Okay. Let's just consider this one thing for the time being. Hugo Chavez. Over the past several days I've been reading about his star turn at the Venice Film Festival. Since when did it become so chic to celebrate dictators? WTF is up with that?!
Whats up is that Oliver Stone has made a film, a documentary, about Chavez which as IBDeditorials says, "emphasizes that the public has it all wrong about the clowning Chavez being a threat to the West. It's merely an image problem he has, brought on by unjust demonization from George W. Bush."
Can we just lock the doors and let Stone stay in Europe? Turn out the lights?
Does Stone seriously just not GET what kind of guy Chavez is? How about this recent deal Chavez made with Iran:
Chavez announced a "strategic" move to sell $800 million in gasoline to Iran, vowing to ship 20,000 barrels a day in exchange for Iranian "tractors." Sound innocuous? It isn't.
Chavez knows exactly what he's doing. Iran imports 40% of its gasoline and is vulnerable to sanctions on that vital commodity. For all the oil Iran produces, it lacks refinery capacity and must make up for its internal shortage with imports. Shutting off the gasoline spigot from the West is the mullahs' worst fear, given the damage it would do to Iran's economy as well as their grip on power.
That means gasoline is the one of the few points of leverage the West has over the Iranian regime as it seeks to check Iran's nuclear program. If Chavez's scheme succeeds, the West will have a potential economic weapon removed. Chavez's gasoline means the mullahs in charge should have nothing to fear from a shut-off.
This will give Tehran room for a more aggressive push to develop nuclear weapons to threaten the West.How about his support of FARC terrorists (see here and here for starters.)
Listen to Stone defend Chavez (among others):
Does he have no grasp of history? Of what evil actually is? Does he not care? Oh, wait. We're all just paranoid. He's the normal one.
Stone says he's fearful that his film will have a difficult time getting play in the United States. I'm really not so sure anymore. Look at all the wackos wearing Che Guevara t-shirts and apparel. They'd go. It would probably get play at Sundance. Camp David. Here's the trailer:
It's not just Oliver Stone. We've also got Michael Moore and his capitalism is evil adventure - they loved it in Italy. Here's the trailer for that one:
So, let me get this right. Capitalism is bad. Dictators are good. What the hell country did I wake up in?
I don't understand the world anymore. Nothing makes sense.
