Vladimir Putin and Russia claim to have developed an ICBM that no missile defense system, present or future, can stop. Along with this ICBM is a tactical cruise missile that also is supposed to be able to penetrate missile defense systems. This missile can carry multiple independent nuclear warheads and is known as the RS-24.
First Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov is one of the biggest proponents of upgrading Russia's military might, and is one of the top prospects to succeed Putin as President of Russia.
Yet, it's events like this that get brushed aside when people say "we don't need a missile defense system, it's a waste of money". Sure, North Korea may only be able to hit the Aleutian Islands at best...and Iran doesn't necessarily have a deployment vehicle for the nuclear warheads they are pursuing.
However, this is Russia we're talking about!!! The motherland of the former Soviet Union. Ok, kids, let's harken back 20 years or so...these people were our sworn enemy. Until Gorbechev, every Soviet Premier intended to find ways to destroy the "capitalist pigs" like the United States, the UK, France, and the rest of the west.
In fact, during Jimmy Carter's administration, the Soviet Union had plans to invade the United States by 1984. It was Ronald Reagan's election and subsequent hardline anti-Communist movement that put a stop to that.
The Russians also want the U.S. to withdraw it's anti-ballistic missile forces from Eastern Europe, which is only there to stop nuclear missile threats from Iran, North Korea, and other nations that are actively pursuing nuclear weapon technology.
So the Russians want to eliminate the American anti-ballistic missile defenses from Europe, and at the same time develop missiles that cannot be stopped by missile defense systems. Now tell me, why would Russia want it both ways?
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Cindy Sheehan Steps Out of the Limelight
(h/t Virginia Virtucon)
So Cindy Sheehan's mad because she got criticized by Democrats after she criticized them, first. Wow, I can't believe this woman is that much in denial about how the world works. You can't go around throwing criticisms at everyone who doesn't follow you, and not expect them to shoot right back at you.
She thought that her "anti-Bush" status made her immune to criticism from Democrats, no matter what she said. So she's apparently stepping out of the limelight, as the criticism from fellow Democrats is too much for her.
Well, she can always move to Venezuela and become Hugo Chavez's new Vice President.
So Cindy Sheehan's mad because she got criticized by Democrats after she criticized them, first. Wow, I can't believe this woman is that much in denial about how the world works. You can't go around throwing criticisms at everyone who doesn't follow you, and not expect them to shoot right back at you.
She thought that her "anti-Bush" status made her immune to criticism from Democrats, no matter what she said. So she's apparently stepping out of the limelight, as the criticism from fellow Democrats is too much for her.
Well, she can always move to Venezuela and become Hugo Chavez's new Vice President.
She looks comfortable enough next to ol' Hugo, doesn't she?
Weekly Podium: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Political Blogosphere
Cross-posted at The New Dominion.
Let’s face it, it seems like everyone and their mother has a blog of some kind. Whether it serves personal purposes, provides helpful tips for a variety of topics, or creates a forum for people to rant and rave…the blog has become a wonderful medium for expressing your thoughts.
This is especially true in the world of politics, both nationally and locally. Before I go any further, let me give some of you a quick history lesson on political blogs.
Long before the popularity of blogs in their current format, the internet had become a good source for instant information about politics. The Drudge Report became established in the mid-to-late 90’s, and news and op-ed’s were easier to access via the internet.
In the wake of the controversial presidential election in 2000, many people started to use “web logs” (which is where the term “blog” comes from) as a way of expressing their opinions and spreading news to the masses. This intensified further after 9/11, with even more emotions and opinions being stirred up due to the events of the time.
I’m not sure what the first official political blog was. However, it is safe to say that the mass popularity of the political blog begins in late 2001 into the year 2002. Around this time, as our nation was diving head-first into the War on Terror, several popular liberal blogs rose to fame. Among them were MyDD, Talking Points Memo, and Daily Kos, among others. A few conservative/libertarian blogs also came about, such as Instapundit and Little Green Footballs. It was also around this time that Ana Marie Cox founded Wonkette, which was notable for it’s uncensored takes on gossip in and around Capitol Hill.
