President Nicolas Maduro, Hugo Chavez's grave and the little bird

I thought it's a piece in The Onion and had to look twice, but no, it's from HuffPost:

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is known for his devotion to late leader Hugo Chavez and now he acknowledges that he sometimes sleeps in the mausoleum where his mentor's remains are kept.

I can understand the devotion thing and the attraction to the grave, the fact that it was hitherto limited to canine members of human families notwithstanding. But the next part really excited me:

During the campaign for the April 14 election he narrowly won, Maduro caused a furor when he said Chavez came to him in the form of a little bird that flew around his head.

The bird clinches the story, because one can easily guess which one it is:



I can't see any special problem with the old Hugo reincarnated as that bird. Technically, nothing is to prevent the bird from carrying his brain, and it's colorful enough to preserve the tradition.

Only one thing should bother Mr Maduro: that parrot surely could peck and it surely could bite. So he should watch out and not fall asleep during his nightly vigils near the stiff. A few pecks to his head, and long suffering Venezuelans will be up for some unusual decrees, I am afraid...

Hugo Chavez dies, Mossad and CIA blamed, what else is new?

The Caudillo bought the farm after all, and the tone of the national discourse was set by his surviving second in command, Mr Maduro:

Venezuelan Vice President Nicolas Maduro said on Tuesday the cancer afflicting Hugo Chavez was an "attack" by enemies among a barrage of conspiracies against him throughout his 14-year rule.

And, of course, the usual conspinuts are coming out of the woodwork for a short while to amplify that crapola. No links anymore, but here are some quotes:

Mossad and CIA have poisoned President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela with a carcinogen. They have a declared policy of targetted assasinations, using Drones and human agents.

My 6th sense alerted me yesterday on the martyrdom of Hugo Chavez. He was a great saint from the Christendom, who loved muslim people.

Within hours of the announcement of the death of President Hugo Chávez, civil rights groups in the United States filed Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) demands with federal agencies seeking information and documents that "relate to or reference or discuss any information regarding or plans to poison or otherwise assassinate the President of Venezuela, Hugo Chávez." The records demands have been made to the Central Intelligence Agency, the Department of State, and the Defense Intelligence Agency and have been filed by the civil rights legal organization, the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund, the anti-war group, ANSWER Coalition and Liberation Newspaper.

Oh well, you all know the drill by now. Let the festivities start...

Update: more from Mr Maduro:

Maduro on Tuesday wasted no time in laying blame for the executive’s deteriorating situation, suggesting he was poisoned and comparing his illness to that suffered by late Palestinian President Yasser Arafat before his death. The PA accused Israel for Arafat’s death, claiming he was killed by the Jewish state.

Easy pickings...

Chavez and 'alternative' treatments

According to this, Cuban and Russian physicians decided to try some unorthodox methods on their patient.

"Today our commander is undergoing alternative treatments. They are complex and difficult treatments that must, at some point, end the cycle of his illness," Maduro said in comments on state TV.

Since Mr Maduro didn't specify the nature of the treatments, we had to do some spying on this one. Here are the results:



and



At some point, indeed...

Update: After the above was written, I have discovered the nature of the 'alternative' treatments, thanks to Al Jazeera:

...Chavez is shown looking at Thursday's issue of the Cuban Communist Party newspaper Granma, his daughters still flanking him.

Now the meaning of what Maduro says (below) became clear:

On Wednesday, Maduro said that Chavez is now undergoing "extremely complex and tough" treatments, which he did not specify.

Maduro, as other Venezuelans, may not be aware of it, not being familiar with Granma, but this is a most cruel and inhuman treatment invented by man. So far everyone who ever read Granma died, should I say more?

Russia: already grieving about Chavez

Venezuelan vice president, Nicolas Maduro, is maneuvering between the pressure to tell some truth about Chavez' state of health and the political expediency. The truth is kind of difficult to contain:

Thursday, a government spokesman said Chavez was battling a severe lung infection that has caused respiratory failure. Ernesto Villegas said the president was following a strict treatment regimen for "respiratory insufficiency" caused by the infection.

