With the press now muzzled, who will report on human rights abuses in Venezuela?
Over the weekend the Venezuelan government under the autocratic rule of President Hugo Chavez shut down the one remaining independent broadcast outlet - the opposition television station Radio Caracas Television (RCTV). Twenty minutes after the station went off the air, its frequency was taken over by the official government network.…
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— go to most recent comments26 - Clavos
Today's Miami Herald notes in this article that journalists, anchors and other staff of Venevisión, a Caracas TV station that has been knuckling under to the Chavez bullying, have joined the demonstrators and were openly protesting the closing of RCTV at one of the rallies yesterday.
According to the article, political analyst Enrique ter Horst, said,
Chávez ''clearly over-estimated his strength in this instance,'' said lawyer and political analyst Enrique ter Horst, a former U.N. deputy high commissioner for human rights. The RCTV closure, ter Horst told The Miami Herald, ``has awakened sectors of society, such as the students, which had remained largely on the sidelines.''
27 - troll
do the demonstrators have any constitutional protections - ?
28 - Clavos
troll notes,
I'd like to see a 'no bullshit' assessment of the missions...I gather that they are not keeping up with timetables
Most of what I've been able to find over the past several months has been decidedly partisan, pro and con.
However, some international and presumably reportedly neutral organizations such as the Reporters Without Borders group Dave mentions, as well as the occasional UN official, have been critical of some of the policies of the Chavista government.
As to progress on social programs: there has been, with the help of Cuba, progress in providing medical care to the poor. Some housing projects have been launched, but few, if any, are actually ready for occupancy, according to eyewitnesses I know personally here in Miami (who are anti Chavez, but who I believe have credibility).
Aside from seizing a lot of property "in the name of the people", not much has been done so far to re-distribute same.
I've found the European MSM (BBC, Reuters, et al) to be the most impartial.
29 - troll
...and I've read that 3 billions have been invested in social programs - that there is a food distribution program reaching some of the hungry and a literacy program reaching some of the uneducated...but it strikes me that a decade is a long time and 3 billion a paltry sum for such a rich country with so many poor folk
30 - Clavos
"but it strikes me that a decade is a long time and 3 billion a paltry sum for such a rich country with so many poor folk"
...especially when you consider the amount of money that Chavez has given to other countries:
"U.S. government aid to Latin America was about $1.7 billion this year, of which $1 billion was military-related aid for anti-narcotics programs.
While precise figures are not available,Venezuela's foreign aid appears to be several times greater than the U.S. total for the region, according to a Chronicle survey of publicly released data.
Chavez has single-handedly rescued Cuba's economy, providing an estimated $1.8 billion annually in oil and other investments.
In Argentina, Chavez bought $3.1 billion in government bonds in the past year, allowing the government to pay off its debts to the International Monetary Fund and World Bank; in Bolivia, he is giving about $200 million in aid programs, ranging from military supplies to computers for schools; and in Nicaragua and El Salvador, he has discounted oil and gasoline to leftist municipal governments controlled by the Sandinista Front and Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front, respectively.
In the Caribbean, under a pact known as Petrocaribe, 14 countries pay only part of the bill for Venezuelan fuel up front and can finance the rest over 25 years at low interest. In Jamaica, Chavez has given a $274 million loan for a highway and sports complex and $65 million for a refinery."
San Francisco Chronicle article dated 9/21/06.
31 - troll
to be fair - here are some figures on social spending
revolutionary redistribution - ?
32 - Dave Nalle
do the demonstrators have any constitutional protections - ?
Since the constitution is still basically suspended I think whatever protections it had left after Chavez got to rewrite it don't apply anyway.
Dave
33 - Clavos
Hey editors, what happened to my spurned comment??
I didn't get a "banned word" message.
It just disappeared into akismet's bottomless maw?
34 - Christopher Rose
No idea, Clavvy, there's nothing in holding.
35 - Dr Dreadful
I've read the Venezuelan Constitution and it's an inspiring piece of work, as admirable in its way as its American counterpart.
Unfortunately, its noble ideals and fine words mean diddly squat if the checks and balances aren't there to protect it.
36 - Clavos
Well, thanks for looking, Chris. Dunno what happened.
troll, I was trying to address your comment #31 to say that the numbers presented in your citation are interesting in that, while there has been an increase in overall social spending relative to GDP when SS is included (in the first table), in the second table, with SS excluded, the relative percentage of social spending to total public spending hasn't moved almost at all.
