Some have taken me to task for being too eager to announce Hugo Chavez' membership in the Junior Dictators Club. After all, he's just trying to help the people of Venezuela and if he's taken away free speech, judicial independence, rendered the legislature meaningless, shut down or intimidated the press and turned the schools into indoctrination centers, it's all been done with the best intentions. He may have complete autocratic power, a growing military and designs on his neighbors, but at least he hasn't tried to raise himself up like a larger than life figure and create a cult of personality. That's one of the things which really set dictators like Mussolini, Hitler, Lennin and Mao apart from more reasonable autocrats.
Oh wait, I spoke too soon. Apparently Chavez' cult of personality is well developed and even extends beyond the borders of Venezuela. We've seen some of his posturing and demagoguery here in the US when he's addressed the UN and made special deals to provide cheap heating oil to the poor of the northeastern states to demonstrate his largesse. He's a man of big gestures and big words and like Lenin and Stalin and Hitler before him he's not averse to appearing in the occasional really large poster with a flashy uniform and a raised fist.
In a practice unpleasantly reminiscent of what I saw way too much of when I lived in Soviet Russia, Chavez has become disturbingly fond of decorating the walls and roadsides of Venezuela with his giant inflated head, often accompanied by nationalistic slogans. He certainly already has his fanatical followers around the world in whose eyes he can do no wrong, and self-promotion like this is designed to instill that same sort of fanaticism in his country's population. The goal is to make the people look to him as father, mother and symbol of nationalism, and come to believe that only through his largesse will they be safe and provided for.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Lapdog
Wow, it's been over an hour and Clavos hasn't found this article yet. He must be somewhere else raving about Fidel and Che.
2 - Dave Nalle
I only write these articles to try to give Moonraven a reason to keep breathing.
Dave
3 - Dr Dreadful
Then you're off your game, Dave. You should wait until you know she's going to be online. As it is, we're all just going to have to wait about 12 more hours for the fireworks.
4 - Daniel Brockert
I agree with your criticisms. I lived in Caracas and my girlfriend had a doll of President Chavez. Of course there are a couple of ways to look at this. On the one hand it is a cult of personality, but on the other hand he has democratic legitimacy because the people keep voting for him and love him. Moreover they don't only love him because of cult of personality. He's provided concrete benefits such as subsidized food, free health services and education programs.
The main question I have is whether the nationalism that drove all the media networks to wave our flag when Bush invaded Iraq is any different from the nationalism you are criticizing in Venezuela. In the US, the tv networks went out of their way to limit criticisms of the war in Iraq and even had retired military generals doing the analysis of the war. Anti-war activists were not invited on the programs.
It seems to come down to human nature. We are social creatures and we hunger for strong leadership. War in the case of the US and poverty in the case of Venezuela are ways of taking advantage of this instinct.
5 - Dave Nalle
Moreover they don't only love him because of cult of personality.
The cult of personality satisfies the ego of the leader, but it also reminds the people from whom all of the things they have flow. It focuses their nationalism on him and makes them constantly aware that he protects and provides for them. How can they not love him.
He's provided concrete benefits such as subsidized food, free health services and education programs.
Which goes hand in hand with the cult of personality. He feeds the people, he cares for them he even educates them. It all flows from the leader, even if without him they might be able to eat better, buy their own health care and get a more honest education.
The main question I have is whether the nationalism that drove all the media networks to wave our flag when Bush invaded Iraq is any different from the nationalism you are criticizing in Venezuela.
I've got no problem with Venezuelan nationalism, but we're seeing a lot more than just flag waving here.
In the US, the tv networks went out of their way to limit criticisms of the war in Iraq and even had retired military generals doing the analysis of the war. Anti-war activists were not invited on the programs.
Not true at all, not even on Fox. Anti-war activists have gotten plenty of airtime almost from the very beginning of the war. And if criticism was limited (which it really hasn't been much), it was voluntary. The government didn't shut any stations or networks down as has been done in Venezuela.
It seems to come down to human nature. We are social creatures and we hunger for strong leadership. War in the case of the US and poverty in the case of Venezuela are ways of taking advantage of this instinct.
It's better for us all to try to be strong an self reliant than to look for strength from outside ourselves, whether it be from a dictator or god or a self-help book.
Dave
6 - Dr Dreadful
Is that Mussolini in the poster at the top of the article, or Dr Evil?
7 - Dave Nalle
Is there a difference? But yes, it's Il Duce.
Dave
8 - brian
Dave and the cult of envy.
why is dave so envious of Chavez? He seems obsessed by him...a leader who does not bow to daves ideas let alone dictator Bush? Who works to better his countries poor; who is changing the face of a land benighted by ruthless dictators who have ignored the masses who live in squalor in their shanties....the very same masses descended in april 2002 to demand that daves friends,the oligarchs and their media whores return him to office,after they had kidnapped him.
Hugo as dictator? Well, americans love dictators, so you must love your idea of hugo.
Note, dave..no journos killed in venezuela,..none in prison.Unlike US govt, which has killed and imprisoned journalists.
No dictator,no tyranny...just more anti-venezuelaan propaganda spewed by the rightwing.
The raised fist is an old labor symbol.
Yes,u speak too soon...indeed,its not your place to decide another countrys politial path at all...
Your blog says" no personal attacks...what are you doing but violating your own policy!
The people of venezuela chose Hugo... i suggest you lean to.
Stalin and hitler? Try Bolivar and Martin Luthur King.
9 - troll
Brian - in your opinion what is the purpose of the larger-than-life images of your leader that the author documents in this piece - ?
