A Thoughtful Response - Final Part
Hey Folks,
A while back I posted two Hugo Chavez-related items: “Truth and Fiction” http://www.ukuleleman.net/2006/09/truth-and-fiction.html and “Did I miss something?” http://www.ukuleleman.net/2006/09/hey-folks-did-i-miss-something-i.html .
A long, thoughtful comment was added at the second posting (click above to see the entire comment). I think it deserves a thoughtful response.Here is the Final Part. My comments are in red.
- Uke Man
And in addition to Chavez aligning himself with an anti-Semitic leader like Ahmadinejad, you might want to ask yourself why he'd want to be pals with someone who is imposing the most primitive right-wing religious government outside of Saudi Arabia on his people.
In case you hadn't researched this topic either, Sharia law calls for the death penalty for homosexuality, adultery, premarital sex, and lesser infractions only require the amputation of a hand or foot. Oh, and for all the atheists reading this, under Sharia law, "people of the Book" (Jews and Christians) have a choice of either converting or paying Jizyah (infidel tax), whereas Godless pagans and atheists have only two choices: convert to Islam or die by the sword.
You might want to do a little more research about how "heroic" and "benign" these guys than you seem to be doing at the moment.
Well, I made it clear in my postings that Chavez is open to criticism for his alignment with Ahmadinejad, and that if Chavez – who is not a Muslim – shares the Iranian’s prejudice that he should be condemned for that. I also stated my belief that, even if Chavez himself were not a racist, he had a responsibility to oppose his ally’s position (not that he’s likely to do that).
As to the suggestion that “you might want to ask yourself why he'd want to be pals with someone who is imposing the most primitive right-wing religious government outside of Saudi Arabia on his people,” I think it’s pretty clear why he’d do that.
Considering Chavez’s in-your-face approach to the imperial powers and their elite Venezuelan proxies, and considering his disdain for the “invisible hand of the infallible market,” whom should he “pal” up with?
He obviously needs pals; he’s a midget cussing out giants. There is an old saying, “The enemy of my enemy is my friend,” and Chavez – if he is to survive – if he is to hold off the giants' inevitable push to restore the old “order” – needs to ally with – as Duhbya might say – “the willing.”
That’s why I think he’s “friends” with the Iranian – just like we, when it met our needs, were “friends” with the “Contras” and Pinochet and Saddam Hussein and the Taliban.
Ironically, we are presently “pals” with Saudi Arabia, the nation the commenter describes as an even worse pal than Iran. One of the leaders of Saudi Arabia is even an “honorary member of the Bush family”!
Since Saudi Arabian views are even more primitive than the Iranian’s, I guess American Jews, Christians, pagans, and atheists should be scared about the US government more than their Venezuelan counterparts are of theirs.
I didn’t include American gays in that because they are already seriously concerned about our government.
Well, Folks, that’s it. I really appreciate having received the comment. It prompted a broader discussion, which I hope you found worth reading.
I hope, also, that my homework was adequate.
- Uke Man
A while back I posted two Hugo Chavez-related items: “Truth and Fiction” http://www.ukuleleman.net/2006/09/truth-and-fiction.html and “Did I miss something?” http://www.ukuleleman.net/2006/09/hey-folks-did-i-miss-something-i.html .
A long, thoughtful comment was added at the second posting (click above to see the entire comment). I think it deserves a thoughtful response.Here is the Final Part. My comments are in red.
- Uke Man
And in addition to Chavez aligning himself with an anti-Semitic leader like Ahmadinejad, you might want to ask yourself why he'd want to be pals with someone who is imposing the most primitive right-wing religious government outside of Saudi Arabia on his people.
In case you hadn't researched this topic either, Sharia law calls for the death penalty for homosexuality, adultery, premarital sex, and lesser infractions only require the amputation of a hand or foot. Oh, and for all the atheists reading this, under Sharia law, "people of the Book" (Jews and Christians) have a choice of either converting or paying Jizyah (infidel tax), whereas Godless pagans and atheists have only two choices: convert to Islam or die by the sword.
You might want to do a little more research about how "heroic" and "benign" these guys than you seem to be doing at the moment.
Well, I made it clear in my postings that Chavez is open to criticism for his alignment with Ahmadinejad, and that if Chavez – who is not a Muslim – shares the Iranian’s prejudice that he should be condemned for that. I also stated my belief that, even if Chavez himself were not a racist, he had a responsibility to oppose his ally’s position (not that he’s likely to do that).
As to the suggestion that “you might want to ask yourself why he'd want to be pals with someone who is imposing the most primitive right-wing religious government outside of Saudi Arabia on his people,” I think it’s pretty clear why he’d do that.
Considering Chavez’s in-your-face approach to the imperial powers and their elite Venezuelan proxies, and considering his disdain for the “invisible hand of the infallible market,” whom should he “pal” up with?
He obviously needs pals; he’s a midget cussing out giants. There is an old saying, “The enemy of my enemy is my friend,” and Chavez – if he is to survive – if he is to hold off the giants' inevitable push to restore the old “order” – needs to ally with – as Duhbya might say – “the willing.”
That’s why I think he’s “friends” with the Iranian – just like we, when it met our needs, were “friends” with the “Contras” and Pinochet and Saddam Hussein and the Taliban.
Ironically, we are presently “pals” with Saudi Arabia, the nation the commenter describes as an even worse pal than Iran. One of the leaders of Saudi Arabia is even an “honorary member of the Bush family”!
Since Saudi Arabian views are even more primitive than the Iranian’s, I guess American Jews, Christians, pagans, and atheists should be scared about the US government more than their Venezuelan counterparts are of theirs.
I didn’t include American gays in that because they are already seriously concerned about our government.
Well, Folks, that’s it. I really appreciate having received the comment. It prompted a broader discussion, which I hope you found worth reading.
I hope, also, that my homework was adequate.
- Uke Man
1 Comments:
Hi Tom,
You do GOOD homework! I appreciate all your thoughtful responses. Sondra
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