With even more controversy surrounding the Iraq War and the 2004 elections, it seemed Americans turned to the internet even more. Since then, thousands upon thousands blogs have popped up on both sides of the Red State/Blue State divide. Some notable writers and political figures, like Michelle Malkin and Arianna Huffington, owe most (if not all) of their fame and notoriety to political blogging.
Most newspapers have their op-ed writers maintain a blog on the newspaper’s website. This allows some writers to further espouse their beliefs in a different medium, which can be accessed at any time. This means less trips to your local convenience store to grab a copy of the newspaper to get your favorite writer’s opinions.
While many would tend to agree that, on a national scale, liberals have an advantage in the “blogosphere”, but those same people know that conservatives are also doing well in getting web surfers to ride their digital waves. This has created an interesting atmosphere, especially with important elections looming.
The state of Virginia has one of the most active blogospheres in the nation, especially given both it’s close proximity to Washington, D.C. and it’s relatively even-mixture of conservatives, liberals, and moderates. In fact, it is widely thought that it was the exposure of George Allen’s “macaca” incident in the blogosphere that led to his spiraling downfall and defeat in the 2006 election.
On a more local note, part of the push for Scott Sayre’s nomination can be attributed to both the spread of Sayre’s platforms as well as sentiments against Emmett Hanger via the online coalition known as “Bloggers 4 Sayre.” While they’re not the sole reason for the competitiveness of the 24th District primary, the amount of noise (and subsequent influence) they have had amongst voters in the 24th has mostly benefited their cause.
Are bloggers to be taken as serious sources of news? Do they really hold as much influence as they think (and sometimes proclaim) they do, or are they simply beating their chests over providing a “helping hand” to causes that have other, more influential sources of support?
To be honest, both of those questions can be answered “yes” and “no” at the same time. The vast majority of blogs are opinionated, sometimes to an extreme level of bias. However, most bloggers also make it clear that they are coming from a certain point-of-view. To many, this is what makes a blog better than the mainstream media, as there is no attempt made to hide biased commentary or points-of-view under a cloak of neutrality.
At the same time, it is this admittance of bias that some feels discredits bloggers. There are many who feel that by admitting the bias, it lessens the reliability of the information the blogger is passing along to the general public.
If nothing else, the political blog act as an alternative to the old-fashioned “Letter to the Editor” in our local newspapers. They can also bring attention to news stories and personal viewpoints that may have otherwise gone unheard by the masses.
Whether or not you believe in the reliability and/or credibility of bloggers as a source of political influence, they can have a sizeable amount of impact on our political landscape. In Virginia, blogs like Raising Kaine not only espouse viewpoints that support the Democratic Party, but they also act as a political action committee that endorses particular Democratic candidates for various political offices, and raises funds for these candidates, as well. With an average of over 2,000 visitors a day, you can imagine that they probably have generated a decent amount of funds for the candidates they have backed.
There are a lot of great blogs in Virginia, and one can find information, news, and opinion of all types. However, attempting to jump into the blogosphere head-first can be a bit overwhelming, so here’s a few good starters for you.
The Democrats/liberals have a number of blogs that are well-recognized throughout Virginia. A few of the more notable blogs are Vivian J. Paige, who focuses on Tidewater area politics. Out of Charlottesville is Waldo Jaquith, who is one of the “elder statesmen“ in the world of Virginia political blogs. Democracy In Virginia describes itself as “a forum for progressives in the Shenandoah Valley." The Collette provides a lot of focus in Northern Virginia and DC politics (even though we never agree on anything). Finally, another good blog to start with is VB Dems, with a Virginia Beach and statewide focus.
Some sites, like Not Larry Sabato, provide more of an analytical approach with some point-of-view commentary, which does tend to lean left. However, you can find a wealth of information in regards to the various State Senate and House of Delegates races across Virginia. To track down all the information would take hours, which is why a site like “NLS” is popular with political junkies in Virginia.
