Venez seems to have a World lead in Beauty Queens for its size!
http://vodpod.com/watch/1003855-miss-venezuela-2008
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkrKw8QQtqE
Perhaps they should be politically correct and ban them. More girls could become doctors and nurses that it seems the country is short of.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7546554.stm

Even singing contests.
http://www.filipinasoul.com/little-grand-star-dreamer-philip-nolasco/
S.

hey, Tex, given the wonderful state of the American economy these days, it is high time you considered a hiatus from flagellating Venezuela on a daily basis. we get the point; things there, like everywhere else, are not going swimmingly. but the USA is in for some rough times itself. you might want to fasten your seat belts for a bumpy ride. you might survive, but a lot of guys in good old uncle sam are headed down the tubes. the question now becomes; destitute in Venezuela, or destitute in the USA;what is your pick? i would rather be in the one without the snow.

Glimer,

Of course everyone is entitled to their opinion. I have no issue with that. When someone consistantly cites the government run websites vs. local newspapers as their sources I have an issue with that. Besides working and still continuing to bid work in Venezuela, what the government is espousing is just plain false. In November during the latest election, Chavez failed to have his constitutional reform passed and by some accounts he was defeated by a margin of 3 to 1. The state run news organizations says he lost 49% to 51%. Whichever way it really was is not the issue, the issue is he LOST. The current constitution says that during a term in office a sitting president MAY not bring forth a proposition that was defeated at the ballot box during the same term in office. He "suggested" that the PSUV (his political party) should put forth a reccomendation to have the vote again on unlimited term limits with the CNE (electoral board) agreed with with unusual lightning speed and they have scheduled an election for Feburary. During the last round the PSUV also lost the state of ZULIA, Maricaibo, the Mayorship of Caracas, Guitare, Petaire, Catia and other states and marorial posts that now represent over 2/3rds. of the total population. His party holds the vast majority of posts by numbers but by representation he is far outnumbered. The same law in the revised constitution (as Changed twice so far by Chavez) states that between any election a campaign will be held to ensure that no one is denied the right to excersice their vote. However on this special election in Feburary the CNE has denied any open vote enrollment. They are scared of the university students as they orgainzed his last defeat. Besides having a past in Venezuela, My wife and I have a home there, visit at least twice a year and speak almost daily to my in-laws and step daughter. We will be going there in March or April when her visa is approved to immigrate to the US.

Photo blog by an in country newspaper on the state of Venezuela.

http://english.eluniversal.com/2006/02/06/en_pol_frep_04A520445.shtml

When the government failed to renew the broadcasting license for RCTV in Caracas because of alleged involvement in the coup it was never explained and to this day, six years later no evidence has been produced to back up that claim. The real reason was that being the oldest television station in the country also meant that they had the largest network of transponders and it is (was) the only station that was available in the entire country by antena, no more no less. If you take that station you now have instant propaganda to everyone everywhere in the country.

A link to SUMATE, a Venezuelan Group that wants Democracy

http://www.sumate.org/

When I posted the recent Aljazeera video about the poverty in Venezuela, you noticed ABC made no comment on it.


The following is the link to transperancy international, see where Venezuela rankd now and every year since Chavez has been in office 1999-2009

http://www.transparency.org/

News story of four gunshot deaths and 4 wounded in one barrio last night

http://caracas.eluniversal.com/2009/01/18/sucgc_art_muchas-balas-para-u_1225921.shtml

News story on death (murders in Caracas) during 2008, kind of hard to paint a political slant on people being killed in the streets and numbers of dead bodies dont lie and have no political leanings.

http://caracas.eluniversal.com/2009/01/13/sucgc_art_en-libertador-se-ori_1221704.shtml

Hey Dread,

Whats happening??? The economy does have its ups and downs here and It looks like at the moment I will weather it ok. Trust me on this one, I would rather be destitute here than in Venezuela although I do like the weather and beaches there. There is a National park called Mochima which is made up of a bunch of Islands and the water is perfect and the beaches are just magnifcent. Fortunately it does not snow much here in S.E. Texas and right now it is a beautiful 70 degrees. 3 days ago it was 26 in the morning BRRRR.

No denial there, beautiful women everywhere. I even like getting delayed at the airport just to watch the blue jeans go by.

Texasshoe, you aren't that cold where you are, so stop it. a few days ago it hit some lows in San Antonio and other places, but it is not that cold now. so, just stop. you aren't earning my sympathy, so there!!

Dread,

Your not going to pull that "I did not read the comment, but will respond anyway" routine. I said the other day it was 26 in the morning-Did not stay that way. It has been a fairly cold last couple of weeks here considering where we are located. Now I know that this does not rank with Chicago or Toledo as a close second I do prefer warmer climes!!!!!!

The fight against poverty and crime has always been a long and hard struggle with many battles, not always with victories. Each society is at a separate stage in development and you may care to review papers such as
http://www.chsbs.cmich.edu/ctch/pdfs/mccabepaper.pdf
and some of the papers on the US New Deal.
Mexico also has a crime wave.
http://news.stv.tv/world/60891-drug-gang-killings-in-mexico-nearly-5400-in-2008/
European problems:
http://www.glasgowsurvival.co.uk/gangs.pdf
Chevez should be supported until someone else comes up with a better program, there is no evidence of this yet, only get - rich cats making money out of hiring hoods for destruction - as in Chicago in the 30's and 50'.
After Bush, US's failed President and the failure of many American polices Venez should go down this path?
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,293008,00.html
( by the way fox new not very socialist!)
p.s. Americans can be very patriotic!
http://www.cafepress.com/votedem2008.269173128
Venez can avoid the capitalist plague!
http://pww.org/past-weeks-2000/A%20capitalist%20plague.htm
S.

From an article in Tal Cual, a gem of a quote:

“You see a demonstration of 30 people and they throw at them the whale*, the rhinoceros*, the police, and the National Guard goes out. A demonstration of nurses waving a flag starts, the police goes out with shielded helmets and they take the flag away from them and step on it, that is, the State, after February 4th. and November 27th., has established a dictatorial Government, ready to repress and the country is militarized and has been taken over by the police with weapons of war”.

Hugo Chavez in 1998 when he was a Presidential candidate.

* Nicknames of vehicles used to contain demonstrations.

He has now ordered the Police and Military breakup any demonstrations or marches by the university students who are opposed to the constitutional amendment proposed for voting in mid-Feburary.

-----Yet the people who are for it, can march and demonstrate when and where they want and are encouraged to do so by the government. If it is free and democratic like Chavez cliams, why the double standard?

The only system that works is the individual freedom of Capitalism. The only people who loose under capitalism are the lazy and foolish.