Rice an illiterate, and is constantly blaming the United States for much if not all of the world's problems, once calling the United States the most negative force in the world. I would rather vote for someone who admires the U.S. than someone who apologizes for it or trashes it at every turn.
Sign # 6 You re-elect a leader despite the utter failure of his initial promises for new direction and change. The American Security Council Foundation (ASCF) once declared that Hugo Chavez was elected based on the false promises of improving the lives of Venezuelans and has done anything but that. One would think that any leader whose entire tenure is a testament to false promises and lies would not be re-election material.
Sign # 5 You re-elect a leader whose past is dotted with Marxist connections and associations. Hugo Chavez's bio is dotted with Leftists and Marxist associations and reads like the resume of the international Che Guevara/ Fidel Castro fan club. Show me who you admire and associate and I will show you who you are.
Sign # 4 You re-elect a leader who speaks of unity while inspiring division within his own country for political benefit. Hugo Chavez has always applied the Marxist strategy of divide and conquer, pitting the poor against the rich and finding any excuse to spur division and resentment of the classes.
Sign # 3 You re-elect a leader who seeks the favor of the poor and have-nots by promising re-distribution from the wealthy. One of the greatest failures and most profound lies of Marxist thinking is the notion that re-distribution solves anything. History shows us that this lie is merely a vehicle used by Marxists as bait for populist votes but ends up alienating those necessary for economic health.
Sign # 2 You re-elect a leader with an increasingly firm control of the media, whose blatant favoritism and protection enable said leader to remain in power by selectively bashing his opponents while ignoring the leader's huge faults. Supporters of Chavez's just defeated opponent, a former state governor, have cited the media's favoritism and bias in favor of Chavez as key elements placing their candidate at a great disadvantage in the recent elections. According to these supporters, the media would highlight Chavez at every turn, especially his alleged accomplishments, while ignoring his failures, and would either ignore or bash his opponent. Sound familiar?
Sign # 1 You re-elect a leader who stands for exactly the opposite of what your nation stands for, embodying the very principles your nation has fought against, and undermining the very sacrifice of those who shed their blood for your flag. Simon Bolivar has been compared to George Washington for a good reason. Like Washington, he embodied the brave struggle against the oppression of a distant imperial nation which had long forgotten, if it ever had, any semblance of respect for the colonists it now viewed as little more than servants to be exploited. Like Abraham Lincoln, he fought to keep a great people united. His descendants have stated that Simon Bolivar would have rejected the views of Hugo Chavez.
It pains me to see the sorrow and disbelief in the eyes of my Venezuelan friends, who now wonder what will become of their country and the futures of their children and grandchildren. It is tragic to see a nation sinking deeper into the kind of despair, desperation, and division that allows the evils of Marxism to fester. At the same time, it is eerie to see the very same disaster that threatens us happening to a neighbor right before our eyes.
Imagine a nation foolish enough to re-elect a narcissistic Marxist who fancies himself a modern day version of an iconic past leader while disrespecting Christianity, blaming others for his failure to deliver on empty promises, associating with radicals who hate the United States, inspiring division while preaching re-distribution, benefiting from a fawning media biased completely in his favor, and standing for precisely the opposite principles his country was founded upon.
Makes you glad you are not Venezuelan, or will that matter in the end?
© Gabriel Garnica
October 9, 2012
"Just think of how stupid the average person is, and then realize half of them are even stupider!" George Carlin
While I never expected to begin an article with a profound quote from a liberal comedian, the message above proves that anything is possible in this world, including the continued re-election of a man half of a nation considers a buffoon. Many of my Venezuelan friends are weeping today for a once proud and successful nation which has allowed itself to fall into the tight grip of a socialist clown not qualified to be elected block captain much less the leader of any country.
How can this continued tragedy befall any country? What can we learn from this spectacle of rampant stupidity? Since I have already started making my point using the contributions of liberal comedians, let me borrow David Letterman's Top Ten List to itemize the lessons we should all take away from the recently concluded Venezuelan election.
The Top Ten Signs Your Country is Elevating Stupidity to a National Political Pastime
Sign # 10........... You re-elect a leader who fancies himself a modern-day version of a past iconic president. Despite his denials, Chavez clearly fancies himself the reincarnation of Simon Bolivar, which is like a community organizer even mentioning himself in the same paragraph as Abraham Lincoln.