Which, probably, means, that a breathing machine is involved, and one can only guess the outcome. The political zigging and zagging, though, is another matter, and the inauguration question as well as the question of new elections (in case Chavez either croaks or is incapacitated) are interesting, but covered in the linked above article sufficiently. Oh, and if anyone is asking, I am not going to be especially happy if and when the Caudillo dies. No matter how reprehensible this quasi-socialist demagogue is, Latin America's history is chock-full of his type, and at least he wasn't an especially bloodthirsty type - unlike his bosom buddy Fidel and his henchmen.

I have stumbled on an interesting angle of expected Chavez' demise: the Russian attitude to the subject. Of course, your average Russian citizen couldn't care less. Unlike Turkey, Egypt and Cyprus, Venezuela isn't a popular destination for a Russian tourist. But the Russian leadership is (justifiably) concerned. After all, Russia is on the brink of losing an important customer in the Middle East - the bloody Baby Assad's regime. While still pouring military equipment and money into Syria, Russians feel that the case is lost, as is the current investment and the future prospects.

The tone of the Russian officialdom's attitude to the situation in Venezuela was set by Pravda (who else?) in the pessimistic article titled Chavez' departure - a blow to Russian economy.

The friendship between Russia and Venezuela will end with the departure of Chavez. How the relations between the two countries will develop after the departure of President of the Republic from office, is still unknown. But it is already clear that effects ... are unlikely to be positive. Meanwhile, Russia has made a huge investment in the country's economy.

Besides the headline and the lede that say it all in general, the article if full of details. Starting with the famous order of 100,000 Kalashnikov rifles (later doubled), through tanks, jet fighter planes, missile systems, choppers - the list of Caudillo's purchases, besides reading as a recipe for world domination, is coming to 10 billion dollars! Most of that, of course, bought on credit, readily provided by Moscow, in anticipation for more lucrative orders and other profitable non-military deals:

In addition to the multibillion dollar arms contracts, Russia has also invested in the oil industry in Venezuela. Russia plans to set up a consortium to develop oil fields in the country, the project involving all major Russian oil and gas companies. The project is estimated at $ 20 billion.

So yes, no one can say that Russians are unduly worried. Most of the other reviews of the situation in the Russian press repeat the same fears, with some interesting observations. Like from this article:

Obviously, the Venezuelan society has accumulated a certain weariness of Chavez' socialism, which [tiredness] significantly strengthens the position of the opposition. All this does not exclude the possibility of either an early election in which Capriles has more chances, or a military coup. Both scenarios do not leave much chance of success for Russian investments.

Of course, Venezuela is important to Russia (and not only to Russia) for more than just economic considerations. Using Venezuela as a fulcrum against United States, Russia, China, Cuba and Iran are doing their best to muddy the waters in Latin America. Any change of regime in Venezuela, that may cause inconvenience to these activities, bothers the above mentioned. Witness the information ostensibly coming from Wikileaks (and as such needs to be taken with a large dose of salt). Besides describing some fighting between the Russian and Cuban teams of medics treating Chavez, the documents describe the worries of the four "partners" about Chavez' possible successors.

The analysis focused on establishing the possible successors to Chavez and names Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro, the National Assembly President Diosdado Cabello, and the president of state oil company PDVSA, Rafael Ramirez, among others.

Regarding an upcoming transition period, both China and Russia are more interested in “preserving Chavismo, the regime”, rather than “Chávez, the personality”.

The report revealed that Russia is so worried about a Venezuela without Chavez that it “has set up a specific task force to help manage the post-Chavez transition.”

The sources cited by Stratfor reported that the candidate favored by Chinese, Russians and Brazilians is Nicolas Maduro, while Cubans tilt more toward Chávez’s brother Adam, mainly because they don’t believe Maduro will guarantee the oil subsidies they have enjoyed so far.

Another point is made quite forcefully:

The email mentioned Venezuela’s “military elite” as being “easy to bribe,” “living the good life,” and surrounded by “lots of women” and “booze. They don’t care about Chávez. They care about maintaining their current lifestyles. We’ve seen a lot of these military elite reach out to us lately, trying to insulate themselves in a post-Chavez scenario.”

