Hugh Chavez And The “Supposed” Right To Free Speech

• June 17, 2006

Hmm…

June 14 (Bloomberg) — Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said he may shut down television stations for criticizing the government and broadcasting “messages of hate.”
Chavez said the government has begun to review all television concessions, which expire in 2007. Chavez did not specify which stations may be shut down.
“We can’t keep giving concessions to a group of people who use television stations against us,” Chavez said in a televised speech in Caracas. “Every day they broadcast messages of hate, of disrespect toward institutions, of doubt among us, rumors, psychological war to divide the nation.”
Chavez, 51, said some television stations helped plot a two-day coup he survived in 2002. The former army lieutenant colonel, who led a failed coup in 1992, is seeking a second six- year term in office in the December elections.
“They hide behind a supposed freedom of speech,” said Chavez, who was wearing a green army uniform and red beret. “I don’t care what the oligarchs of the world say. We’ve shown that we aren’t authoritarian or arbitrary.”

Any of the liberal Chavez lovers out there want to try and defend this action?

Tags: Freedom Of Speech

http://ndblueblog.blogspot.com/ graeme

Student, Graeme (whose blog is here and comments here on SA regularly) is a staunch Chavez supporter.

I wouldn’t say I am a staunch supporter. I do support a great deal of his policies but I have always expressed concern about his “cult of personality.”

I have a blogger friend who was in Venezuela for quite a while and he basically sums it up as “the jury is still out” on Chavez. I agree with that. A government bureaucracy is not much better than the oil bureaucracy that Chavez is trying to break up.

I notice you never put up any posts about how Silvio Berlusconi used his ownership of Mediaset, and his influence in all media outlets, to basically shut out opposition and censor anyone saying anything bad about him. Oh well, he still lost.
Anonomisly

student your in for a rude awakening,

ChÃ¡vez’ Tourists
Anonomisly

ChÃ¡vez is definitely a crazy but powerful MoFo(please pardon my language)..and according to the Financial Times,

He has the U.S. economy in his hands
Anonomisly

Rob,

you and I wonder: How does a MoFo like ChÃ¡vez can actually claim he is pro-democratic while at the same time so blatantly and gratuitously oppresing the freedom of his country’s press

Your typical Iraqi wonders:How can America say that it is for liberatin my people yet for more than three years have more than one hundred thousand of its soldiers in army bases army bases it has tacitly admitted may it may keep here indefinatly. Like it does in Japan, Germany, Kuwait

How can the America claim it has liberated us when you have hundreds and maybe thousands of sub-contracted merceneries, mostly former American soldiers, running around in our country with no accountability so their action. some of those mercenaries driving in our street and taping themselve as they shoot at my innocent Iraqi brethrens, having the audacity to record themselve in the act, yet no crimminal consequence have come out of it.

(10:30:30:A Dream Deferred)

According to the American President, their mission here was accomplised years ago..what are they still doing here?

He neither cares for typical Iraqi like me nor respects my country’s religion, and I remember Abub Graib.
Anonomisly

Prior to ChÃ¡vez poor Venezuelans, the majority of Venezuelan, where but a second thought in the action of their government

thing is…as bad as ChÃ¡vez is, he’s still better for the overwelming majority of Venezuelan than most all of Venezuela privious presidents….

As crazy as ChÃ¡vez is, he has definatly done more for poor Venezuelans, the majority of Venezueland, than just about all of Venezuela’s recend presidents combined

..he’s better and definatly more democratic than those in the opposition, which at one point forced him out of office throwhg a coup d’etat, secluded him in a military barrack, than went ahead suspended the Venezuelan constitution and undemocratically chose a replacin ‘president’. Knowing all of this our government supported them. Our government still continues to fund some of those responsible for such an undemocratic act..
http://www.kenmccracken.blogspot.com/ Ken McCracken

The Republicans’ ban on flag burning?

Actually, you are talking about Hillary.
http://www.wholewheatblogger.com/ Steve

Well, I’m sure if you head over to Brown I, er, Left I on the News, you’ll find Eli in some way defending Chavez or other commie pigs.
student student

What Chavez lovers? Do you know any of them? I have never met a liberal nor a conservative who liked Chavez.
Anarchist Vegan

If, for example, you were elected president of a country and the mass media owned by a vocal minority were spreading fear and lies, what would you do? To shut them down is anti-free speech. To leave them alone is not in the interest of the voting public who elected you. Tough decision, whatever you do, you are wrong.
anonomisly

…drawing a parallel
http://www.wholewheatblogger.com/ Steve

And what do you know. Though it’s a few days old.
TwoHotel9

I am burning 3 flags this weekend.
Anonomisly

..please pardon my English for it is not my mother tongue
Dave

This is just as indefensible as the Republicans’ plan to ban flag-burning.
http://sayanythingblog.com robport

Student, Graeme (whose blog is here and comments here on SA regularly) is a staunch Chavez supporter. Then there’s Cindy Sheehan, Danny Glover and Harry Belafonte who all visited with Chavez within the last year and said approving things about his administration.

Chavez is becoming the left’s new Che Guevera. And it’s sickening.
http://sayanythingblog.com robport

Graeme, you’ll note that I don’t often post about politics in other countries at all. I follow American politics predominantly, and international politics on so far as they impact our interests.

Nice strawman though.

SayAnythingBlog.com

Hugh Chavez And The “Supposed” Right To Free Speech

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