Also Burning: Caracas

[Cerebus]

Like him or not, Hugo Chavez always managed to carry a clear majority of the electorate in Venezuela, even while 40% of the country hated his guts. Maduro has not been anywhere near as successful.

What started off as student demonstrations against the poor quality of the educational system (apparently most Venezuelan universities barely outperform UTSA), has turned into a mass demonstration against the central government.

The government is responding with death squads. Media coverage has been light since the state media is white washing this and international media is being blocked. Expect more terrible stuff soon.

More images: http://imgur.com/a/t2O5S

Coverage from inside Caracas: http://caracaschronicles.com/2014/02/20/the-game-changed/

[Cerebus]

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

They hold elections in Cuba as well. And, they did so in the Soviet Union. Who cares? Communism and Socialism still screw up economies.

Chavez screwed up Venezuela, and this bus driver who replaced him is even worse.

[Cerebus]

The count so far:

17 days of protest

18 dead

261 wounded

1044 arrests

[Quoner]

Yeah - but this is more of a Corsicana/Mexia type thread, so I predict traffic will continue to be low.

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

Why are they protesting? The guy was elected with a clear majority. What could the problem possibly be? Gah!

In a country with plentiful natural resources, what do these fickle ingrates want? Easy access to toilet paper and bread? What do they think this is, the Soviet Union?

They've got the socialst/communist they elected. They should just be happy with whatever he does. I mean, Chavez and the bus driver are just trying to make Venezuela every bit the utopia that Cuba is for its people. Can't they see that?

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

Why are they protesting? The guy was elected with a clear majority. What could the problem possibly be? Gah!

In a country with plentiful natural resources, what do these fickle ingrates want? Easy access to toilet paper and bread? What do they think this is, the Soviet Union?

They've got the socialst/communist they elected. They should just be happy with whatever he does. I mean, Chavez and the bus driver are just trying to make Venezuela every bit the utopia that Cuba is for its people. Can't they see that?

.

We have a lot of people protesting and yelling impeach here ... despite that fact the majority elected ours... It was more justified on the last guy (not that agree with that either) because we went to war for false reasons (what nuke and WMD plants) and 1000's of American soldiers were killed or permanently injured as a result. ( he had no problem sending them but he managed to avoid Nam himself, while Kerry and Gore went.... that is what bothered me the most). ..

Edited March 6, 2014 by SCREAMING EAGLE-66

[Green92]

I think you missed the sarcasm in that post.

[UNT90]

.

We have a lot of people protesting and yelling impeach here ... despite that fact the majority elected ours... It was more justified on the last guy (not that agree with that either) because we went to war for false reasons (what nuke and WMD plants) and 1000's of American soldiers were killed or permanently injured as a result. ( he had no problem sending them but he managed to avoid Nam himself, while Kerry and Gore went.... that is what bothered me the most). ..

So we should impeach all the democrat congressmen that voted to go to war also, right?

Far left dribble.

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

.

We have a lot of people protesting and yelling impeach here ... despite that fact the majority elected ours... It was more justified on the last guy (not that agree with that either) because we went to war for false reasons (what nuke and WMD plants) and 1000's of American soldiers were killed or permanently injured as a result. ( he had no problem sending them but he managed to avoid Nam himself, while Kerry and Gore went.... that is what bothered me the most). ..

Wake me up when we have mobs in the street trying to overthrow any given president...or, when we have a couple in a row who turn us so socialist that we have no toilet paper or bread.

To me, Venezuela and Detroit are the same thing: elect socialists long enough and you will be destroyed from within. The only difference is the opposition to socialism in Detroit became non-existent; so, there was no one left to riot...which is good given the lack of the Detroit PD's in ability to respond to emergencies anyway.

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

.

We have a lot of people protesting and yelling impeach here ... despite that fact the majority elected ours... It was more justified on the last guy (not that agree with that either) because we went to war for false reasons (what nuke and WMD plants) and 1000's of American soldiers were killed or permanently injured as a result. ( he had no problem sending them but he managed to avoid Nam himself, while Kerry and Gore went.... that is what bothered me the most). ..

So, you voted for McCain in 2008 because he went, right?

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

.

We have a lot of people protesting and yelling impeach here ... despite that fact the majority elected ours... It was more justified on the last guy (not that agree with that either) because we went to war for false reasons (what nuke and WMD plants) and 1000's of American soldiers were killed or permanently injured as a result. ( he had no problem sending them but he managed to avoid Nam himself, while Kerry and Gore went.... that is what bothered me the most). ..

And, you didn't vote for Clinton in '92 or '96 because the guys who ran agains thim went to war, but he dodged, burned the American flag, and whatnot?

[Cerebus]

They've got the socialst/communist they elected. They should just be happy with whatever he does.

This is not the lower class protesting. These are upper middle and the few remaining upper class people in the country.

The lower class is still very happy with Maduro, and they have better lives than before.

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

So, what you're saying is that there is no Koch Brothers or Rupert Murdoch equivalent to balance things out politically and protect the middle and upper middle classes in Venezuela.

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

My guess is, like in the former Soviets and Cuba, our First Amendment-type of society is as unpopular with President Bus Driver as it was with Chavez.

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

So, you voted for McCain in 2008 because he went, right?

--- Voted against McCain because of Palin who might accidentally become President.. She is/was dumb and clueless as a brick ( plus had never even been to Washington prior to nomination so you want her in charge of Senate? ). I like and respect McCain. I did vote Bush I (twice) .. he did well and deserved a second term... the "T-party types" abandoned him and voted for Perot. I once lived a 1/2 mile from Bush II and he often jogged by in front of my house about 1980.. ... enough said, I've heard way too much about him locally..( not good things... you might notice when he ran for US Representative from here.. he lost, also left ) ... He did not get my vote... plus by then the GOP had changed into a "I am holier than thou" party which turns me off. ... they aren't. He did ok as gov. though.... but Perry after him has harmed education ( my profession ) in Texas greatly..

Edited March 6, 2014 by SCREAMING EAGLE-66

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

So, your voting pattern, really, is not as influenced by military service as you claim. Among those who have recently run for president, it would be hard to argue that no one sacrificed more for the country than Bob Dole and John McCain. Neither one faked parts of their military service or threw away their medals, like John Kerry did.

Just be honest and say you normally vote for the more liberal of the candidates.