Given that his GDP has been going up strongly since 2003, thanks to rapidly rising oil revenues, it's not surprising that spending relative to GDP has gone up, but those figures would seem to indicate that he's spending a lot more on other items (such as AK-47s from Russia?).
Hope this one posts!
37 - Dave Nalle
I've read the Venezuelan Constitution and it's an inspiring piece of work, as admirable in its way as its American counterpart.
I assume you read the original draft, not the revised version as of last year with most of the provisions for due process and the rule of law removed.
Dave
38 - Franco
What is going to get real interesting is when Chavez gets those Russian AK103 factories pumping out assalt weapons with night scopes by the hundereds of thousands if not by the millions.
Chavez knows he needs to make sure these weapons go into the hands of those who will blindly follow him to the death. I guess after this weekend that leaves out the univercity students.
How he makes that decision or brings it about is going to be something to watch, if we still have any credible information coming out of their.
Additionally, he will be supplying other countries all they want in these weapons as well. Venezules is gate way into the jungles of South America and Chavez has his eyes on several countires he wants under his stinking arm pit. Once these weapons are out and about in the jungle there is no getting them back. They will pass from hand to hand and most will start out in the hands of the uneducated poor individuals and the well paid for Chavez leader loyalist all eager to to pull all those triggers.
A lot of people are going to get shot. But I know it will all be Bush's fault anyway.
39 - RJ
I want to thank you, Dave, for posting that link about the successful court-packing scheme of Hugo Chavez Frias. I did not previously know the details about this.
Whenever and wherever the legislative branch of a government becomes nothing but a sycophantic rubber-stamp to a radical, autocratic executive, the only hope the people have is a strong and independent judicial branch. But Hugo Chavez Frias was smart enough to pack the judicial branch with mindless drone supporters.
He is in complete and total control of the Venezuelan government. He is literally ruling by decree (the legislative branch recently ceded essentially all government authority to him). He has nationalized entire industries, and fired employees from government-run companies who do not support him.
The only thing left standing between Hugo Chavez Frias and Castro-like control of Venezuela is the independent media. Once that is gone, it's game over. Plain and simple.
And we will see, in the coming days, if the PEOPLE of Venezuela have the HUEVOS to stand up to and overthrow this totalitarian leftist dictator.
40 - Elvira Black
I like this quote, via Reuters:
"Enemies of the homeland, particularly those behind the scenes, I will give you a name: Globovision. Greetings gentlemen of Globovision, you should watch where you are going," Chavez said in a broadcast all channels had to show.
"I recommend you take a tranquilizer and get into gear, because if not, I am going to do what is necessary."
I was watching Fox News yesterday and they noted that the Times had only written a small blurb on this story, and I don't think it was on the front page either. Checked the online "front page" of the Times today and didn't see anything on it, unless I'm losing it. Though I do like the Times, that is shameful indeed.
41 - Clavos
From today's Miami Herald (front page, Elvira. Down here, for obvious reasons, it counts!):
Chavez has already begun to move on Globovision, ordering Venezuelan Communications Minister Willian Lara to initiate legal action against the station for having broadcast images of the attempted assassination of Pope John Paul II in 1981 with the soundtrack playing a popular song titled This Does Not Stop Here. The charge is that the broadcast was an incitement to assassinate him.
Chavez is being denounced worldwide for his closing of the RCTV radio station.
According to the Miami Herald,
''The Venezuelan government's politically motivated decision not to renew a television broadcasting license is a serious setback for freedom of expression in Venezuela,'' Human Rights Watch said in a statement.
As the world is finally beginning to realize, Chavez' threats are not idle. In his broadcast speech yesterday, he said:
''I'm ready to die for my country. Are you ready?'' he asked. ``They've decided to come for us with everything. We're waiting for them. In the hills, in the neighborhoods. People: Be alert.''
Talk about inciting!
The opposition is growing. In addition to the students and others who have been protesting in the streets for several days now, the Herald notes:
...he has encountered resistance from middle- and upper-class Venezuelans, media owners, senior military officials and state company employees who accuse him of undermining democracy and imposing an authoritarian system.
Meanwhile, Chavez' mentor and teacher, Fidel Castro, continues to carefully groom him to take up the battle to spread Marxism throughout Latin America.