And this is why the usual fate may be in store for Venezuela. Frequent military coups, no matter the ideology mantle that the current regime wears, are a distinguishing feature of the "politics" in the region. So my personal sentiment is closer to a quite sober assessment made by another Russian journalist:

The history of this part of the world shows that close associates are often the initiators of coups and army, swearing loyalty to the current government, forgets the oath.

Turbulent times ahead for Venezuela.

Fidel Castro's health and Dr Marquina's prophetic powers

According to this:

The rumour mill surrounding the health of Fidel Castro is churning despite a letter from the ageing Cuban revolutionary published by state media and denials by relatives at home and in the United States that he is on death's door.

Social media sites and some news organisations have reported allegations by a Venezuelan doctor that the 86-year-old suffered a massive stroke, was in a vegetative state and had only weeks to live. The same doctor, Jose Rafael Marquina, has made claims before that have not proven to be correct.

Anyway, it appears that the good doctor does make mistakes:

In April, Dr Marquina said that Mr Chavez, who has been battling a kind of cancer, was in his "last days" and would not last to November.

On the other hand, it's not November yet, and who knows? Besides, the doctor made another point:

...the doctor also said Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez had travelled suddenly to Havana to be with his friend and ally.

Possibly to secure a place on the same boat to the other side of the Styx? Could be a good idea.

I am not holding my breath, whatever is left of it, in  any case. 

Caudillo Chaves and his tame media

This year may be a beginning of a change in Venezuela. For a change, the fractured opposition to the Caudillo decided to unite in the face of the common enemy, so Chavez may be faced with a real fight for the job, unlike in the previous elections hailed mainly by Jimmy Carter.

The man to lead the opposition this time is one Henrique Capriles Radonski, Governor of Miranda state. He is facing an uphill battle, taking into account the ways and means used by Caudillo and his supporters. And this time, undoubtedly feeling the pressure, Chavez really let his loyal dogs free.

Of course, smearing one's political opponent, especially during the pre-election period is not news. Point me to a democracy where it doesn't happen... but then Venezuela is not, strictly speaking a democracy. Yet. And the viciousness of media, which is mostly in Chavez' hands, is boundless, if not exactly coordinated, as you shall see.

The main "weak point" used by Chavez' loyalists is Radonski's pedigree. You see, his maternal grandparents happen to be Jewish immigrants from Russia and Poland who left Europe during World War II. While Radonski himself is a practicing Catholic, he is not hiding or denying his Jewish blood, and in the current atmosphere of his country it is, apparently, somewhat of a handicap.

The topic is not new for pro-Chaves crowd. Since his election to the post of Miranda state Governor, the use of his ancestry to smear him started in earnest. However, recently the histrionics went up in the pitch and intensity.

Well, also in the stupidity, mirroring Chavez' own unbridled hate to anyone who dares to challenge the Caudillo.

Chavez himself called Capriles in appearances last week on state TV a “low-life pig” and compared him to former French presidential candidate Jean Marie Le Pen, who favors clamping down on immigrants.

Or:

"You are not going to be able to disguise yourself, even if you look for advisers, masks. Dress yourself up however you dress yourself up. Pig's tail, pig's ears, pig's nose: It's a pig," Chavez said, laughing along with pro-government lawmakers.

I wonder what exactly was Chavez thinking about, using that specific animal for comparison, while himself looking like this:

Well, a colonel will remain a colonel, and you could hardly expect refined manners from a Caudillo. His media, however, has taken the fight several steps forward. Follow a few examples chosen from the three links above.

Venezuela’s state media has accused opposition presidential nominee Henrique Capriles Radonski of offenses ranging from participating in a Zionist conspiracy to joining a Nazi-inspired effort to wipe out blacks and the poor.

Of course, with the usual Z suspect at the helm:

The column that raised anti-Semitism concerns said Capriles "has a platform opposed to our national and independent interests" and urged Venezuelans to reject "international Zionism" by re-electing Chavez.

Of course, consistency (or excess of brain power) is not the strongest trait of Chavez-led press, so:

Oddly, the column also accused Carpiles of involvement in a group that promotes "the national Aryan race," referring to a racial concept promoted by Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.