Other blogs are a mixture of various political viewpoints, and sometimes they don’t necessarily focus on politics. One such blog is Daily Whackjob. The bunch over at Whackjob (which I am a part of) are more-or-less committed to talking about society, current events, and other topics. While some find the humor and commentary of some of the contributors to be crude and off-color, many people find the lack of political correctness and varied opinions to be one of the site’s more attractive features.
Conservatives are also represented in the Commonwealth in growing numbers.. Frequent New Dominion contributor Stephen Winslow has his Conservative Viewpoints blog. Republitarian focuses on Harrisonburg-area issues as well as some state and national issues. You also have The Mason Conservative, a Northern Virginia blogger who occasionally opines about hockey, as well. Dogwood Pundit hails from Hampton Roads, and has more of a focus on national politics. Spark It Up! is a blog by “Kilo“, one of the most vocal of the Sayre supporters. Bearing Drift is a generally conservative blog that features multiple contributors and collaborates with liberal bloggers as well to provide unique perspectives.
No matter which one of these blogs you go to, they will provide you with more links to other blogs that the writers themselves read. I hope that my article has provided you with some basics to the world of political blogs. Now, go out there and enjoy the opinions of some of the best Virginia has to offer.
Just be sure to check out the Now At The Podium blog before you read anything else, ok?
Let’s face it, it seems like everyone and their mother has a blog of some kind. Whether it serves personal purposes, provides helpful tips for a variety of topics, or creates a forum for people to rant and rave…the blog has become a wonderful medium for expressing your thoughts.
This is especially true in the world of politics, both nationally and locally. Before I go any further, let me give some of you a quick history lesson on political blogs.
Long before the popularity of blogs in their current format, the internet had become a good source for instant information about politics. The Drudge Report became established in the mid-to-late 90’s, and news and op-ed’s were easier to access via the internet.
In the wake of the controversial presidential election in 2000, many people started to use “web logs” (which is where the term “blog” comes from) as a way of expressing their opinions and spreading news to the masses. This intensified further after 9/11, with even more emotions and opinions being stirred up due to the events of the time.
I’m not sure what the first official political blog was. However, it is safe to say that the mass popularity of the political blog begins in late 2001 into the year 2002. Around this time, as our nation was diving head-first into the War on Terror, several popular liberal blogs rose to fame. Among them were MyDD, Talking Points Memo, and Daily Kos, among others. A few conservative/libertarian blogs also came about, such as Instapundit and Little Green Footballs. It was also around this time that Ana Marie Cox founded Wonkette, which was notable for it’s uncensored takes on gossip in and around Capitol Hill.
With even more controversy surrounding the Iraq War and the 2004 elections, it seemed Americans turned to the internet even more. Since then, thousands upon thousands blogs have popped up on both sides of the Red State/Blue State divide. Some notable writers and political figures, like Michelle Malkin and Arianna Huffington, owe most (if not all) of their fame and notoriety to political blogging.
Most newspapers have their op-ed writers maintain a blog on the newspaper’s website. This allows some writers to further espouse their beliefs in a different medium, which can be accessed at any time. This means less trips to your local convenience store to grab a copy of the newspaper to get your favorite writer’s opinions.
While many would tend to agree that, on a national scale, liberals have an advantage in the “blogosphere”, but those same people know that conservatives are also doing well in getting web surfers to ride their digital waves. This has created an interesting atmosphere, especially with important elections looming.
The state of Virginia has one of the most active blogospheres in the nation, especially given both it’s close proximity to Washington, D.C. and it’s relatively even-mixture of conservatives, liberals, and moderates. In fact, it is widely thought that it was the exposure of George Allen’s “macaca” incident in the blogosphere that led to his spiraling downfall and defeat in the 2006 election.
On a more local note, part of the push for Scott Sayre’s nomination can be attributed to both the spread of Sayre’s platforms as well as sentiments against Emmett Hanger via the online coalition known as “Bloggers 4 Sayre.” While they’re not the sole reason for the competitiveness of the 24th District primary, the amount of noise (and subsequent influence) they have had amongst voters in the 24th has mostly benefited their cause.
