EMAIL SIGN UP!
Most Popular This Week
- Corporate Win: Supreme Court Says Monsanto Has 'Control Over Product of Life'
- Patent Filing Claims Solar Energy ‘Breakthrough’
- Cornel West: Obama 'Is a War Criminal'
- Disaster Capitalism Strikes as Hedge Funds Circle Near-Bankrupt Municipalities Like Vultures
- In 'March Toward Disaster,' World Hits 400 PPM Milestone
Popular content
Today's Top News
Venezuelan Elections Show Democracy at Work
The Venezuela election was not a major blow to Hugo Chávez. It shows politics is working properly again
Last weekend's election for 165 representatives in Venezuela's national assembly is significant but unlikely to bring about major change, despite the opposition having done better than expected. On the latest count the pro-government United Socialist party has 94 seats, with 60 for the opposition Democratic Unity, five for other parties and the rest undecided. The opposition claims it won a majority of the popular vote, but apparently it was very close between the two main parties.
As expected, most of the international press and its sources hailed the results as a "major blow" to Hugo Chávez, paving the way for his possible removal in the presidential election in 2012. But this is exaggerated.
The vote was widely seen as a referendum on Chávez, and it would be an anomaly in electoral politics if the government did not lose support after a recession last year that continued into the first quarter of this year. Chávez's popularity has always reflected the economy, reaching a low during the recession of 2002-03 – regardless of the fact that it was caused by an opposition oil strike. His approval rating has fallen from 60% in early 2009 to 46% last month.
For comparison President Obama's approval rating has fallen from 68% last April to 45% this month, and his party is expected to take big losses in the congressional elections. This is despite him having clearly inherited economic problems from his predecessor.
It is not clear why anyone would expect Venezuela to be exempt from the workings of electoral politics. The opposition has most of the wealth of the country – and most of its media. They have no problem getting their message out. Obama also faces a strong rightwing media, with Fox News now one of the most popular sources for coverage of the autumn elections, but there is much less of an opposition media in the US.
Much has been made of the opposition getting more than a third of the national assembly, thus being able to block legislation that would "deepen the revolution". Again, the importance of this is greatly exaggerated.
In reality it is unlikely to make much difference. The pace at which it adopts reforms has been limited more by administrative capacity than by politics. The Financial Times recently added up the value of industries nationalised by the Chávez government. Outside oil, it came to less than 8% of GDP over the last five years. Venezuela still has a long way to go before the state has as much a role in the economy as it does in, for instance, France.
On the positive side, the most interesting result of this election is that the opposition participated, has accepted the results, and now has a bloc of representatives that can participate in a parliamentary democracy.
This could be an advance for Venezuelan democracy, which has been undermined by an anti-democratic opposition for more than a decade. As opposition leader Teodoro Petkoff has noted, the opposition pursued a strategy of "military takeover" for the first four years, which included a military coup and a devastating oil strike that crippled the economy. In 2004 the opposition tried to remove Chávez through a referendum; they failed, and then promptly refused to recognise the result – despite its certification by international observers such as the Carter Center and the Organisation of American States.
They then boycotted the last election in 2005, hoping to portray the government as a "dictatorship" and leaving them without representation. This newly elected bloc could potentially draw the opposition into real political participation. If that happens, it would be a significant advance for a country that has been too polarised for too long.
- Posted in
Comments
Note: Disqus 2012 is best viewed on an up to date browser. Click here for information. Instructions for how to sign up to comment can be viewed here. Our Comment Policy can be viewed here. Please follow the guidelines. Note to Readers: Spam Filter May Capture Legitimate Comments...
50 Comments so far
Show AllAnd what about US taxpayer dollars funding opposition candidates against Chavez?
Half the truth suits it seems.
Must be a horrible blow for that church, cult nut case, Pat Robertson, who called for Hugo Chavez to be assassinated. I wonder how many $ he and the CIA gave clandestinely to the Chavez opposition?
Another story you won't see on Fox (which routinely refers to Chávez as a dictator).
in spite of all the efforts by global fascist overlords and their minions.
And I'm sick of CDers allowing your spew to pollute an otherwise peaceful debate without calling you out on it.
I wonder if you're a plant. You come across like the right wing stereotype of a lefty.
Data just published by the National Electoral Council (morning of Sept 28) indicates a total of 5,653,836 votes were cast for the Opposition Alliance, as opposed to 5,399,309 votes for the PSUV-Communist Party of Venezuela Alliance.
Nevertheless, the Opposition (including two independents) will get just 67 seats in the national assembly, versus 98 seats now for the PSUV-PCV group.
How does presenting statistics from Sunday's vote constitute "supporting the opposition"?
Good to know that you're out there, betweenthelines, carefully monitoring and "outing" anybody that deviates from the party line.
You don't get out much, do you?
I didn't know there was a party. If there is, why are you, an unknown poster on this website, something people would need a "line" to follow? I just thought he was pointing out your OBVIOUS intent. We aren't stupid and you are obvious, so get on with your argument and grow up.
