"Bush is plotting to kill me, says Chavez"

[Bernard]

"Venezuela's president, Hugo Chavez, accused George Bush of plotting to assassinate him yesterday...

"He offered no proof of any conspiracy but said the Cuban president, Fidel Castro, had warned of a possible plot against him last week.

"The Bush administration has denied involvement in... [an] attempted overthrow, but appeared to give its approval at the time. A prosecutor investigating the coup attempt died last year when his car was booby-trapped with explosives."

Fulll story on the Guardian website:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/venezuela/story/0,12716,1419780,00.html

I don't know much about this kind of thing but heck, I'd believe Chavez. Governments have done this kind of thing before with regimes they see as a threat to the capitalist system. So in summary, another reason for me to be disillusioned with politics and all depressed. Now let me sleep.

[untitled_london]

:rolleyes:

sheesh, how much oil does the guy want?

[ccab]

It's the old story that the US haven't got a clue how to handle awkward foreign governments. Their strategy is always the same - agitate, assassinate - or bomb.

Whenever they can't get their own way, they intervene bloodily. They're the world's repellent school bully which is why, despite their national naivete, english tongue and whiteness, it takes a titantic effort to feel anything but glee when one of their victims turns around and plants them right between the eyes. (ho-ho-ho - I I)

Chavez and Castro are in quite similar positions, holding similarly powerful threats against America (Castro's being a tide of immgrants to follow any American attack). Chavez probably will be bumped off - Castro always had the advantage of national solidarity (Castro wouldn't be in in power today if defiance of the Americans hadn't been so delicious) - but Chavez is hated murderously by his middle classes and european whites - it just remains for the CIA to engineer an opportunity. I'm sure it will happen soon - but I'm also sure it won't be too long before the Americans gets theirs.

[terminallyrelaxed]

"You can't fool me with your statistics, Chavez, I'm better than that, the people of Florida deserve more than that...."

[Purple Tentacle]

That's not very Christian of him, is it?

[MonkeyDrummer]

I thought the topic was

Bush threatens to kill me, say Chavz.

[Pinball]

Bush has re-instituted CIA coup-type operations in other countries, for the first time since the Reagan era (Honduras etc.). That much has been announced publically by the White House. So things are going to get a lot more aggressive foreign policy wise, as if they weren't already.

Bush's oil monster appears to be real hungry.

This is why we need the EU to be stronger, to counterbalance and more greatly influence the US. It's also why we need the EU Constitution, which will enable the EU to function more efficiently, and be less prone to veto paralysis etc. Surely the last 60 years has shown that only large population blocks can wield power?

[Suttonpubcrawl]

I thought the topic was

Bush threatens to kill me, say Chavz.

I genuinely thought at first that it was "Bush threatens to kill me, says Chasez". That's Chasez as in JC Chasez, the one out of *N*sync* (I know there's a star in there somewhere so I put lots in for good measure).

[hymen spaz]

Bush really is a twat.

[Shindig]

Shame 51% of the voting populus weren't filled with Kerry's confidence.

Typical, the one election he isn't planning to rig and he comes up against a dullard.

[Santa's Boyfriend]

Bush's oil monster appears to be real hungry.

It can all be explained in a simple sentance:  "The American way of life is non-negotiable."*  And in a world of increasingly limited resources, that means gaining complete control over all that remains.


*I don't actually think this applies to all Americans though...

[Santa's Boyfriend]

Typical, the one election he isn't planning to rig and he comes up against a dullard.

I'm not sure what you mean by that.  If you mean the recent US elections, what makes you think they weren't rigged?  The last one was blatantly rigged, why wouldn't they rig this one?  From the Bush administration's point of view, there's too much at stake to risk an opponent being in power, even if they're not actually that different politically.  Research into Diebold Voting Machines and you'll find some interesting information.

[Neville Chamberlain]

Bush really is a shit.

[Pinball]

Well said Santa'sBoyfriend. That is precisely what the US administration is doing e.g. encircling Russia in all the oil-rich Baltic states, which has the double benefit of controlling the pipelines (latter also applies to Afghanistan). Clearly the US controls the oil in Iraq, and will shortly do so in Iran, one way or the other. And it needn't require an invasion of Iran. It could simply be via threat of or actual blockade, switching off/blowing up pipelines etc. until they comply. Indeed, Libya cowtailed post-Iraq invasion, and US corporations have most of the contracts there now.

It's an extremely ugly business, but is the reality of US foreign policy. Everything else they state as rationale is bullshit.

[Ambient Sheep]

Sorry, is this news?

Only that Chavez has come out and *said* it, I suppose.  Bush has been trying to overthrow him for months.

An old workmate of mine married a Venezuelan girl a few years ago.  He says when you go over there that the air is literally thick with oil - it's serious pollution city.

[gazzyk1ns]

You've misused the word "literally" there, haven't you (or was it him...)? Hehe I was just reading that "cunts corner" site which someone linked to a while ago and someone had picked up on it...

[Santa's Boyfriend]

From the article:

"If I am assassinated, there is only one person responsible: the president of the United States," Mr Chavez said during his weekly radio and television show, Hello President.

"Hello President"?!?  I can't help but imagine a Bruce Forsythe-esque gameshow.

[Ambient Sheep]

You've misused the word "literally" there, haven't you (or was it him...)?

No, I don't think I have.  I did pause before using it for precisely that reason, but from what I can gather it *was* "literally".  You'd drive around outside the city and all the rocks and vegetation would have a thin film of oil smeared over them - fallout from oil refineries, etc.  We're talking **serious** pollution here, folks.

On a complete sidenote, she (the Venezuelan wife) was amazed at the British habit of keeping pets.  The whole idea of having an animal in your house amazed her - cats & dogs over there are all feral and to be avoided.  She came round to it though.

She still hasn't got round to the idea of snow, though.  (Oooh, topical!)

[Johnny Yesno]

Oh, if we're pulling each other up over use of words

cowtailed

I think you meant "kowtowed". Well if I can't be interesting I can at least be educational.

[zozman]

Didn't Bush try to start a coup in Venezuela about a year back which failed?  I thought it was common knowledge?  I'd look into it, but I've got stuff to do.  I might have a look when the stuff is done though.

[gazzyk1ns]

Heh, fair enough Sheep, I just imagined your workmate's wife swimming around in oil!

Somebody on here came out with something completely bizarre the other day, a whole commonly-used phrase which they'd obviously completely misheard. I didn't pick them up on it because they were having a bit of a personal argument and I've forgotten what it was now. Er, carry on...

[Neville Chamberlain]

Hmmm, I wonder what that communal-garden phrase could have been?

[terminallyrelaxed]

Yeah come on Gaz, spill the greens....

[Neville Chamberlain]

Don't keep us on tender hooks...

[Santa's Boyfriend]

It was probably a pigment of your imagination...

[gazzyk1ns]

Oh just stop it, we could come out with these until the ploughs come home.

[untitled_london]

i'm in tree'd

sheesh man, lent the cat out of the bag

spin the beans

[untitled_london]

{i'm just consuming b/w}

[untitled_london]

[thought i'd go for a tripple}
(we need a delete post button)

[Santa's Boyfriend]

We were actually discussing something quite important on this thread originally...