Chavez seeks indefinite rule

[bullmoose88]

Reality check. He's abolishing term limits. Not trying to be elected president for life. End of reality check.

Oh come on Lewis.  Yes technically the measure doesn't make him President for life.  But I can't see you arguing/don't believe you would dispute that he would win every election for president that he stood for.

[bullmoose88]

Reality check. He's abolishing term limits. Not trying to be elected president for life. End of reality check.

Oh come on Lewis.  Yes technically the measure doesn't make him President for life.  But I can't see you arguing/don't believe you would dispute that he would win every election for president that he stood for.

While the oil boom lasts, yes. This is supposed to demonstrate exactly what?

I'm challenging your statement..."Not trying to be elected president for life."

As I see it, you seem to be disputing the inferrence that while this measure doesn't make Chavez president for life, it effectively would do just that.  If I read you correctly.

[bullmoose88]

Reality check. He's abolishing term limits. Not trying to be elected president for life. End of reality check.

Oh come on Lewis.  Yes technically the measure doesn't make him President for life.  But I can't see you arguing/don't believe you would dispute that he would win every election for president that he stood for.

While the oil boom lasts, yes. This is supposed to demonstrate exactly what?

I'm challenging your statement..."Not trying to be elected president for life."

As I see it, you seem to be disputing the inferrence that while this measure doesn't make Chavez president for life, it effectively would do just that.  If I read you correctly.

Oh, he certainly wants to remain president for the remainder of his life - but "president for life" has a very different, Turkmenic ring to it that is completely out of place here. Eamon de Valera wanted to remain President for the remainder of his life as well. Konrad Adenauer wanted to remain Chancellor for the remainder of his life. So did Helmut Kohl. (All failed in that objective, eventually.)

Well, I don't dispute the first half of what you said (turkmenic part), i think you placing him in the same category as Adenauer/Kohl is a little unfair to those two. (if my history knowledge serves me correctly)...Those guys had to deal with viable opposition parties and the constant threat of losing an election.  Chavez does not, and (forseeably will not) face that challenge...True, there is some strength in Venezuela's opposition parties, but they're not really viable (whether they could be...yes an issue)...

so he's probably somewhere between the turkmenic end and the Kohl end...

[bullmoose88]

Whether Chavez wants to be near Kohl's end is another, more disturbing, question entirely.

[bullmoose88]

Kohl was a cheapshot.

Meh. Kohl deserved it.

I still think Chavez is more secure than Adenauer was in the 50s. I guess thats just a matter of opinion.