Hugo Chavez Has His Goons Seize Control Of The Media

But only to get the media to broadcast programming promoting the values of his socialist revolution, so no big whoop.

CARACAS (Reuters) – Venezuela’s top court on Friday ordered the Defense Ministry to take control of installations of an opposition television station amid a show of military force before the station’s controversial closure.
President Hugo Chavez’s decision to close the RCTV television channel, which he accuses of backing a 2002 coup against him, has prompted international condemnation and several demonstrations.
Venezuela’s Supreme Court ordered the military to “guard, control and monitor” some of the station’s installations and equipment including transmission equipment and antennas throughout the country.
An RCTV source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said staff at the station believed troops would take over the station’s Caracas headquarters.
The court determined that the government must take RCTV’s broadcast equipment to ensure a smooth handover to a state channel that will replace RCTV with broadcasts promoting the values of Chavez’s socialist revolution.

Don’t worry guys, Chavez is totally not a dictator. He was elected by the people, remember? And Cindy Sheehan likes him. She’d even rather live in in Venezuela under Chavez than America.
Hillary Clinton’s fund raising partner Harry Belafonte loves him too, as does American actor Danny Glover who has agreed to make movies funded by Chavez’s blood money.
And don’t forget all those union leaders and college professors who were giving Chavez standing ovations when he was in the US to speak at the UN.
All joking aside, though, I’d like to hear just one of Chavez’s apologists on the left to explain to me how the seizing of his country’s media is a good thing. Because if Bush did anything even remotely like that they’d be calling for his head. But Chavez is a socialist. He believes in nationalized industry and government health care, so he’s ok. Forget that this sort of state-controlled media and dictatorial tyranny is always the result of socialism. It’s “free health care for everyone” so no big whoop if the local news reporter can’t criticize the government without getting beaten by some of Chavez’s goons.