And, if the above wasn't sufficient:

Another media report, aired Feb. 13 on state channel VTV, said Capriles was a member of a Catholic group called Tradition, Family and Prosperity, which it described as a “neo-Nazi sect” that sought to assassinate Pope John Paul II and “eliminate blacks, mestizos, communists and the poor.” The report didn’t say what evidence it had to support its claim.

Now, to crown the whole deal, here comes a juicy one:

Mario Silva, a staunch Chavez ally who hosts a late-night talk show on state television called "La Hojilla," or "The Razor Blade," recently suggested that Capriles is gay.

On Feb. 10, Mario Silva, host of a late-night debate program aired on state-owned Venezolana de Television, or VTV, accused Capriles of being caught by police performing oral sex in a car with another man in 2000.

Of course, all of the above is only a tip of the iceberg, but we can summarize the findings: the unfortunate presidential candidate is, apparently, a closet fascist gay Nazi racist Zionist Aryan Catholic supremacist.

What can I say? No wonder, that being a man of so many diverse qualities, Mr Capriles succeeded to unite the anti-Chavez opposition under his flag. After all, to believe Chavez and his friends, all the opposition supporters are bent in one or another of the above mentioned ways.

Chavez was supported by 47.3 percent of those surveyed in a December poll by Caracas-based Consultores 21, while an unspecified opposition candidate had 44.9 percent.

Not yet, but getting there. And good luck, Mr Capriles, you closet ...

P.S. You may wonder about the picture adorning the beginning of that post. First of all I like it, and secondly, you may guess its link to the gentleman in the second  picture by yourself.

Hugo Chaves reflects

Judging by the photo, Comical Hugo lost nothing of his charm and penetrating intellect, missing hair notwithstanding. So, when he says:

It would not be strange if they [USA, of course] had developed the technology to induce cancer and nobody knew about it until now ... I don't know.

you better listen. This relates to the following sad fact:

Chavez, Fernandez, Paraguay's Fernando Lugo, Brazil's Dilma Rousseff and former Brazilian leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva have all been diagnosed recently with cancer. All of them are leftists.

And of course, when he adds: "I'm just reflecting," it's because of his all-encompassing humbleness.

As for the picture above being accompanied by this caption "Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez arrives to commemorate the death anniversary of national hero Simon Bolivar at the national cemetery in Caracas": is he looking for a suitable lot near Bolivar? Just in case, you know.

Oh, and speaking about cemeteries:

Caracas - Venezuela is on track to set a new record for murders and to remain South America's most violent country, according to data released by a crime watchdog.

The Venezuela Violence Monitor (OVV) said Tuesday that 19 336 people had been murdered in 2011, an average of 53 per day in a country of 29 million.

Must be some secret CIA mind control technique too.

Chomsky vs Chavez and/or Chomsky vs Guardian

Mastermind of the Century (the last one) decided to spice the current century. The story is simply delicious. It starts with an article by Rory Carroll where Chomsky criticizes Comical Hugo for his inhuman treatment of judge María Lourdes Afiuni, for his dictatorship, including hardly believable (for Chomsky) sentences like "Concentration of executive power, unless it's very temporary and for specific circumstances, such as fighting world war two, is an assault on democracy."

One might want to ask the Mastermind where has he been for the last twelve years, when Caudillo stripped Venezuela of its democratic institutions, building up his ersatz socialism. Weren't Chavez' intentions clear from the day one?

But let's go back to the story. Guardian, you see, was very excited for some reason about the rift opening between the hitherto best buddies: Noam and Hugo. So excited that the headline they've chosen says Noam Chomsky denounces old friend Hugo Chávez for 'assault' on democracy. Which is a bit of exaggeration indeed: whatever Mastermind said is not such a scalding denunciation of Comical Hugo, rather a liver-spotted finger shaken in his general direction. Of course, our Mastermind, hilariously egged on by a blogger, blames the hapless Guardian in "extreme dishonesty". A classic case of pot calling kettle.

Well, the next act of the drama follows: The Guardian, hurt to its bone marrow by the accusations of the Mastermind (but also mindful of their previous clash with the latter) produces a transcript of Rory Carroll's interview. It's quite a boring reading and, to be frank, still doesn't support the headline that so riled the Mastermind.