Are bloggers to be taken as serious sources of news? Do they really hold as much influence as they think (and sometimes proclaim) they do, or are they simply beating their chests over providing a “helping hand” to causes that have other, more influential sources of support?
To be honest, both of those questions can be answered “yes” and “no” at the same time. The vast majority of blogs are opinionated, sometimes to an extreme level of bias. However, most bloggers also make it clear that they are coming from a certain point-of-view. To many, this is what makes a blog better than the mainstream media, as there is no attempt made to hide biased commentary or points-of-view under a cloak of neutrality.
At the same time, it is this admittance of bias that some feels discredits bloggers. There are many who feel that by admitting the bias, it lessens the reliability of the information the blogger is passing along to the general public.
If nothing else, the political blog act as an alternative to the old-fashioned “Letter to the Editor” in our local newspapers. They can also bring attention to news stories and personal viewpoints that may have otherwise gone unheard by the masses.
Whether or not you believe in the reliability and/or credibility of bloggers as a source of political influence, they can have a sizeable amount of impact on our political landscape. In Virginia, blogs like Raising Kaine not only espouse viewpoints that support the Democratic Party, but they also act as a political action committee that endorses particular Democratic candidates for various political offices, and raises funds for these candidates, as well. With an average of over 2,000 visitors a day, you can imagine that they probably have generated a decent amount of funds for the candidates they have backed.
There are a lot of great blogs in Virginia, and one can find information, news, and opinion of all types. However, attempting to jump into the blogosphere head-first can be a bit overwhelming, so here’s a few good starters for you.
The Democrats/liberals have a number of blogs that are well-recognized throughout Virginia. A few of the more notable blogs are Vivian J. Paige, who focuses on Tidewater area politics. Out of Charlottesville is Waldo Jaquith, who is one of the “elder statesmen“ in the world of Virginia political blogs. Democracy In Virginia describes itself as “a forum for progressives in the Shenandoah Valley." The Collette provides a lot of focus in Northern Virginia and DC politics (even though we never agree on anything). Finally, another good blog to start with is VB Dems, with a Virginia Beach and statewide focus.
Some sites, like Not Larry Sabato, provide more of an analytical approach with some point-of-view commentary, which does tend to lean left. However, you can find a wealth of information in regards to the various State Senate and House of Delegates races across Virginia. To track down all the information would take hours, which is why a site like “NLS” is popular with political junkies in Virginia.
Other blogs are a mixture of various political viewpoints, and sometimes they don’t necessarily focus on politics. One such blog is Daily Whackjob. The bunch over at Whackjob (which I am a part of) are more-or-less committed to talking about society, current events, and other topics. While some find the humor and commentary of some of the contributors to be crude and off-color, many people find the lack of political correctness and varied opinions to be one of the site’s more attractive features.
Conservatives are also represented in the Commonwealth in growing numbers.. Frequent New Dominion contributor Stephen Winslow has his Conservative Viewpoints blog. Republitarian focuses on Harrisonburg-area issues as well as some state and national issues. You also have The Mason Conservative, a Northern Virginia blogger who occasionally opines about hockey, as well. Dogwood Pundit hails from Hampton Roads, and has more of a focus on national politics. Spark It Up! is a blog by “Kilo“, one of the most vocal of the Sayre supporters. Bearing Drift is a generally conservative blog that features multiple contributors and collaborates with liberal bloggers as well to provide unique perspectives.
No matter which one of these blogs you go to, they will provide you with more links to other blogs that the writers themselves read. I hope that my article has provided you with some basics to the world of political blogs. Now, go out there and enjoy the opinions of some of the best Virginia has to offer.
Just be sure to check out the Now At The Podium blog before you read anything else, ok?
Coal, the Future of American Energy?
Check out this post at From On High, especially the quote from a NY Times article.
Coal isn't the foul word that some people see it as. If we're to break the dependence on foreign oil, we have to start by using what we've got here in America...then go from there.
In fact, the world's largest deposit of clean-burning coal was discovered in Utah during the 90's, but Bill Clinton then decided to close off the area by either making it a wildlife refuge or a national park (I can't remember which right off the bat). Most suspect this was due to the fact that this was due to pressure from both environmentalists and big oil companies...who stood to lose a lot should that clean-burning coal have been mined and used to create energy.
