by Scott Darnell
Daily Lobo columnist
On a recent television and radio show, Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez remarked about the U.S., "Go to hell, gringos." His tirade came after concern was raised by the U.S. State Department about the Venezuelan National Assembly's plans to give Chávez full authority to pass a series of socialist laws over an 18-month period. Chávez also referred to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice as "missy," this some months after calling President Bush the devil while speaking at the United Nations.
One would think the American left, which embraces multiculturalism with unmatched zeal, would vocally object to our people being stereotyped by another world leader. But because Chávez's causes are socialism and the spread of hatred for our president and country, any anger that would have been felt for his "gringo" comment was counteracted by the left's love for his wayward ideology.
During the program, Chávez also sent get-well wishes to Fidel Castro, chided the U.S. for Saddam Hussein's hanging and held up a picture of himself staring at a bikini-clad woman at a recent presidential summit, remarking that, "It was truly a thing of beauty."
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One would expect American feminists to be outraged by this objectification of a woman by a world leader during an official summit. But, like I said, when socialism and a hatred for Bush and this country are the topics, I guess some can ignore his sexism, chauvinism and all-around treatment of women as second-class citizens.
Chávez envisions a socialist Venezuela, where the rich pay extraordinarily high taxes and major industries are nationalized. These are the types of reforms he wants to implement during his 18-month rule as sole decision-maker of Venezuela. Other socialist reforms would require businesses to set aside time for their employees to study and read pamphlets outlining socialist concepts.
It is humorous to watch the left continue to characterize Chávez as something of a noble dictator, simply because he considers himself an enemy of Bush and of everything the U.S. stands for. Liberals are on his side; they embrace his socialist ideas and programs, while rejecting the capitalist practices that have allowed the U.S. and its people to prosper for more than 200 years. They tax the rich to the hilt, overregulate business, and, above all else, they hate this president.
Nagging questions linger: For socialism to survive, why does it always seem that dictators must rule, power must be concentrated and propaganda must be disseminated? If socialism is about empowering people, why do its policies starve business growth and job creation through high taxes? Why does Chávez have to mandate that workers read propaganda in order to buy into the program? Why does Chávez have to take power away from the country's Legislature in order to pass these reforms?
When a government refuses to allow its people to choose their leaders in a fair and democratic process, the system will fail to protect its people. Leaders will brainwash, dictators will rule and the corrupt elite will benefit from the power they try to maintain. When a government prevents its citizens from freely starting a business and making a way for themselves, inefficiency will run rampant, and the people will not be provided for. And when a government removes the human spirit to succeed by convincing its people that it knows best, government leaders are the only ones who win, and the people ultimately lose.
It's so easy for those who disagree with Bush on Iraq or some other issue to embrace those who speak boldly against him in the world community, to the point that they often excuse what are otherwise unacceptable actions from other leaders. Sometimes, this reaches the point where they find themselves preaching against the democratic and capitalistic principles upon which our nation was founded.
Ours may not be a perfect nation, but it is the only nation in the world that has been continually committed to the cause of freedom and liberty. We believe in the entrepreneurial spirit, a free market in which each of us can make our own way and in the ability of our people to raise our own families.
Good men and women - gringos and non-gringos - have fought and died to protect the ideals that are under attack by Chávez and those who sympathize with him. Let's honor those men and women by standing up for positive discourse about how we can better our thriving democracy, and let's reject those who wish to use his example to tear our nation down by spreading pessimism, cynicism and hatred.
Scott Darnell is a senior political science major and ran political field operations in central New Mexico for the Bush campaign.
