Chavez, No Hero.

If there's one thing that really annoys me about a few folks on the Left, it's the praise some will heap on people like Hugo Chavez, or Fidel Castro for that matter.

These people are certainly NOT the great men some try to make them out to be.

Take this story for example:

"The Brazilian President (Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva) has declared his atomic energy initiatives, and Brazil has a right to do that as well. Who knows, maybe Venezuela will ultimately follow suit."

I'm sure that many of his fans aren't very keen for any more countries to be building nuclear industries, and I can't help but wonder what statements such as this, if coming from someone like Howard, would draw in the way of criticism from the those same folks who cheer Chavez on. It's the inconsistency that bothers me.

Also: 'Mr Chavez said he wanted a "multi-polar" world in which "real freedom" was possible as opposed to "American freedom", which he characterised as the right to "threaten other nations and destroy cities".'

Well I think American freedom may be a little more than that. Yes, the U.S has been aggressive of late but they certainly hold more freedoms than Chavez's Venezuela.