We have an abundance of coal in this country, and it's not nearly as bad for the environment. To quote a Democrat from this article.
“For so many, filthy coal is a dirty four-letter word,” said Representative Nick V. Rahall, Democrat of West Virginia and chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee. “These individuals, I tell you, have their heads buried in the sand.”
Looks like things aren't so bleak, after all. Mine this coal, use it to create energy and reduce our dependence on foreign oil to power our houses. Gasoline prices will subsequently come down...and everyone will be happy.
Coal isn't the foul word that some people see it as. If we're to break the dependence on foreign oil, we have to start by using what we've got here in America...then go from there.
In fact, the world's largest deposit of clean-burning coal was discovered in Utah during the 90's, but Bill Clinton then decided to close off the area by either making it a wildlife refuge or a national park (I can't remember which right off the bat). Most suspect this was due to the fact that this was due to pressure from both environmentalists and big oil companies...who stood to lose a lot should that clean-burning coal have been mined and used to create energy.
We have an abundance of coal in this country, and it's not nearly as bad for the environment. To quote a Democrat from this article.
“For so many, filthy coal is a dirty four-letter word,” said Representative Nick V. Rahall, Democrat of West Virginia and chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee. “These individuals, I tell you, have their heads buried in the sand.”
Looks like things aren't so bleak, after all. Mine this coal, use it to create energy and reduce our dependence on foreign oil to power our houses. Gasoline prices will subsequently come down...and everyone will be happy.
Monday, May 28, 2007
A Down Note on Memorial Day
Apparently, some people cannot let dead soldiers rest in peace.
Instead, they burn the American flags at their graves and replace some of them with hand-drawn swastika flags.
This is the kind of thing that makes me sick. Desecrating the graves of people who gave their lives so these very people could live in freedom, where they can make their stupid little protests and have the right to free speech. Many of these soldiers gave their lives fighting against that very swastika symbol.
It's sad, it's sick, and it's incredibly unfortunate that these things happen. However, I must give mega-kudos to the members of the American Legion who went back and replaced the flags. I hope the local authorities capture these ungrateful little punks and punish them accordingly.
Instead, they burn the American flags at their graves and replace some of them with hand-drawn swastika flags.
This is the kind of thing that makes me sick. Desecrating the graves of people who gave their lives so these very people could live in freedom, where they can make their stupid little protests and have the right to free speech. Many of these soldiers gave their lives fighting against that very swastika symbol.
It's sad, it's sick, and it's incredibly unfortunate that these things happen. However, I must give mega-kudos to the members of the American Legion who went back and replaced the flags. I hope the local authorities capture these ungrateful little punks and punish them accordingly.
Thoughts on the Jeff Dion Saga
Jeff Dion's recent dropout from the 51st House District nomination race is the climax to the Democratic Party's half of the of the ongoing saga of the district primaries.
Following this story via various blogs, Dion seems to think that his status as a homosexual is the reason why the Democrats put pressure on him to drop out so Paul Nichols could take over as the party candidate. However, it seems the vast majority of the blogosphere simply believed that he was a poor candidate for that district.
In fact, from what I understand, Nichols would only accept the nomination if Dion stepped aside, as he (and the rest of the Democrats) didn't really want to start a primary race this late into the game.
Dion posting what appeared to be a online dating ad on gay.com certainly didn't help his cause with a few bloggers, such as Black Velvet Bruce Li, has a lot of readers in the 51st District. While I, and most other people, don't think there is anything wrong with having an ad on a dating website...Dion should have realized that this would have been brought up by someone at some point.
However, from what I've read at NLS and most other blogs, Dion was simply viewed by the Democrats as a bad candidate for a fairly conservative district. Nichols, from what I've found out about him, is well-established within the community as an attorney and seems to be able to connect with people. This, of course, comes from limited amounts of information.
Dion's claims that "this is only about my sexual orientation" have not earned him a lot of support. Even liberal blogs like Ditzy Dems think Dion's withdrawal was a fait accompli.
