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Good catch. I really look nothing like him although I did have an uncle spend some time in prison during the same period for bank robbery. His handle was Natty Ned Parker. Jail cured him of wayward ways and I knew him latter in his life as a pretty nice guy.

Don't have a lot of knowledge regarding Egypt. Moubarak has been around for a long time, in fact they have only had 3 leaders in the last 50 or 60 years. I believe Moubarak took over when number 2 was assassinated for basically making peace with Israel. I think he had overstayed his welcome...

This is where your argument falls flat. The only real measure of the reduction of poverty is one's access to safe and secure housing, adequate food and clean water, education, health care, etc. It is not measured by abstract concepts like purchasing power parity or any other rubbish...

That's true, but Hugo calls himself a Marxist, I would call him a clown but a dangerous one.

Actually your source isn't to good. CEPR and Mark Weisbrot are really just Chavez cheerleaders. Weisbrot I guess was supposedly trained as a economist but also functions as a reporter usually trying to shine a positive light on Hugo and like regimes, he was also involved I believe as...

Well you can argue with the source but the drop in 27 places in the index is real and shows a deteriorating situation in Venezuela. Can you tell us more about the signs of erosion of democracy in Venezuela, you must be kidding. There has been so much written about this in the last few years you...

Actually the photo is not mine but of an historical figure bonus points if you can guess who. What, opinions of the over sixty set aren't valid, let me guess that you believe only the opinions of the young and uninformed are valid. Sorry to hear that defending basic human rights and democracy...

Its a bit more than 7 and the government isn't shutting down outlets that don't agree with it is more relevant in comparison to Hugo.

Actually hes a self-proclaimed Marxist.

In my last post I should have pointed out that the poverty numbers are in my opinion from dubious sources, although I do believe the overall poverty rate probably has decreased. The decrease has been achieved by buying off the poor so that Hugo can stay in power without really creating any new...

The poverty rates that have been reported are as follows: Percentage of people and households with income below national poverty line Year 1989 · · · 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Households – · · · 48.1 43.9 42.0 40.4 39.0 48.6 55.1 47.0 37.9 30.6 28.5...

This actually getting a little tiresome. Ok, you think Hugo is wonderful. Let's look at where Venuezula ranked on the UN index when Hugo took power and where they rank today. (Drum roll) In 1999 Hugo's first year in power Venuezula ranked 48th and today ranks 75th a fall of 27 places. In...

Nonsense, never said it was a definition these are only attributes of a democracy which Venezuela is sadly lacking.

According to the listing the rank 75th and fell 17 places since the last survey change in methodology or not. This is good enough for me and I bet most people here. If you want to play Doctor Statistics be my guest.

Sorry my mistake, but 75th and sinking fast doesn't seem to be much to crow about.

A democracy is more than voting for one guy, its separation of powers, an independent judiciary, rule of law, a functioning legislature, freedom of the press and expression. Hugo has pretty much hollowed out all the institutions that make a democracy. A better question is why you think it is a...

Don't know all the facts in either case. I don't think democratically elected leaders should be overthrown. I don't think Venezuela today would count as a democracy. When is a putsch justified, I don't know, depends on the circumstances, could be justified to restore democracy in Hugo's case. I...

There aren't contradictions or room for doubt with somebody like Hugo. He is a authoritarian thug who is leading his country into the abyss. He is trying to export this disease to other countries in the region. Evil like this should be called what it is. To do otherwise is both naive and dangerous.

I am referring to landlines. Of course you are correct that material goods don't equate to happiness. Why are they happy? Be cause Hugo uses his oil money to subsidize all manner of life. The rest of the economy is quickly shrinking away. Once the oil money is gone the happiness will be gone as...