Friday, September 22, 2006
The Chavez Speech: What Did He Really Say?
US corporate media and political elites have gone ballistic over Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez' United Nations General Assembly speech on Sept. 20, 2006. Chavez called Bush the "devil" and joked that the smell of sulfur still permeated the podium the day after Bush made an arrogant speech over the heads of the government seated before him to "the people of the Middle East."
Despite the outrage of US elites and neo-con talking heads, Chavez reportedly got the warmest and most sustained applause in the General Assembly of any head of state this year. AP reported that Chavez' recommendation that everyone should read Noam Chomsky's, Hegemony or Survival? America's Quest for Global Dominance moved the book up from 20,664 to 10th place on Amazon.com on the day following the speech. Today it is number one, so people were listening.
You couldn't tell it though from the US corporate media coverage which, if it covered anything beyond the "devil" statement and their fellow elites' outrage, devoted their air time and column inches to vilify Chavez as a friend of all the "enemies" of the United States. Chomsky, when asked by reporters about his feelings toward Chavez, replied that the views represented those of many in the world and that his anger was understandable. “The Bush administration backed a coup to overthrow his government... Suppose Venezuela supported a military coup that overthrew the government of the United States? Would we think it was a joke?”
Chavez made substantive proposals to reform the UN that are far different from the budget cuts and religious right ideology promoted by Bush's UN ambassador John Bolton. The corporate media completely ignored Chavez' complaint that the UN General Assembly has become nothing more than a "deliberative" body where leaders give speeches and reports are produced and filed away unread. His proposals to strengthen the UN include dismantling the veto system so that majority decisions can be honored, expanding the security council to include more permanent and non-permanent members, implementing efficient methods to resolve conflicts, and strengthening the power of the secretary general. Venezuela is seeking an open seat on the Security Council. The US, in an effort to deny Venezuela this important platform is backing Guatemala which has the worst human rights record in Latin America.
The reaction to Chavez' speech by the US media and elites was so extreme because seldom has a world leader more clearly stated that the emperor has no clothes.
On the US governments claimed devotion to spreading democracy Chavez said, "They want to impose upon us the democratic model they devised, the false democracy of elites. And moreover, a very original democratic model imposed with explosions, bombings, invasions, and cannon shot. That’s some democracy! One would have to review the thesis of Aristotle and of the first Greeks who spoke of democracy to see what kind of model of democracy is imposed by marines, invasions, aggressions and bombs."
The emperor has no clothes.
On extremists: "The imperialists see extremists all around. No, its not that we are extremists. What is happening is that the world is waking up and people everywhere are rising up. I have the impression Mr. Imperialist dictator that you will live the rest of your days as if in a nightmare, because no matter where you look we will be rising up against US imperialism. Yes, they call us extremists, we who demand complete freedom in the world, equality among peoples and respect for national sovereignty. We are rising up against the Empire, against the model of domination."
The emperor has no clothes.
On terrorism: "The US has already planned, financed and launched a coup in Venezuela. And the US continues to support coup plotters in Venezuela. And they continue supporting terrorism against Venezuela… the terrible murder of the former Chilean Foreign Minster Orlando Letelier. I would only add the following: the guilty parties are free. Those responsible for that deed, in which a US citizen was also killed, are North Americans of the CIA. Terrorists of the CIA… In addition, we here in this room must remember that in a few days it will be the 30th anniversary of that murder and of the horrible terrorist attack that blew up a Cubana de Aviación airplane in mid-flight killing 73 innocent people. And where is the worst terrorist of this continent, who admitted to being the intellectual author of the airplane sabotage?... Luis Posada Carriles is the name of that terrorist. He is protected here [in the US] just like the corrupt fugitives who escaped Venezuela. A group of terrorists who planted bombs in embassies of various countries, murdered innocent people during the coup and kidnapped this humble servant."
The emperor has no clothes.
It is my hope that the above observations will enable Venezuela solidarity activists and people of good will to respond to the lies and distortions in the corporate press and the mutterings of politicians like Nancy Pelosi who labeled Chavez a thug. This posting inaugurates the Venezuela Solidarity Network webpage blog. You are invited to post your own talking points and to contextualize the Chavez speech vis a vis the US foreign policy.