The Washington Post ran a blurb about how Dion endured "weeks of attacks by conservative blogs." Dion was quoted as saying that, if he continued, "the other side would create a toxic atmosphere that would make it impossible for us to have a real debate about the important issues facing our Commonwealth."
The fact that Democrats never really stood by Dion in the first place is never mentioned.
In Dion's official statement of withdrawal, Dion said "It would require a Herculean effort to get out our message in the face of their coming attacks", among other anti-Republican sentiments about how much Republicans hate gays, blah blah blah.
Dion comes across a bit despondent and ready to blame others in his official statement of withdrawal (h/t Virginia Progressive). Also, he has "statements of support" from Tim Kaine and Mark Warner...and while Kaine's statement seems to at least have a smidge of genuine support behind it, Warner's is lacking any kind of "oomph" behind it. It's like his secretary typed it up for him and sent it off to Dion. I wouldn't be surprised if Dion had to ask for those statements, as it almost appears that way.
Either way, I think Jeff Dion needs to realize that most people didn't care that he was gay...they simply didn't think he was the best candidate available in that district.
Following this story via various blogs, Dion seems to think that his status as a homosexual is the reason why the Democrats put pressure on him to drop out so Paul Nichols could take over as the party candidate. However, it seems the vast majority of the blogosphere simply believed that he was a poor candidate for that district.
In fact, from what I understand, Nichols would only accept the nomination if Dion stepped aside, as he (and the rest of the Democrats) didn't really want to start a primary race this late into the game.
Dion posting what appeared to be a online dating ad on gay.com certainly didn't help his cause with a few bloggers, such as Black Velvet Bruce Li, has a lot of readers in the 51st District. While I, and most other people, don't think there is anything wrong with having an ad on a dating website...Dion should have realized that this would have been brought up by someone at some point.
However, from what I've read at NLS and most other blogs, Dion was simply viewed by the Democrats as a bad candidate for a fairly conservative district. Nichols, from what I've found out about him, is well-established within the community as an attorney and seems to be able to connect with people. This, of course, comes from limited amounts of information.
Dion's claims that "this is only about my sexual orientation" have not earned him a lot of support. Even liberal blogs like Ditzy Dems think Dion's withdrawal was a fait accompli.
The Washington Post ran a blurb about how Dion endured "weeks of attacks by conservative blogs." Dion was quoted as saying that, if he continued, "the other side would create a toxic atmosphere that would make it impossible for us to have a real debate about the important issues facing our Commonwealth."
The fact that Democrats never really stood by Dion in the first place is never mentioned.
In Dion's official statement of withdrawal, Dion said "It would require a Herculean effort to get out our message in the face of their coming attacks", among other anti-Republican sentiments about how much Republicans hate gays, blah blah blah.
Dion comes across a bit despondent and ready to blame others in his official statement of withdrawal (h/t Virginia Progressive). Also, he has "statements of support" from Tim Kaine and Mark Warner...and while Kaine's statement seems to at least have a smidge of genuine support behind it, Warner's is lacking any kind of "oomph" behind it. It's like his secretary typed it up for him and sent it off to Dion. I wouldn't be surprised if Dion had to ask for those statements, as it almost appears that way.
Either way, I think Jeff Dion needs to realize that most people didn't care that he was gay...they simply didn't think he was the best candidate available in that district.
Chavez Shuts Down Opposition In Communist Fashion
Hugo Chavez shut down Venezuela's oldest TV station and the only nationwide station that showed any opposition to Chavez's government. RCTV had been on the air since 1953, and were shut down last night as Chavez decided not to renew the station's contract to broadcast over public airwaves.
Chavez stated that the station supported the failed coup of 2002, and that the station's soap operas were "pure poison" that promoted capitalism. Chavez had the station replaced with TVES, which (not surprisingly) is a state-funded network. There are other opposition media, but none of them have any real national reach. Many expect that these media outlets will eventually be silenced, as Chavez and his government are tackling the big fish, first.