10 - Lapdog
The link to Anastasia Moloney's article gives us: "The messages are clear: power is with the people and they now have a stake in shaping the country's future."
Venezuelans shaping the future of Venezuela?
Somebody should quickly put a stop to that outrageous idea.
That's 100% US oil in the ground down there!
Down with the evil Chavez!
Stop the theft of US oil in Venezuela!
11 - Plaomudo
I can't wait for GWB doll comes out. It would probably be a sex doll where you use it from behind and it blows you away. Design by Osama, made in Texas and sold at Wallmart!
You Americans couldn't see a dick tator until unless someone put a mirror in front of you.
12 - Martin Lav
How about the poster of the guy with the huge head that adorns the end of every article he writes?
Now if that isn't an fine example of the cult of personality.....and a scary picture to boot!
13 - REMF
^ But since he lives in a fortified compound, shouldn't it be the cult of paranoia?
14 - Dave Nalle
Note, dave..no journos killed in venezuela,..none in prison.
Except for the four I documented in a previous article.
Unlike US govt, which has killed and imprisoned journalists.
Not because of anything they wrote, and none that I know of have been killed.
No dictator,no tyranny...just more anti-venezuelaan propaganda spewed by the rightwing.
I'm just documenting some of the developments in Venezuela. We don't have giant posters of Bush here in the US nor do the elected leaders of most non-dictatorial governments have giant posters of themselves all over their countries.
The raised fist is an old labor symbol.
It's also the symbol of the Italian Fascist movement.
Yes,u speak too soon...indeed,its not your place to decide another countrys politial path at all...
I'd like the people of Venezuela to decide, but how can they with no free press, chavista indoctrination in the schools and goons watching how they vote at the polls?
Your blog says" no personal attacks...what are you doing but violating your own policy!
Just laying out the facts.
Dave
15 - Lapdog
"I'd like the people of Venezuela to decide, but how can they with no free press, chavista indoctrination in the schools and goons watching how they vote at the polls?"
They need a free press that supports US foreign policy and US corporations, US style indoctrination in the schools and US sponsored goons watching how they vote at the polls.
I believe it's called the Iraq model.
16 - Franco
#15 â€" Lapdog
You don't believe Venezuelans should have a right to a free press?
17 - Baronius
Lapdog, you oppose a free press on the grounds that it should be more free?
Dave, interesting article.
Daniel, the retired generals on TV were largely critical of the US approach. They thought we needed more troops, that we were allowing a societal breakdown, and that we should have focused our effort on capturing Saddam. They were hardly supportive.
18 - Lapdog
Don't you understand English, Franco?
"They need a free press that supports US foreign policy and US corporations".
You have a problem with that?
19 - Baronius
Sorry for posting basically the same thing as Franco. But Lapdog, I really can't tell what you're saying. Please spell out you views on a free press without the sarcasm or whatever.
20 - Lapdog
Baronius, you have a beef with the free press in Iraq?
Isn't its occasional gripe about the killing of Iraqi civilians by hired US goons good enough for you?
21 - Dave Nalle
What I believe our obscure canine partisipant was trying to say is that what we call a 'free press' is one which agrees with our agenda.
But in fact, I'd be perfectly happy with any press which isn't intimidated by and shut down by the government.
Dave
22 - REMF
"Your blog says" no personal attacks...what are you doing but violating your own policy!"
It's called...hypocrisy
23 - Clavos
"What I believe our obscure canine partisipant was trying to say is that what we call a 'free press' is one which agrees with our agenda."
So why didn't he say it??
Oh, sorry, I forgot. One has to be sarcastic and elliptical in order to be hip and cool.
24 - Martin Lav
"Oh, sorry, I forgot. One has to be sarcastic and elliptical in order to be hip and cool."
<<<<<====== as Clavos chuckles to himself all the way to the boat show ====>>>>>>
25 - Franco
#4 â€" Daniel Brockert
The main question I have is whether the nationalism that drove all the media networks to wave our flag when Bush invaded Iraq is any different from the nationalism you are criticizing in Venezuela.
In the US, the tv networks went out of their way to limit criticisms of the war in Iraq and even had retired military generals doing the analysis of the war. Anti-war activists were not invited on the programs.
At the time that all the media networks were waving our flag, it was how the US TV networks thought of it. Today they don’t and they are reporting just as hard in the opposite direction. The difference between the US media and Venezuela’s media that you miss is, (1) should the Venezuelans think differently later, there is no independent MSM to speak for them. (2) Chavezs’ has closed the independent media. (3) Chavez has signged new laws, by decree, making it a crime to criticize his government.
To put it another way, put your self in the shoes of the Venezuelans. Lets say you found out that Bush has closed done some MSM that has been highly critila of him and his plan for the US, and he has nationalized some other MSM’s and they are now state owned media And you come to find out he has signed a new law in to effect, by his own decree, this it is now illegal to criticize the Bush government and its plans for the US, and the National Guard, the police and courts have all been sworn in to in force it.
You loose all perspective on what is really going on because all your feed in the way of media state owned and which pushes only the Bush line. You don’t like it, but your SOL. If you want to resist it, you have to go underground and be careful whom you comrade with as the authorities will have agents out in the field. Have a nice day.
It has nothing to do with it coming down to human nature in the context you apply it. It's all about power and control over the minds of a people allowing them no other options. That is called a dictator. That is not Bush, that is Hugo Chavez.
Do I think Hugo Chavez cares about the Venezulian poor people, yes. Do I think he cares about power, yes. Which one do I think he is the servent of most. Well if your truly serving the majority of the people then you don't have to go to the control extreems he has, so I would be forced then to say, power.