42 - Dave Nalle
Whenever and wherever the legislative branch of a government becomes nothing but a sycophantic rubber-stamp to a radical, autocratic executive, the only hope the people have is a strong and independent judicial branch. But Hugo Chavez Frias was smart enough to pack the judicial branch with mindless drone supporters.
I wish that those on the left who compare Bush with Hitler or call him a dictator could look at Venezuela with an open mind and see how far off the mark they are with Bush. But since they're in denial about Chavez that lets them indulge themselves in the delusion that Bush's tiny excesses are the stuff of nightmares.
What would they do if Bush shut down CNN? What would they do if Bush suspended or rewrote the Constitution? What would they do if Bush supporters broke in and burnt the presses of the New York Times? And why don't they hold Chavez to the same standards?
Dave
43 - Franco
#38 " Franco
"Chavez knows he needs to make sure these weapons go into the hands of those who will blindly follow him to the death."
#41 " Clavos quoting Chavez
"I'm ready to die for my country. Are you ready?'' he asked. ``They've decided to come for us with everything. We're waiting for them. In the hills, in the neighborhoods. People: Be alert."
Twangs of Jim Jones crossed with Castor. He is preping the hearts and minds that he intends to issue new AK103's.
Every time Chavez makes these radical statements of invasion coming to Venezuela it always precedes, and or follows, something he set in motion that he knows will be extremely controversial to the free world when it is realized.
With his RCTV axing job he knew that he was going to draw international condemnation, but where it apeares he over played his hand was with the Venezuelan people.
In order to fill up this void in among the Venezula people supporting him and his singular power rule he will need still more power and more control over more of the people and beat harder on both the drums of “fear” of the invasion and “fear” of him. Those he can not scare into submission will probable go that way of Cubas Revolution resisters. What and who will stop him?
I believe if he stays in power for several years we will all look back on these days as the genital and more rational times.
44 - Clavos
Franco says,
"I believe if he stays in power for several years we will all look back on these days as the genital and more rational times."
I think you really mean "gentle," although he IS a prick.
45 - Dave Nalle
The latest news out of Caracas has Chavez threatening to shut down the local ofices of CNN as well as globovision, because they reported on the massive antigovernment protests which have been ongoing since Sunday with 10s of thousands of people in the streets going head to head with riot police.
Dave
46 - moonraven
Well, moonraven is in CARACAS at this moment, and has to say that Nalle has given us an ignorant piece of propaganda direct from Globovision via CNN.
As usual, of course, he doesn't bother to tell us that everything he thinks he knows is at best past through 4 or 5 anti-Chavez filters and only the excrement is left to put on these pages.
What I can say is the following:
1. This is not a free speech issue. Governments control media licensing here--just as they do in the US with the FCC and in every other country I have spent time in. This is a question of renewing a license for open operation (this does not affect cable or internet RCTV operations at all) on channel 2 for a channel that has incited sedition, incited magnicide and promoted racism and criollo privilege--the last two for the entire 53 years of its operation.
The surprise here should be that RCTV was able to broadcast until midnight on Sunday! If a station incited the overthrowing of a legal government anywhere else on the planet, at the very least they would have been jerked off the air immediately--and in the US Marcel Granier would be cooling his criollo heels in Guantanamo. Let's not kid ourselves. The issue here is privilege, and a medium that feels it doesn't have to comply with laws or even common decency because the owner is rich and WHITE.
2. Because the opposition here has had no pretext to raise hell for quite some time, they are milking the RCTV NON-RENEWAL (this is not a CLOSURE)
for what they can squeeze out of it. And they are now using students from the private universties as cannon fodder for their interests. Those protesting students are let out of class by their professors and PROMISED EXTRA POINTS for protesting, while chavistas are threatened with failing the courses. (NO, I did not hear the professors say that, but I have heard this from a number of different students--and considering I have nearly 15 years of experience as an educator in Latin America, I know how the system of "education" in private schools works--so I would bet a fair amount of bolivares that it's true.)
3. What I am seeing--especially yesterday--was that there are more police than protestors in the streets. And the banging on the pans down where I am staying lasted all of 15 minutes last night--as opposed to maybe 45 minutes the night before. It's boring, there's no real issue, and that's why no one who isn't getting paid one way or another to protest can be bothered doing so.
4. This is all very silly--who cares, really, whether a tv station goes off the air or doesn't? It's just a pathetic chance to propagandize against a non-white progressive leader who just happens to control the planet's largest petroleum reserves--because there are no other issues to propagandize about.