Chuck Kaufman
Venezuela Solidarity Network
Despite the outrage of US elites and neo-con talking heads, Chavez reportedly got the warmest and most sustained applause in the General Assembly of any head of state this year. AP reported that Chavez' recommendation that everyone should read Noam Chomsky's, Hegemony or Survival? America's Quest for Global Dominance moved the book up from 20,664 to 10th place on Amazon.com on the day following the speech. Today it is number one, so people were listening.
You couldn't tell it though from the US corporate media coverage which, if it covered anything beyond the "devil" statement and their fellow elites' outrage, devoted their air time and column inches to vilify Chavez as a friend of all the "enemies" of the United States. Chomsky, when asked by reporters about his feelings toward Chavez, replied that the views represented those of many in the world and that his anger was understandable. “The Bush administration backed a coup to overthrow his government... Suppose Venezuela supported a military coup that overthrew the government of the United States? Would we think it was a joke?”
Chavez made substantive proposals to reform the UN that are far different from the budget cuts and religious right ideology promoted by Bush's UN ambassador John Bolton. The corporate media completely ignored Chavez' complaint that the UN General Assembly has become nothing more than a "deliberative" body where leaders give speeches and reports are produced and filed away unread. His proposals to strengthen the UN include dismantling the veto system so that majority decisions can be honored, expanding the security council to include more permanent and non-permanent members, implementing efficient methods to resolve conflicts, and strengthening the power of the secretary general. Venezuela is seeking an open seat on the Security Council. The US, in an effort to deny Venezuela this important platform is backing Guatemala which has the worst human rights record in Latin America.
The reaction to Chavez' speech by the US media and elites was so extreme because seldom has a world leader more clearly stated that the emperor has no clothes.
On the US governments claimed devotion to spreading democracy Chavez said, "They want to impose upon us the democratic model they devised, the false democracy of elites. And moreover, a very original democratic model imposed with explosions, bombings, invasions, and cannon shot. That’s some democracy! One would have to review the thesis of Aristotle and of the first Greeks who spoke of democracy to see what kind of model of democracy is imposed by marines, invasions, aggressions and bombs."
The emperor has no clothes.
On extremists: "The imperialists see extremists all around. No, its not that we are extremists. What is happening is that the world is waking up and people everywhere are rising up. I have the impression Mr. Imperialist dictator that you will live the rest of your days as if in a nightmare, because no matter where you look we will be rising up against US imperialism. Yes, they call us extremists, we who demand complete freedom in the world, equality among peoples and respect for national sovereignty. We are rising up against the Empire, against the model of domination."
The emperor has no clothes.
On terrorism: "The US has already planned, financed and launched a coup in Venezuela. And the US continues to support coup plotters in Venezuela. And they continue supporting terrorism against Venezuela… the terrible murder of the former Chilean Foreign Minster Orlando Letelier. I would only add the following: the guilty parties are free. Those responsible for that deed, in which a US citizen was also killed, are North Americans of the CIA. Terrorists of the CIA… In addition, we here in this room must remember that in a few days it will be the 30th anniversary of that murder and of the horrible terrorist attack that blew up a Cubana de Aviación airplane in mid-flight killing 73 innocent people. And where is the worst terrorist of this continent, who admitted to being the intellectual author of the airplane sabotage?... Luis Posada Carriles is the name of that terrorist. He is protected here [in the US] just like the corrupt fugitives who escaped Venezuela. A group of terrorists who planted bombs in embassies of various countries, murdered innocent people during the coup and kidnapped this humble servant."
The emperor has no clothes.
It is my hope that the above observations will enable Venezuela solidarity activists and people of good will to respond to the lies and distortions in the corporate press and the mutterings of politicians like Nancy Pelosi who labeled Chavez a thug. This posting inaugurates the Venezuela Solidarity Network webpage blog. You are invited to post your own talking points and to contextualize the Chavez speech vis a vis the US foreign policy.
Chuck Kaufman
Venezuela Solidarity Network