Only 4 national networks are privately-owned in Venezuela...RCTV was the only one that allowed for opposition points of view to be broadcast.
This is another step by Chavez to establish a hard-line socialist government, with state control over industry, commerce, and now the media.
Protesters came out in the thousands throughout the streets of Caracas, and were promptly shut down by riot police with water cannons and tear gas. There were some government supporters in a different section of Caracas that celebrated in the streets...and (again, not surprisingly) they were dressed in red.
With the exception of Fox News, this hasn't really been big news in the mainstream media...or it's significance as a socialist government flexing it's governmental authority to squash dissenting opinion has been downplayed. The blogosphere has been pretty active on this issue, though.
Jeremy D. Hagen at The News Buckit calls it what it is...Chavez is simply doing what a dictator and socialist does. I also like this quote near the end of the post..."In the spirit of Memorial Day, I feel proud to live in a country that respects a man's right to speak without regard to the substance and honors the soldiers that make the exercise of such rights possible."
Nora Zimmett of Fox News has a first-hand account of what went on during the riots from the Fox News team's location. From what I've read across the web, it seems that opposition amongst Venezuelan citizens is growing by leaps and bounds. Many believe that a revolution of some kind, whether peaceful or bloody, is bound to happen...and it's just a matter of time before the people rise against Chavez's government.
Now, many in this country support Chavez, and think we should make diplomatic overtures to him. They believe we should support a man who is silencing free speech, eliminates opposition with force and totalitarian tactics, and hates America. This is why conservatives get mad when the Cindy Sheehans of the world decide to pose for pretty photo-ops with this tyrant.
Chavez stated that the station supported the failed coup of 2002, and that the station's soap operas were "pure poison" that promoted capitalism. Chavez had the station replaced with TVES, which (not surprisingly) is a state-funded network. There are other opposition media, but none of them have any real national reach. Many expect that these media outlets will eventually be silenced, as Chavez and his government are tackling the big fish, first.
Only 4 national networks are privately-owned in Venezuela...RCTV was the only one that allowed for opposition points of view to be broadcast.
This is another step by Chavez to establish a hard-line socialist government, with state control over industry, commerce, and now the media.
Protesters came out in the thousands throughout the streets of Caracas, and were promptly shut down by riot police with water cannons and tear gas. There were some government supporters in a different section of Caracas that celebrated in the streets...and (again, not surprisingly) they were dressed in red.
With the exception of Fox News, this hasn't really been big news in the mainstream media...or it's significance as a socialist government flexing it's governmental authority to squash dissenting opinion has been downplayed. The blogosphere has been pretty active on this issue, though.
Jeremy D. Hagen at The News Buckit calls it what it is...Chavez is simply doing what a dictator and socialist does. I also like this quote near the end of the post..."In the spirit of Memorial Day, I feel proud to live in a country that respects a man's right to speak without regard to the substance and honors the soldiers that make the exercise of such rights possible."
Nora Zimmett of Fox News has a first-hand account of what went on during the riots from the Fox News team's location. From what I've read across the web, it seems that opposition amongst Venezuelan citizens is growing by leaps and bounds. Many believe that a revolution of some kind, whether peaceful or bloody, is bound to happen...and it's just a matter of time before the people rise against Chavez's government.
Now, many in this country support Chavez, and think we should make diplomatic overtures to him. They believe we should support a man who is silencing free speech, eliminates opposition with force and totalitarian tactics, and hates America. This is why conservatives get mad when the Cindy Sheehans of the world decide to pose for pretty photo-ops with this tyrant.
An Expression of Freedom and Patriotism
Many of you have heard about Freedom Rock in Iowa, and the artist that paints the rock every year for Memorial Day. Ray "Bubba" Sorensen has been doing this since 1999, and every year his work continues to capture the spirit of American patriotism and the respect we hold for those who gave their lives fighting and defending freedom.
Whether you are for war or against it, you have to have respect and admiration for the men and women of our military.
This is one picture from last year's rock...
Whether you are for war or against it, you have to have respect and admiration for the men and women of our military.
This is one picture from last year's rock...
And from the 2005 rock...
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