And because folks like Dave Nalle have nothing better to do with their lives and their time, they spew out the predigested pap from the right wing media.
5. Free speech--who are you kidding? Does free speech mean that I or Nalle or anybody else has the RIGHT to own and operate a t.v. channel? This is about MONEY and (white) PRIVILEGE guys--just like everything else on this rapidly disappearing planet.
For other info that I have posted or will post from Caracas, those interested can check the Commondreams site.
Free speech??????Concern about that from all you bigots who demanded they I be banned from blogcritics?
Do not make me laugh. Again.
47 - moonraven
just one point of fact: the Constitution of Venezuela has not been suspended.
Nalle has absolutely no shame plopping out lies like big fat turds figuring you folks are too stupid not to believe them.
That's it for this bird. Over and out. From Caracas--in the reality.
48 - troll
good to read you again moonraven - !
49 - Dave Nalle
I see that a vacation has not made moonraven any more truthful or any less biased.
On the suspension of the constitition I refer her to the BBC which seems to think that Chavez has been granted the power to rule by decree, which by its very nature is extra-constitutional and amounts to the constitution being suspended in fact if not in name. Are they lying?
As for your pathetic attempt to defend what''s going on there in #46, we get it. Free speech is meaningless to you. It's not to the rest of us.
Dave
50 - moonraven
Thanks, troll.
In a certain sense, maybe it is healthier that some young people in what, in my opinion, is a very loud and fairly conflictive society are out in the street getting a little exercise instead of sitting in front of RCTV soap operas.
But then, I haven't watched any t.v. since 1990....
51 - Dave Nalle
And some specific responses:
with the FCC and in every other country I have spent time in. This is a question of renewing a license for open operation (this does not affect cable or internet RCTV operations at all)
Except that those operations are not commercially viable and cannot support the staff of the station to do any actual reporting.
on channel 2 for a channel that has incited sedition, incited magnicide and promoted racism and criollo privilege--the last two for the entire 53 years of its operation.
For those not familiar with moonraven's perspective, her use of 'criollo privelege' is a negative code word for property rights in this case. Magnicide isn't a word. I think she made it up as a variant of regicide.
The surprise here should be that RCTV was able to broadcast until midnight on Sunday! If a station incited the overthrowing of a legal government anywhere else on the planet, at the very least they would have been jerked off the air immediately--and in the US Marcel Granier would be cooling his criollo heels in Guantanamo.
I listen to broadcast radio at least once a week which advocates the overthrow of the US government, and rather than being yanked off the air, the show was recently picked up for nationwide syndication.
Let's not kid ourselves. The issue here is privilege, and a medium that feels it doesn't have to comply with laws or even common decency because the owner is rich and WHITE.
Yes, let's not kid ourselves. For MR the issue here is that the owner is rich and white and she's a classist and an anti-white racist.
2. Because the opposition here has had no pretext to raise hell for quite some time,
Well, it's hard to raise hell when you get beaten or murdered or have your property destroyed when you try to speak out.
they are milking the RCTV NON-RENEWAL (this is not a CLOSURE)
An involuntary non-renewal IS a closeure. Don't try to bullshit us with semantics.
3. What I am seeing--especially yesterday--was that there are more police than protestors in the streets.
Which would suggest that after 4 days of rubber bullets and teargas the protestors have been successfully intimidated.
4. This is all very silly--who cares, really, whether a tv station goes off the air or doesn't?
People who'd like to have more than just one official presentation of the news care, I imagine. International human rights groups certainly seem to think it's worth making an issue of.
Free speech??????Concern about that from all you bigots who demanded they I be banned from blogcritics?
Hey, don't look at me. I didn't demand it. And you weren't banned as I understand it, but asked nicely to take a break.
Dave
52 - moonraven
Nalle,
Do NOT post opinions as factual links. That is just as journalistically unethical now as it was when I first called you on it last September.
The right to rule by decree preceded Chavez' presidency and has been used by at least 3 previous presidents here. It is also included in the constitution, so doing so cannot be unconsitutional.
And if the consitution had been suspended, RCTV would not have been able to put a claim before the Supreme Court here about the UNCONSTITUIONALITY of having it's concession renewal denied.
Simple logic, really. And simple turth-telling instead of propagandizing.
You always respond by calling me a liar because you have no information and spend your life in front of the t.v. and the computer screen.
