Alek Boyd in the London Times

If the New York Times sucks, other papers are more aware of the Venezuelan reality, including the Times of London where our very own Alek has managed to be received in an extensive article. Alek, in a rather sober style where he proves that he can also be quite effective, tells it like it is to London Mayor, nicknamed Red Ken ("tout un poème"). Ken Livingstone, the lunch host, is the kind of leftie that should recoil in horror at what Chavez is doing, things that one day will give the left a bad name. But it is politics in the UK and as long as Ken thinks he scores a point against Tony Blair cavorting with the pal of Ahmadinejad or Mugabe is fair game. Gives a new meaning to "cut your nose to spite your face". It is amazing to see that Livingstone is honoring Chavez who has said so much against the UK, not only Blair. But I suppose that in the UK it is the same thing as in the US, the hatred of Bush or Blair distorts the judgment of people who should know better, distorts enough that they might welcome enemies of their nation. A short list of the causes of Chavez that are anti UK, not anti Blair: the Falklands, Mugabe, Ahmadinejab, British investments in Venezuela, bad mouthing the UK in general, indirect support of terrorist (if not directly by Chavez himself, he knows better, by his people that he fails to reprehend).

Thus we can fairly assume that Livingstone is supporting those causes too. He reminds me of the 1980ies slogan "better red than dead". Had we listened to these people, Europe would still be covered with missiles except that now they would be around London pointing to the US and directed by some soviet Komissar. Unless a miracle happens at the luncheon and he uses it to reprimand Chavez, Livingstone is playing with fire. I am not holding my breath.

PS: added later. There is even a pic to show the article as it appeared on the paper.