What to do with Hugo Chavez

gabers

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/03/14/venezuela.us.ap/index.html?eref=ib_topstories

After reading this story, I'm still convinced he's mostly full of shit. But I have to wonder, if he decided to stop selling his oil to the U.S., what exactly would that mean? Would it send our economy to a grinding halt or would we quickly compensate? How much of their oil do we consume now? I've recently read we now get a majority of our oil from Canada, mostly from tar sands, which is an entirely different set of issues (environmental).

Also, standing up for himself is one thing, but threats against our people is another. He's like the little kid on the playground talking smack to the bully, thinking his big friend will be there to back him up. Only, who would be there to back him up? If the US decided we were threatened enough and decided to launch some tactical air strikes, for example, who would really respond? He claims the US, the Bush administration, has already tried to assassinate him. He seems to think we're willing to invade his country. For some reason I think his rhetoric would be totally different with a less hostile administration. If Obama becomes president, I see his attitude towards the US cooling down significantly. Thoughts?

Eliot Rosewater

gabers wrote:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/03/14/venezuela.us.ap/index.html?eref=ib_topstories

After reading this story, I'm still convinced he's mostly full of shit. But I have to wonder, if he decided to stop selling his oil to the U.S., what exactly would that mean? Would it send our economy to a grinding halt or would we quickly compensate? How much of their oil do we consume now? I've recently read we now get a majority of our oil from Canada, mostly from tar sands, which is an entirely different set of issues (environmental).

Also, standing up for himself is one thing, but threats against our people is another. He's like the little kid on the playground talking smack to the bully, thinking his big friend will be there to back him up. Only, who would be there to back him up? If the US decided we were threatened enough and decided to launch some tactical air strikes, for example, who would really respond? He claims the US, the Bush administration, has already tried to assassinate him. He seems to think we're willing to invade his country. For some reason I think his rhetoric would be totally different with a less hostile administration. If Obama becomes president, I see his attitude towards the US cooling down significantly. Thoughts?

I don't think Chavez is a bad guy. I also think that he's probably right about the US trying to assassinate him. The US has a history of SCREAMING democracy but then "replacing" democratically elected officials with more US friendly folks.

Also, I think if the US attacked Venezuela every country in the U.N. would be set to take out this imperial nation....and rightly so, IMHO.

LikeAnOpeningBandForTheSun

Chavez is an idiot but i think if we just ignore him he will eventually go away. Many of his initiatives were defeated by his people in the last election. To me he is all bark and no bite.

catefrances

what to do, what to do???

i hear exploding cigars work a treat at eliminating socialist leaders who hate america and her freedoms.

Eliot Rosewater

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2002/apr/29/venezuela.duncancampbell

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2002/apr/21/usa.venezuela

Yep, we sure do love democracy here in the U.S. So much that we have a strong history of trying to overthrow democratically elected officials, although sometimes not successfully.