So, we have here not only a rift opening between Chaves and Chomsky but also one opening between two important disinformation sources of the free world. Two birds and no stone wasted. Cool.

And, of course, as a bonus, the priceless correspondence between the Mastermind and Alek Boyd - the blogger mentioned already. Here is the second part of it. There are quite a few interesting passages in both parts, but I shall quote only a sentence:

The world needs to understand just how unhinged you, those you admire, and those who admire you, are, and these exchanges are just the perfect way to do it.

Indeed. I would suggest adding " and those who admire those who admire you" for completeness, but it's excellent as it is.

P.S. Still, I tend to disagree with Alek on Manning. Whatever the rights and wrongs, the man took the POTUS' dime.

Hugo Chávez 'in critical condition' in Cuban hospital: liposuction gone wrong?

I chose this article for the picture:

The three subjects look in similar state of health and, in my humble, should start learning harp playing (or whatever musical instrument is allowed up there) pronto.

Anyway, the rumor and the hope attached could be wrong:

After two weeks of silence, the Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez, said on Twitter that he is in good health.

Now I hate Twitter even more than before.

Hugo Chavez finally anointed to kingdom?

Venezuela's lame-duck National Assembly has granted President Hugo Chavez the power to pass laws by decree for the next 18 months, the website of state-run Venezuelan Television reported Friday.

So what else Caudillo is lacking to be omnipotent in Venezuela?

But it appears that there still is something. Proof:

Speaking live on Venezuelan Television, he said he had become aware of plans to assassinate him and was "taking my own measures" to protect himself. But, he added, "I'm not going to hide in a cave."

Comical Hugo usually goes into assassination rave when there is something new and especially outrageous on his diseased mind. Watch out.

Hugo, me cago en tu revolución. Or: Hugo, I shit on your revolution.

A poor Google translation from this article:

In a [baseball] game of (in?) Venezuela, mechanic Miguel Angel Hernández Souquett displayed a shirt that made reference to the Chavez's revolution.

The text displayed on the shirt and its translation could be seen in the title of this post. The rest is quoted from this place.

Miguel has been summoned to appear before the Court on Dec. 1 to face the charge of "Offense to the Chiefs of Government".

I think that the charge is patently false, since the offense was leveled at revolution, which dubious object (or act, whatever), while it kind of belongs to Comical Hugo, is certainly not a part of his ample body. As the linked post says:

Shitting on the Vice President’s revolution, for example, is only half as serious as shitting on Hugo.

Let's see how the story ends.

Assclown Award winner - Hugo Chavez

Conveniently forgetting that China has a capitalist economy now, Hugo Chavez proves once again that he is an asslicking supporter of totalitarian oppression and dictatorship, by denouncing this year's Nobel Peace Prize winner, imprisoned Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo.

Says Sonia and adds:

Yep.

Sorry, Sonia, I can't join the call for a new Pinochet, tempting as it may seem. People of Venezuela will have to regurgitate and barf out the blighter by other means.

Castro in military duds? Wow, what a shock...

Tells you about the state of the mass media, when an old zombie who forgot to change his pajamas causes such an uproar. Slow day or what?

When the undead meets the village idiot

Details.

Wow, Fidel, it is so uncool, dude!

A man, even as macho and as full of himself as Fidel (The Beard) Castro, should know when to retire. As it is, the public transition from the la la land of dictators to the la la land of senile octogenarian dictators is being too public for prudence we like to observe in VIPs.

He said he was sure that China and "the Soviets", an apparent reference to Russia, the former Soviet Union, did not want a world nuclear war and would work to avoid it.

I hate to be the one who breaks the news, dear Beard, but your comrade Nikita K. and your comrade Leonid B. and your other comrades are already pushing up the daisies, and so does the good ole Soviet Union.

And you should become more... how to say it... proactive in the same direction.

The ugly face of Caudillo Chaves becomes clearer

It is hard to miss the resemblance of Hugo Chavez' dictator-like behavior to the sadly familiar pattern of many other Latin America dictators, left- or right-wing alike.