I will simply point out how stupid the point you were making is. Lets say there are two districts voting in two candidates. The first has 10,000 people` the second 2,000. If both of the winning candidates (from competing parties) get the same percentage of the votes the candidate and the party the candidate belongs to will have far more supporters. This would be true even if the candidate in the much smaller district got a much higher percentage of votes than the one from the larger district. Not too hard to logically figure out, if you TRY.
There is no easy explaination for the Venezuelan elections. The opposition won some seats in large part because they didn't boycott the election (the strategy failed horribly because everyone, including dozens of international observers like the Carter Center, said the elections were fair and clean), but what did they win on? Surely the violence in places like Caracas is an issue, but it was horribly violent before Chavez took over. The "opposition" is ideologically broad but is dominated by the right wing. Like the right wing here, they have no new ideas and their economic policies were a disaster. Compare pre-Chavez Venezuela to post 1998 Venezuela on income inequality (which has been decreased in Venezuela more than any other country in the region in recent years), economic growth, access to health care, education, etc. There have been issues in regards to power outages and some of that has been the result of mistakes in the Chavez administration, but everyone knows that the majority of the problem is not the fault of any person, but natural, given how much Venezuela uses hydro-electricity and the massive droughts recently.
The economy has been an issue, that is where the left of center opposition comes in. Venezuela has been hit, like every other country, by the recent CAPITALIST economic collapse. However, Venezuela has done exaclty the opposite of what Bolivia and China has done, they haven't done counter cyclical measures (even though their foreign reserves are the second highest in the world relative to GDP and their debt to GDP ratio is really good, much better than the US in fact), they've done what the right here wants to do and cut back spending. Pro-cyclical measures, which have angered many on the left and harmed the economy. This has lead to lower growth as well as slack funding for health care services, amongst other things. This explains the left of center opposition, which also partly explains his lower approval rating.
Again, what are the policies the opposition is offering? What will they accomplish that they haven't ANYWHERE else in the world (including pre-Chavez Venezuela)?
In the end, the opposition is well funded by the West (in particular the US through the NED, USAID, the CIA and the International Republican AND Democratic Institutes, etc) and is tapping into the anger that is the result in large part of situations outside the control of the government, like the collapse of the international capitalist market economy. The problem will be, like here with the right wing, what they will do when they gain power. See, they then have to come up with policies and logically defend them, take responsibility for the effects of the policies on working people. Hopefully for the opposition people won't be able to see 2 + 2 = 4 and will throw many historical truths down the memory hole.
Too funny! Chavez and Obama suffering from the same fate of being abandoned by their leftist allies. Both have 2 years to change their ways, and both with a common enemy in the US Chamber of Commerce. Question is, whether Chavez or Obama will still be standing when the dust settles? My money is on Chavez, because Obama still thinks the US Chamber of Commerce are his friends.
Can somebody please help me; I'm horribly confused!
How can a tyrannical dictator possibly be voted out of office? I thought the only way to give foreign people freedom from their tyrannical dictators was to have the CIA depose them in place of US-friendly tyrannical dictators!?
How could you not see it is sarcasm is what I don't understand
Do you suffer from the embarrassment of humor impairment? Are others around you laughing at punchlines while you're still going, "Huh, what?" Does the opposite sex avoid you? Does your ex call you a humorless creep?
If you answered 'Yes' to any of these questions you may be humor impaired.
Unfortunately, there is no cure. But there is hope. No, not the political kind. Real, genuine hope. Because of the Laugh-o-Later 5000. The LOL 5K listens for the first pre-laughter guffaws, breath intakes and gasps, then prods you to laugh at the same time as others. You still won't have a clue, but you'll look just like everyone who gets it.
Imagine, no longer being shunned for your impairment. Imagine laughing, almost the same as normal people.
The Laugh-o-Later 5000: It is a laughing matter.
Not available in Texas or Arizona. Even the LOL 5K can't help them.
Hee, hee, hee!
Thanks, I needed that.
:-)
CTRL-Z: Nice parody, although I have no idea which poster it was aimed at.
Read Between made valid points.
Thanks for the comment. The post was inspired by the 'Idiot Troll' remark made by CharlesNelsonReilly.
Oh and one more thing. Shame on Mark Weisbrot for using "Venezuela" and "Democracy" in the same sentence without an "is not", "doesn't have" or some other similar negative modifier in there. Shame on you anti-American freedom hater!
What a novel idea! The citizens of Venezuela actualy have realistic, differentiated choices in the voting booth.
Democracy sounds so exciting. We should give it a try here.
on behalf of all gringo's, readbetweenthe_lines, s*ck my big fat white d*ck
I assume you are propositioning readbetween due to the recent changes in craigslist policies. I'm sorry for your loss, but this simply isn't that type of board. I have heard that freerepublic.com has many men who would be more than happy to s*ck your big fat white d*ck. Give them a try...and happy hunting!
bligh4
The government doesn't get news coverage? It is mostly controlled by the opposition? Apparently he never heard of "hello, Mr President" or the fact that the opposition news media is on the run.
Mr. Chavez knows that he does not really need the National assembly. He can pass what he wants to by decree. That is why he is not worried in the least.