Yet I make the effort to get on a plane and see what is REALLY happening. That's the difference between you and me, Nalle--I live in reality, not in a dream of gameworld, and reality is where the truth lives--not in a trailer in Texas unless you are writing a piece about the lifestyle of folks who live in trailers in Texas.
Here, the issue is what's happening in Caracas--and WHY. You don't have to be here like I am--there are a fair number of good pieces by REAL writers available on Commondreams and Venezuelanalysis--but it sure doesn't hurt any to be en media res instead of deep in the heart of Texas.
You bet I am biased! Everybody is biased, and at least I am biased on the side of positive action--not biased towards sitting on my ass and armchair-quarterbacking planetary genocide.
Get a life.
53 - Frito Bandito
"I see that a vacation has not made moonraven any more truthful or any less biased."
If that's what a vacation is supposed to accomplish, you should think about taking one.
54 - moonraven
Nalle would have us believe that cable operations are not commercially viable!!!!!!
Pull the other one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
There would be a lot of stations that are in bankruptcy in the US alone if what Nalle said had a grain of truth in it.
And just for the record, the Venezuelan government offered the RCTV employees the resources to start their own businesses if they wanted to. Garnier threatened to can their butts if they accepted the government's offer.
Just the facts, Nalle. Just the facts.
Joe Friday, Dragnet Caracas
55 - moonraven
My final comment on this, as I have to get out in the street now, is to comment that no opposition folks have been murdered or had their property destroyed--that's Nalle lying again. They were soundly trounced in the ballot box--63% in fact--numbers any US candidate WOULD kill for.
As for involuntary rebewal meaning closure--it's Nalle trying to shit us again. Nowhere in the world ExCEPT FOR lA LEY TELEVISA IN MEXICO--CURRENTLY BEING DEBATED IN THE SUPREME COURT--is it law that concessions ARE AUTOMATICALLY RENEWED.
Give us a break from the pieces of excrement--even the usual blogcritics brownnoses are having trouble swallowing them.
Much less a bird with a brain and good vision in Caracas!
56 - Dave Nalle
Nalle would have us believe that cable operations are not commercially viable!!!!!!
Pull the other one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And once again, facts prove to be MR's downfall. Only 4% of the population of Venezuela has access to cable TV. So what you'd like is for RCTV to be limited solely to a tiny number of wealthy viewers with an audience base which wouldn't be large enough to attract advertisers and pay the bills.
There would be a lot of stations that are in bankruptcy in the US alone if what Nalle said had a grain of truth in it.
Except that the US has 15 times the rate of cable/satellite subscription that venezuela does, providing a decent audience for a cable station.
And just for the record, the Venezuelan government offered the RCTV employees the resources to start their own businesses if they wanted to. Garnier threatened to can their butts if they accepted the government's offer.
Well now, that's nice. Perhaps they could all start fruit stands. Or did he offer them enough money to start their own TV or radio broadcast stations and guarantee them a license? These are journalists, after all, not fruit vendors.
Do NOT post opinions as factual links. That is just as journalistically unethical now as it was when I first called you on it last September.
And you're just as wrong now as then. As always, my links are to news articles in the media or legitimate NGOs.
The right to rule by decree preceded Chavez' presidency and has been used by at least 3 previous presidents here. It is also included in the constitution, so doing so cannot be unconsitutional.
True, he rewrote the constitution, so I guess whatever he wants is constitutional now.
And then, as usual, MR melts down into a series of personal insults, having no foundation of fact or logic to support her attacks.
there are a fair number of good pieces by REAL writers available on Commondreams and Venezuelanalysis
Let's see, you think that sites sponsored by the International Socialists and by the Venezuelan government are impartial sources. Do I have that right?
Dave
57 - Clavos
I don't remember anybody "demanding" it.
This is another of mr's fantasies.
She got a timeout, just like any other naughty child.
"4. This is all very silly--who cares, really, whether a tv station goes off the air or doesn't?
People who'd like to have more than just one official presentation of the news care, I imagine. International human rights groups certainly seem to think it's worth making an issue of."
Among them:
Interamerican Press Association
OAS
Reporters Without Borders
Human Rights Watch
ALL of these organizations are protesting not only the closing of RCTV, but also the general ongoing intimidation of the Venezuelan opposition press.