The latest news of two students killed* while demonstrating against the shutting down of several TV stations failing to comply with a new "media law" that requires national stations to broadcast government announcements and presidential speeches, is only the tip of the iceberg.

The other, much more troubling and sinister story, emerges from a barely visible remark at the end of the Amnesty International report 2009 on Venezuela:

The Attorney General’s Office announced that it would create a designated investigation team in 2009 to look into more than 6,000 reported cases of extrajudicial executions in which people were killed in confrontations with police between 2000 and 2007.

The pro-Chavez vigilante thugs - be it ones in police uniform or many an "unidentified armed person" - follow the example of the so called "paramilitary" groups whose murderous trails crisscross the Latin America for too many years to count.

The slavish behavior of the press is especially gulling. Take, for instance, the first sentence in the report from Venezuela by AP writer Fabiola Sanchez:

Thousands of university students protested against President Hugo Chavez again Tuesday, accusing the socialist leader of forcing an opposition-allied TV channel off cable and satellite as a means of silencing his critics.

How many more people should die before the useful idiots stop calling Caudillo "the socialist leader"? Or is it the time to redefine socialism?

There is still hope, though. One threat to the Caudillo's rule comes from his own camp:

The pressures on the Chávez government are becoming evident with a series of high-level resignations. This week, Ramón Carrizález, who held two top posts—vice-president and minister of defense—announced his resignation along with his wife, Yubirí Ortega, who was minister of environment. The two claimed that the move was due to “strictly personal reasons.”

Their resignation was followed Tuesday, however, by that of Eugenio Vazquez Orellana, who headed the state-owned Banco de Venezuela and also served as bank minister. Orellana, who was reportedly close to Carrizález, insisted that his departure was because of health issues.

It is not inconceivable that the army, it the time honored tradition of Latin America, will depose the dictator, and then the seesaw will swing to the other extreme - a military junta. On the other hand:

The greatest threat to Hugo Chavez's future just might be the World Wide Web. Fierce and growing protests over media freedom have left at least two students dead in Venezuela, and graphic images depicting violent tactics employed by the police there have started to flood the Internet.

Student protesters have organized their efforts by planning their demonstrations on Twitter, which is serving as both a public message-board for activists and a storing house for images of the worst of the violence.

I hope that the students win and succeed to remove the blighter. Who, meanwhile, has resorted to the usual threats:

As the opposition seethes, Chavez has threatened a "radical" response to student activity, promising to "deepen the revolution" and "impose authority" wherever flashpoints occur. "There are some attempting to set fire to the country," Chavez said in a televised address on Thursday. "What are they seeking? Death."

Yes, Caudillo the "socialist" is deepening the revolution - by killing students. I hope his time is running out.

(*) I have chosen on purpose a link to World Socialist Web Site. Who better to criticize their "socialist" comrade?

Evo Morales launches 'Coca Colla'

Evo Morales, Bolivia's first indigenous president and known for chewing coca leaves at UN meetings, has launched a drink featuring the leaf called "Coca Colla".

Intended to rival its more famous US cousin the fizzy drink is at the centre of a plan coca growers from Chapare in central Bolivia submitted to the government last week to boost coca production.Farmers proposed the name Coca Colla in reference to people living in the Andean part of the country.

This information puts the behavior of Mr Morales and his bosom buddy Caudillo Hugo into new light.

Want a leaf, compadre, or should we sniff some later?

But of course, Evo Morales only does what he knows to do best.

Last year, Mr Morales, who also heads the coca growers' union in the Chapare region, vowed to increase the expanse used to grow coca bushes by 20,000 hectares (49,420 acres) in the impoverished Andean country.

More coke is for sure what the world needs right now. Yep...

Venezuela's Chavez 'Still' Smells Sulfur After Obama Speech

This should be a headline that greets me on Fox News after a long period of abstinence...

Not that I am especially concerned about the olfactory problem experienced by the Caudillo, but it reminded me an old blonde joke:

A young woman went to her doctor complaining of pain. "Where are you hurting?" asked the doctor. "You have to help me, I hurt all over", said the woman. "What do you mean, all over?" asked the doctor, "be a little more specific."