Sign # 9............ You re-elect a narcissistic leader with nearly messianic delusions. Chavez has compared himself to Christ and often refers to his mission and destiny regarding Venezuela's history. Hitler and Stalin are just the tip of the iceberg regarding how dangerous it is to elect, much re-elect empty suits( or uniforms) who fancy themselves the center of attention ( or eye candy for anyone with brains).
Sign # 8............ You re-elect a leader who brazenly attacks and mocks religion and faith.
Chavez once mocked the Pope, and has called Catholic leaders and groups bandits and imperialists. A Danish scholar who studied his beliefs opined that he only saw Christ and Christianity as vehicles for Marxist imagery. How could a nation founded on Judeo-Christian principles elect, much less re-elect an enemy of those very same principles?
Sign # 7 You re-elect a leader with a history of disrespecting and mocking others and blaming everyone but himself for his failures. Hugo Chavez once called George Bush the devil and Condoleeza Rice an illiterate, and is constantly blaming the United States for much if not all of the world's problems, once calling the United States the most negative force in the world. I would rather vote for someone who admires the U.S. than someone who apologizes for it or trashes it at every turn.
Sign # 6 You re-elect a leader despite the utter failure of his initial promises for new direction and change. The American Security Council Foundation (ASCF) once declared that Hugo Chavez was elected based on the false promises of improving the lives of Venezuelans and has done anything but that. One would think that any leader whose entire tenure is a testament to false promises and lies would not be re-election material.
Sign # 5 You re-elect a leader whose past is dotted with Marxist connections and associations. Hugo Chavez's bio is dotted with Leftists and Marxist associations and reads like the resume of the international Che Guevara/ Fidel Castro fan club. Show me who you admire and associate and I will show you who you are.
Sign # 4 You re-elect a leader who speaks of unity while inspiring division within his own country for political benefit. Hugo Chavez has always applied the Marxist strategy of divide and conquer, pitting the poor against the rich and finding any excuse to spur division and resentment of the classes.
Sign # 3 You re-elect a leader who seeks the favor of the poor and have-nots by promising re-distribution from the wealthy. One of the greatest failures and most profound lies of Marxist thinking is the notion that re-distribution solves anything. History shows us that this lie is merely a vehicle used by Marxists as bait for populist votes but ends up alienating those necessary for economic health.
Sign # 2 You re-elect a leader with an increasingly firm control of the media, whose blatant favoritism and protection enable said leader to remain in power by selectively bashing his opponents while ignoring the leader's huge faults. Supporters of Chavez's just defeated opponent, a former state governor, have cited the media's favoritism and bias in favor of Chavez as key elements placing their candidate at a great disadvantage in the recent elections. According to these supporters, the media would highlight Chavez at every turn, especially his alleged accomplishments, while ignoring his failures, and would either ignore or bash his opponent. Sound familiar?
Sign # 1 You re-elect a leader who stands for exactly the opposite of what your nation stands for, embodying the very principles your nation has fought against, and undermining the very sacrifice of those who shed their blood for your flag. Simon Bolivar has been compared to George Washington for a good reason. Like Washington, he embodied the brave struggle against the oppression of a distant imperial nation which had long forgotten, if it ever had, any semblance of respect for the colonists it now viewed as little more than servants to be exploited. Like Abraham Lincoln, he fought to keep a great people united. His descendants have stated that Simon Bolivar would have rejected the views of Hugo Chavez.
It pains me to see the sorrow and disbelief in the eyes of my Venezuelan friends, who now wonder what will become of their country and the futures of their children and grandchildren. It is tragic to see a nation sinking deeper into the kind of despair, desperation, and division that allows the evils of Marxism to fester. At the same time, it is eerie to see the very same disaster that threatens us happening to a neighbor right before our eyes.
Imagine a nation foolish enough to re-elect a narcissistic Marxist who fancies himself a modern day version of an iconic past leader while disrespecting Christianity, blaming others for his failure to deliver on empty promises, associating with radicals who hate the United States, inspiring division while preaching re-distribution, benefiting from a fawning media biased completely in his favor, and standing for precisely the opposite principles his country was founded upon.
Makes you glad you are not Venezuelan, or will that matter in the end?
© Gabriel Garnica
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