58 - Christopher Rose
Actually what happened was that Moonraven lost her temper and wrote to Eric Olsen demanding I be sacked or suspended or something. At the same time, there was a lot of discussion going on about increasing the level of civility in both the politics section and across the site in general.
That is still clearly lacking, so I suspect it won't be long before she has another rest...As a result of all that, EO wrote to her suggesting that she take a break from the site. Upon her return, the only guidance I have received is
59 - Clavos
Leopards rarely change their spots, Chris.
Thanks for the update, BTW.
If I'd known she was demanding you be sacked, I'd have rallied some support!
Just kidding, old chap. I disagree with you from time to time, but as commenter, not as editor.
60 - Clavos
Upon further reflection, make that usually not as editor...
61 - moonraven
Chris,
Lots of luck indicating where I have been uncivil. despite the fact that most posters here wouldn't know civility if it bit them in the ass--and that definitely includes you. Just the facts--not uncivil at all.
I only peeked into this site because I knew Nalle would be copying CNN/Fox News and other folks' news pieces--as usual--and passing them off as his own.
Then I happened to see that someone had requested my take on the situation. And since I happen to be right on the scene, not in a trailer in Texas, I responded.
Nalle calls editorials/opinion pieces legitimate sources and plagiarism is just fine for him. Probably one of the reasons he was sacked from academia.
I don't have time to post on blogcritics, but why not just BAN ME--you defenders of free expression--and then you wonj't have to worry about my stopping by and posting INFORMATION AND FACTS from an EYEWITNESS perspective.
If Nalle were here he would see that cable t.v. is EVERYWHERE in Venezuela. A conservative estimate places cable subscriptions at 40 percent--not the FOUR percent Nalle said there were here. Anyone starting a cable operation with 40% would do just fine--most of the cable operations in the US started with considerably less.
The government offered money to the RCTV folks to start media cooperatives, not fruit stands. The government did not have to do that. If one of the channels in the US went off the air the US government would even whine about giving journalists (if there are any left in the US) unemployment compensation!
Be that as it may, Nalle would have you folks believe that a progressive site or a progressive newspaper is defacto illegitimate--not true Nalle. But I CAN say that anythying Nalle is involved with is tainted by his lack of ethics and lack of journalistic credentials. Writing for this dippy site and for game mags just ain't being a journalist, sorry.
But of course Nalle's calling ME a liar is just fine. Because he's on the right.
Give me a break.
62 - moonraven
Nalle also lied when he said I made up the word MAGNICIDE.
Don't be lazy--google it.
63 - moonraven
I am afraid this will have to be my only comment to Clavos.
The Organization of American States has NOT made a motion to call Venezuela's attention about the RCTV NON-RENEWAL--despite the US asking for it.
Reporters without Borders has no credibility because they are largely funded by the US and European governments, so reflect the politics of their funders.
SIP is made up of commericial media owners-hardly impartial.
Human Rights Watch has also managed to lose most of its credibility because the folks working for it in Latin America only listen to folks on the right--sad, but true.
What about the International Organization of Internet Shills and Plagiarists?
Or the National Organization of Ignorant Gringos?
Governments all over the world have come out in favor of Venezuela's position on this--no government wants to see that its decisions can be made the distraction/talking point to pull attention away from failed US government foreign policy.
Except, of course, for Alan Garcia, in Peru--who said media closures couldn't happen there, when Peru has done a bang-up job of closing media--including TWO in April of this very year.
64 - Clavos
"Governments all over the world have come out in favor of Venezuela's position on this..."
List 'em.
65 - Clavos
List them with sources, mr.
And don't bother listing Cuba, Ecuador, Nicaragua, or Bolivia (though its Senate did issue a statement condemning Chavez), we all know where they stand and I'll stipulate to their supporting Chavez.
Got others? Don't forget the sources...
66 - Dave Nalle
I only peeked into this site because I knew Nalle would be copying CNN/Fox News and other folks' news pieces--as usual--and passing them off as his own.
Except, of course, that I didn't use either of those sources and linked only to NGOs with the exception of one link to ABC news. Keep lying. It makes discrediting you so easy.
Nalle calls editorials/opinion pieces legitimate sources and plagiarism is just fine for him.
Perhaps you could point out which of my sources was an editorial or opinion piece, because I couldn't find one.
If one of the channels in the US went off the air the US government would even whine about giving journalists (if there are any left in the US) unemployment compensation!
