Bob Piper has been a Labour Councillor for the Abbey
Ward in Sandwell, West Midlands, for 10 years. He is a lifelong supporter of Aston Villa Football Club and a follower of Yorkshire County Cricket Club.
The views expressed here are mine in a personal capacity, not those of the Labour Party, Sandwell MBC, Aston Villa or Yorkshire County Cricket Club. Get it! Mine... just mine!
Promoted by Bob Piper of 115 Barclay Rd, B67 5JZ on behalf of the Labour Party, care of 39 Victoria Street London, SW1H 0HA . Hosted (printed) by Swaithe Internet Solutions who are not responsible for any of the contents of these posts.
Please note however, that The Labour Party is not responsible for the content of this website or individual posts as, unless specifically stated, I am writing solely in a personal and individual capacity.
Promoted by Bob Piper of 115 Barclay Rd, B67 5JZ on behalf of the Labour Party, care of 39 Victoria Street London, SW1H 0HA . Hosted (printed) by Swaithe Internet Solutions who are not responsible for any of the contents of these posts.
Please note however, that The Labour Party is not responsible for the content of this website or individual posts as, unless specifically stated, I am writing solely in a personal and individual capacity.
Poor Rory Carroll. You can feel his pain in this article... Hugo Chavez wins referendum allowing indefinite re-election. Having spent a year or two bleating about Chavez in The Guardian, Carroll can barely bring himself to say through the tears that the President had won the referendum, so he resorts to reporting that Electoral authorities say 54% of Venezuelan voters backed amendment abolishing term limits for elected officials. Yes, Rory, is that similar to the 'electoral authorities' that say St. Barack Obama won less than 53% of the US votes in the recent election that the world swooned over so recently?
It's just so upsetting and inconvenient for Carroll and his fellow Guardianistas that Chavez just keeps on winning those damned silly elections. Month after month we have to read drivel about how the popular tide is turning against Chavez, about his 'dictatorial' powers, and how the fall in oil prices will destabilise his government. Strangely, there seems to be very little concentration on the truly dictatorial powers of the rulers of Gulf oil States like Saudi Arabia. No complaints that they may want to rule for life, (no referendum or 54% majority required there) or articles condemning the authoritarian, not to say downright bloody brutal regimes there. If the Guardian covers Saudi Arabia it is as likely to be in the football results or the travel section as it is anywhere else in the paper. Still, we wouldn't want to put them off buying our weapons now, would we.
I'm reminded of Clive James's quip about the problem with living in a free society being that you have to put up with hearing people spouting rubbish (or words along those lines). It must be Hell for some earnest Guardian writers to see the fruits of democracy.
Matthew Stiles said:
February 17, 2009 10:41 AM | permalink
In the article you link to Carroll writes "However, plunging oil revenues are expected to hit the Venezuelan economy and the petro-fuelled Chavez diplomacy soon." There is an amusing post on this type of commentary at http://www.borev.net/
"Happy day after that referendum, Hugo Chavez! It's too bad you can't even enjoy one second of it, because unlike the rest of the world, your country might soon experience some sort of "crisis," with "finances"! This economic hardship, exclusive to Venezuela, seems to have sprung from shady mortgage lending in California and negligent financial oversight from the US Department of Treasury. Ensuing market pressures have bypassed Mexico and Central America entirely, instead winding their way down to Caracas, where they will soon bring ECONOMIC DISASTER, which will completely negate any sort of happiness you or your supports might have felt today. Sorry!"
iifabloke said:
February 17, 2009 4:44 PM | permalink
Fair comment, Bob, but was it not Lord Acton who said "Power tends to corrupt,and absolute power absolutely." Chavez was previously involved in coup attempts so although he may have the support of around half his people his democratic credentials are hardly impressive.
ifabloke, you are right, he did lead a coup, but that needs some sort of context too. The President at the time was a crook who was forced out of power by the Supreme Court the year after the coup for stealing 250 million bolivars. At the time mass public protests were put down by the military, killing up to 3,000 people in the process.
Since being elected as President, Chavez has repeatedly submitted himself and his proposals to democratic election.
iifabloke said:
February 18, 2009 9:34 AM | permalink
That may be, Bob, but why is that so many so called 'democratic' leaders always want to change their country's constitution? There are many examples but I am at a loss to think of one that has ended up a success story. As I said 'Power tends to corrupt, ..............
I suspect if you look at all democratic countries you will find they have changed their constitution at some time or another, and probably far more have done so with no ill affects whatsoever. So I'm not sure you're making a terribly scientific statement ifabloke.
February 16, 2009 12:01 PM | permalink
I'm reminded of Clive James's quip about the problem with living in a free society being that you have to put up with hearing people spouting rubbish (or words along those lines). It must be Hell for some earnest Guardian writers to see the fruits of democracy.
Ken Livingstone wrote rather well on this topic in, of all places, Saturday's Indy: http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/ken-livingstone-should-we-have-stopped-roosevelt-after-two-terms-1609191.html