Yes, hello Mr. President comes on, which means that there isn't a 100% block out of pro-government coverage. NO ONE can deny that the vast majority of news media in Venezuela is anti-Chavez and against the Bolivarian Revolution, NO ONE. Not only anti-Bolivarian Revolution but helping the right wing overthrow the government and install a dictatorship bad.
"He can pass what he wants to by decree."
Typical imperialist stooge. The general public has something, thanks to the constitution created by the Chavez government shortly after getting elected (and passed in a national referendum by the vast majority of the country), if the government passes a law that the people disagree with (I believe 15% of the public) the law will go up for a national referendum and could be reversed. Do we have that right here? No, and we never will. The recall against Chavez in 2004 was not possible before Chavez came into power.
He DID have the decree power previously, but again the laws were reversible and this is not in any way unique to countries with democracies. Ever hear of US presidential executive orders? Do you realize how horrible and immoral the Bush executive orders were? What presidents do with the CIA and intelligence services? I can understand the dangers of decrees, but I wouldn't listen to someone like you. You don't attempt to be objective what so ever and we all know what you'll say before you even say it. Shouldn't be that easy.
"Mr President" or the fact that the opposition news media is on the run."
I swatted away your nonsense before. The community media has been massively expanded under Chavez. These community media outlets are completely controlled by local communities, many times in local dialects and their ranks have exploded in the last ten years. Since you're objective, and not a two bit propagandist who doesn't even attempt objectivity, you'll weigh this against any propaganda talking points you've been told. Or the fact that 90% of the coverage is like Fox News on steroids, that RCTV's punishment for its treason (they helped in 2002 remove the democratically elected government and was thanked the next day on television by the coup plotters, who the day before dissolved all the branches of government and tore up the Venezuelan constitution, setting up a military dictatorship) was that they had to go to cable TV. What is your irrational, reactionary obsession with Chavez? Why do you not even attempt to show objectivity (for the sake of your own damn argument)? Do you get paid by the post or something?
Mr. Weisbrot:
So getting a treasonous murderous "opposition" into Parliament is your idea of "Politics Working Properly Again".
Unbelievable.
Just what makes you think that economic sabotage such as food hoarding, conspiring with U.S.-sponsored subversion, (NED) and outright assassination (of union and peasant leaders not to mention Chavez himself) is going to disappear just because the bosses got themselves or some stooges elected?
Your point about only 8% of the economy being in other than private hands is well taken though. It proves two things:
1. Venezuela isn't socialist. 2. There has been no revolution. Not even the beginning of one.
bligh4
Let me get this straight...opposition to Chavez is treason and shows that anyone opposed to Mr.Chavez is in the U.S.'s pocket? Funny, that is exactly what Chavez says...
bligh4
And you are a moron. This gringo is tired of hearing your bullshit.
"opposition to Chavez is treason and shows that anyone opposed to Mr.Chavez is in the U.S.'s pocket?"
No, and of course no one makes such a simple accusation as you, but helping a coup in 2002 that replaced a democratically elected government, which the private media, especially RCTV and Globovision, did, (supported at the time by 2/3's of the public) with a military dictatorship IS treasonous. Being thanked by that dictatorship the day after on national TV doesn't help.
Regarding the opposition being in the US's pocket: Not everyone is in the US's pocket of course, there are a decent size in the "opposition" who come from the left, especially over the last year or so, in part because of the pro-cyclical policies Chavez has implemented in response to the international capitalist economic collapse. It is what the right wing is pushing for here and it is horrible policy. None the less, there is well documented evidence that the West, particularly the US, is heavily funding the opposition. Again, it isn't debatable, and if another country tried to interfere as much in US politics, funded one of the major parties and had supported a coup that dissolved all branches of our government and tore up our constitution, you could bet your ass that people would be extremely pissed. Here are two articles detailing the NED's and USAID's activities in Venezuela (the same is true by the way with Bolivia). If you care to argue against the FACTS, feel free. If you have nothing but name calling, say nothing and run away like always:
http://www.vheadline.com/readnews.asp?id=96553
http://www.vheadline.com/readnews.asp?id=23482
personally and through indirect experiences, i know of the treasonous technocrat class of venezuela.
many of them naturally have migrated to the US.
at the moment, my eyes are on the Brazilian election and its promising female presidential candidat.
Oh my! Oh my! An election in Venezuela, not propagandized for violence and corruption by Western media and pundits. An election that the opposition acknowledges as representative of the people of Venezuela.
What will Washington do now? What to do? Well, we could probably set up some US nuclear scientist and put the Venezuelan name on the crime. No need to have any Venezuelans involved, everyone will simply read the headline,"Venezuelan Nuclear Espionage!" as some US MSM outlets shouted. No accusation under the headline, just enough to confuse an American public whose attention span does not extend past the latest reality TV show.
Mr. Chavez is certainly to the left of many of his neighbors in the region, yet he has neither the resources nor the ability to threaten them politically or militarily. However, the 'comrades' on Wall Street will never be comfortable with a leftist' with that much economic power; Brazil is enough. Those seven(7) bases in Colombia will have to be activated, because it doesn't look like the Venezuelan opposition can 'get it done'.