In the US we have established rules for handling unemployment compensation and if they qualified they would get it. We wouldn't need to make a one-time guilt payment because we wouldn't shut down a media source arbitrarily for political reasons.
Writing for this dippy site and for game mags just ain't being a journalist, sorry.
Just for reference, I haven't written regularly for game magazines in over a decade, but they did pay better than blogging.
But of course Nalle's calling ME a liar is just fine. Because he's on the right.
You wouldn't know a real right winger if one bit you on the ass, apparently.
The Organization of American States has NOT made a motion to call Venezuela's attention about the RCTV NON-RENEWAL--despite the US asking for it.
You make this so easy it's almost embarassing. See this article in the IHT about the OAS' statement condemning the shut down of RCTV before it even happened.
Reporters without Borders has no credibility because they are largely funded by the US and European governments, so reflect the politics of their funders.
Those politics in this case being to favor a free press. Those evil colonial bastards! How can they oppress the third world by wanting them to have free speech?
Human Rights Watch has also managed to lose most of its credibility because the folks working for it in Latin America only listen to folks on the right--sad, but true.
Yeah, human rights aren't human rights if conservatives are supporting them.
Dave
67 - STM
I warned you Dave ... I knew you'd get a boot up the bum from moonraven. Tee hee
68 - STM
"List 'em."
Burkina-Faso?
69 - Ruvy in Jerusalem
Marthe,
It's going to be fun watching you defend the policies of a man "doing a Mussolini," turning Venezuela into a dictatorship as we watch (from the computer screen in the mountains of Samaria - don't got no TV).
At least I call Israel's leaders the corrupt mafiosi they are.
Have fun in the streets of Caracas, Marthe. And don't get run over by any cops. We'll be waiting for a report from the joyous working class of the emerging People's Republic of Venezuela.
Just be careful not to go to the USA if you can help it. Bush (or the men behind Bush) is also "doing a Mussolini" there...
70 - Clavos
Clavos challenges mr:
"List 'em"
And Stan replies:
"Burkina-Faso?"
Damn, you're right Stan; I forgot them. Also, Zimbabwe.
71 - moonraven
Clavos, I will CONSIDER taking time out from lliving a REAL LIFE to post REAL SOURCES when I see you and Nalle post REAL sources--not opinions from the BBC and the Miami Herald or other such non-sources.
Since you have never posted ANY secondary news sources--much less PRIMARY ones. I, for example, am a PRIMARY source--because I am in Caracas commenting as an eyewitness and an earwitness.
Folks here can choose the comfortable belief that anything south of the Rio Grande is evil and dirty and scary and corrupt by reading the pap pushed by FOX news and CNN and YOU if they want to. They can continue to kid themselves that they live in a democracy and that destroying the planet is the best thing since sliced pretend bread if they want to.
Believing anything else would mean getting off their ass and doing something. And that's too much for you guys to think about, I guess.
I really do not care. I don't have time for delusions and collusions.
[Gratuitous vulgarity deleted by Comments Editor. Strike One.]
72 - moonraven
You accepted that same gratuitous vulgarity some time back from the hysteric who demanded that I be banned...
What's sauce for the gander apparently does not apply to the goose?
Just in from various news websites: THE SUPREME COURT OF MEXICO DECLARED AUTOMATIC RENEWAL OF MEDIA CONCESSIONS TO BE UNCONSTITUTIONAL.
Sources: start with La Jornada if you read spanish--being a progressive newspaper doesn't mean that the supreme court did NOT declare automatical renewals unconstitutional.
That's it for me. Keep on...jerkin'.
73 - moonraven
Chris,
Now please give me strikes two and three, you pinche little priss.
I want to see you free speech advocates ban myfeathers from this foolish forum forever.
Go for it!
74 - Clavos
If you DO get banned from BC, mr, it won't be the first time a site has banned you.
Do you see a trend?
Think about it calmly enough to realize it's not your opinions that will get you banned, it's the way in which you present them.
Just think about it.
75 - Christopher Rose
moonraven, yet again you deceive yourself. I'm not a free speech advocate nor do I wish to ban you.
The site has its own guidelines with regard to the conduct of people towards each other. As you have been told many times, you are welcome to debate ideas as passionately as you wish. On the other hand, pointless namecalling is simply childish, irritating and tedious.
You can continue to contribute your own views as much as you like, and I hope you do. However, if you continue with the pottymouth behaviour, you will most assuredly be banned. The choice is yours.