The woman touched her right knee with her index finger and yelled, "Ow, that hurts." Then she touched her left cheek and again yelled, "Ouch! That hurts, too." Then she touched her right earlobe, "Ow, even THAT hurts", she cried.
The doctor looked at her thoughtfully for a moment and asked, "Are you a natural blonde?" "Why, yes," she said. "I thought so," said the doctor, "You have a broken finger."

Without casting additional unwarranted aspersions on the good an innocent caste of blondes, I would like to advise our intrepid Caudillo to change his clothes and to take a shower from time to time. After hobnobbing with Mahmoud the Mad, Baby Assad and their likes, one shouldn't be surprised if the sulfur stench sticks to one's body.

Not that a person in question this time doesn't dub in sulfur-related business himself. Oh well...

AP the Politically Correct and Comical Hugo

The following headline contains at least two items of interest:

Chavez Defends Alleged Terrorist Carlos the Jackal

To start with, of course, the new designation of the Jackal: "alleged terrorist". The word "alleged", according to a dictionary, means "Declared but not proved" or "Doubtful or suspect". Which casts a serious shadow on the Wiki's clear cut definition of Carlos: "Ilich Ramírez Sánchez (born October 12, 1949(1949-10-12)) is a convicted Venezuelan terrorist and murderer". Apparently, being convicted in the French court still leaves some doubts in the AP's own justice system. Oh well.

Now we can go to the second item: the new hobby of Comical Hugo - rehabilitation of the world criminals of all kinds. Besides redeeming Carlos, Hugo made inroads in the history books regarding a few other unsavory characters:

In his speech, Chavez also sought to defend other leaders he said are wrongly labeled "bad guys" internationally, including Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe and Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Chavez called both of them brothers and said he now wonders whether Ugandan dictator Idi Amin was truly as brutal as he was reputed to be.

Well, well, what do you know? It certainly looks like Comical Hugo, looking forward to the long uninterrupted years of his solo leadership of Venezuela, has found a new hobby that will color the long monotonous days of being a Caudillo. He will just rewrite history at his spare time.

It is not that the field he has chosen is limited. There is a long list of evil bastards from Cain to Castro (and I am using only one letter of the alphabet), so Hugo's hands will be full...

Hat tip: Monkey in the Middle.

Manuel Zelaya - these are your friends?

After the first outburst of the ousted president of Honduras about the Israeli mercenaries that are torturing him with high-frequency radiation, I was rather entertained by this product of his feverish imagination, ready to discount it as a side effect of his besieged existence in the embassy basement and, probably, paranoid mindset to start with. After all, any would be South American ruler must carry a healthy amount of paranoia, lest some of his colleagues decide to unseat him in a South American style putsch.

I was also mindful of many of my blogger colleagues who feel acute discomfort viewing what is considered by many today an unlawful coup that ended in Zelaya's plight - from exile to that embassy basement. Notwithstanding the opinion that there are enough reasons to consider Zelaya's removal a perfectly lawful act.

But then comes another question, which is not a legal issue and one that could be classified as intangible by a stickler for dry logic. Who, indeed, are Zelaya's friends? Aside from his buddy Chaves who coached him on the way to imposing what would have effectively become a dictatorship.

WSJ article Revolutionary Anti-Semitism shows at least one friend more odious than even Caudillo Chavez - one David Romero Ellner, Executive Director of Radio Globo, Honduras.

Mr Ellner takes the feverish revelations of his ex-president a bit further:

Sometimes I ask myself if Hitler wasn't right when he wanted to finish with that race, through the famous holocaust, because if there are people that are harmful to this country, they are the Jews, the Israelites.

Again, like many of his ilk, Ellner is confusing the politically correct "Israelis" with less politically correct "Jews" or "Israelites". Otherwise, he is an all-around fine supporter of Zelaya and Chavez. Well, and a convicted pedophile:

A few years ago he was convicted and served time in prison for raping his own daughter.

There is more information on Mr Ellner, but I have to visit a vomitorium rather urgently, so you will have to read it yourself over there at Sultan Knish's place.

As for myself, I think that Mr Zelaya shouldn't count on my support anymore. Too bad for him.

Update: The pathetic tapeworm apologizes. Says his grandfather was Jewish. Fuck him.