Since it is probably a cadena, and I do not care to check it out as I stay on CNNE, I did not get how it started. Not that it matters, cadenas are endless exercises in repetition, just like US soap operas. So there is Maduro, sitting between the vice president (Chavez son in law) and his main rival Cabello (head of the legislative power) and congratulating by name all those in the audience. Nothing wrong you may say, all are from the same party and it is normal that the president of the assembly offers to legislate for a peace plan. No?
No. Because of the audience. In order that memory serves me:
The representatives of other powers that in theory should be neutral are there, not only applauding, but been praised to high heavens by Maduro. The Fiscal General was described as having been in great danger Wednesday when the march went to protest her laxity on the brutal repression. As if that bitch were ever in danger with the gazillion body guards she has, never minding that her office may have been attacked by regime provocateurs. Other high ranking people from the judicial branch were praised too, which we could still understandably accepted in such an event (minus the obscene praise). But he moved on to also praise the head of the Electoral Power, Tibisay Lucena who has nothing to do there, and even less to be praised as the agent that allowed for the documented electoral fraud of recent elections.
This by itself is quite damaging for Maduro. His desperate desire to show that he is supported only illustrates that the whole machinery of the state is at the service of his political project, not at the service of the state. But I suspect that at this point the regime is unable to grasp such subtleties, having internalized how good it is materially to be on the good side of the dictatorship.
But it got worse, hence the title of this entry. Maduro also summoned a lot of "stars" to prove, I suppose, that he has popular support. I am going to pass on the obvious second rate actors/singers, many of then against Chavez years ago until the big bucks called. I am going to focus on two in particular.
The first one is Greivis Vasquez, a Venezuelan basketball star in the NBA who played for Maryland (and was supposedly educated in democratic values while he was there, one would hope). What is he doing there? Does he need to be there? Does he not realize that he is a role model for ALL Venezuelans? Has he forgotten he was a student not even 5 years ago? Other sports guys attending I can accept but Greivis should know better, the more so that he has been extensively received in ALL major Venezuelan newspapers, pro or against Chavez.
The other one is Jose Antonio Abreu, the director of the youth orchestra system of Venezuela. If I understand that he needs to embrace the regime for the survival of his magnus opus, I think that he does not need to attend all events. He can have a migraine on occasion, no? After all, he has served in more than one administration BEFORE Chavez. Not to mention that his international recognition protects him from reprisals. His attendance tonight is a stain that he will not recover from. As is the case of Gustavo Dudamel (who I do not know whether he is in attendance but played for Maduro while protesters were shot). Gustavo has no excuse, EVEN if he were a Chavez supporter. Being the director of a major orchestra, (the Los Angeles Philharmonic) protects him financially and legally from any pressure the regime. Claiming to be a great artist does not exempt him from thought process and analysis on what democracy means.
What these people show tonight, is that they are amoral. I do not be begrudge them the right to be chavista but I point out that their support has consequences on the freedom and even lives of many people and as such there are consequences that they will have to account for. Surely, they cannot ignore that, they cannot ignore history to such an extent.
Thus the show of tonight where the dictatorship calls in all the chips it owns away from these people, forcing them to attend that infamous event, and bringing them down with it. Waning dictatorships are so predictable, as are predictable the creeps that sold themselves for gold or glitter. It is amazing that these people are less willing to leave the regime at the last chance they have to do it. Truly, heavens blind those it wants to lose.
Daniel, this post summarizes what a lot of us think and exposes a valid point that counters the one at juan defending dudamel, yes, anyone is entitled to believe whatever they want, but when youre such a cinic hypocrite as chavistas are, theres simply no excuse. Lets say that is for survival purposes, I would get that, really, most of us could understand that, but once that one is able to survive without the need of buttkissing creeps like the venezuelan regime, then theres simply no excuse for continuing to support them and shows that you are nothing but trash that ought to be swiped and thrown to the garbage ASAP.
ReplyDeleteKeep it up with the coverage!
I just read Juan's piece. What a coincidence that I saw Abreu in front of Maduro tonight!
DeleteBTW, check this image http://t.co/jmudrj6juO
Deletealso, theres this ustream from someone near altamira
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/almomento360-com?utm_campaign=t.co&utm_source=ustre.am%2F13TF5&utm_medium=social&utm_content=20140214170809
now theres not much to see, but a while back you could totally see people running away from the gas
http://wwitv.com/tv_channels/b5737.htm
Delete?
And this is for all those that still doubt if theres any connection between the government and the armed vigilante groups
ReplyDeletehttp://t.co/GgUayG8FRS
Como lo dice la desgraciada esa, los colectivos SOMOS pilar fundamental...
Daniel maybe you can see NTN 24 at this web address:
ReplyDeletehttps://ahoravision.com/ntn-24-en-vivo/#.Uv7I-FUXRFp.twitter
que tristesa!
Chavez did a lot for Gustavo and without a doubt he would not be where he is today if it weren't for him. This Daniel is rediculous. What a disgrace.
ReplyDeleteCC has become a joke. It's clear that Juan is the type of Venezuelan who will sit there fiddling their thumbs waiting for the right time. Just when it shows up he puts it down. Clearly an idiot of the highest degree.
ReplyDeleteIf I were to write something like that each time I disagree with a blog I would have my lap top shut down forever. Grow up!
DeleteThe dirty war in Venezuela is just starting. Not really surprising that the worlds socialist media decides to ignore it.
ReplyDeleteThe first one is Greivis Vasquez, a Venezuelan basketball star in the NBA who played for Maryland (and was supposedly educated in democratic values while he was there, one would hope). What is he doing there? Does he need to be there? Does he not realize that he is a role model for ALL Venezuelans? Has he forgotten he was a student not even 5 years ago? Other sports guys attending I can accept but Greivis should know better, the more so that he has been extensively received in ALL major Venezuelan newspapers, pro or against Chavez.
ReplyDeleteI initially thought this was an indication of the semi-literate jock syndrome that is the consequence of big-time college athletics in the US. However, Greivis Vasquez was one of the few atheletes at Maryland to get his degree. So, he ain't a dumb jock. As Daniel points out, Greivis Vasquez can't plead the Maradona.Instead,I see his political stance as an indication of the state of non-STEM education in US colleges and universities. You can't push PC for decades without consequences.
Richard Fernandez @ Belmone Club has recently published several articles on Venezuela. From Gone With the Whine:
The final stage of socialism isn’t Communism. It’s an empty shelf. The end comes when even Maximum Socialist Efficiency can’t pay the salaries of the secret police or find enough newsprint on which to disseminate the latest edicts. Socialism ends when the janitor turns out the lights, even though the lights have worked in years.
From Postmortem:
The genius of the Left — Chavez’s for example — is that it destroys things from the inside out. They pervert religion, collapse the mores, abolish the family, shred the constitution and gradually expropriate the property. The differences from one day to the next are apparently imperceptible, but it is harder and harder to go back until finally there is no reversal of ‘progressive gains’ possible at all. The public is finally faced with the stark choice between chaos or authoritarianism. And most people will chose the Boss over the Mob.
Some people outside the country are paying attention to Venezuela. Thank you Daniel, for your cogent summaries of what is happening inside Venezuela.
Another possibility for Greivis Vasquez's support of Chavismo might be that he was informed that if he did not, some bad things might happen to those near and dear to him.
ReplyDelete