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Thoughts Hugo Chavez

FLYTPAY

FLYTPAY

Pro-Rec Fighter Pilot
pilot
None
RunninUte said:
Haven't seen a thread pop up yet about Hugo and his latest victory. Would like to see some of your thoughts about this from more politically savvy people then myself on what kind of ramifications this could have.

New Fidel? http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wor...eed-Fidel-Castro-as-most-enduring-leader.html
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I don't think it is a good thing. With their oil resources and weapons procurement programs, they need to be watched carefully. Nothing a little naval airpower and a Marine amphibious assault can't cure ;)
 
Bevo16

Bevo16

Registered User
pilot
Careful, Uncle Hugo can see this thread.

chavez-conf-bests-04.jpg


When they kick Citgo off base, I'll start to be concerned. I don't gas up there, but that's just me being me.
 
snake020

snake020

Contributor
I'm interested in seeing oil prices remain low and the unrest growing in Iran and Venezuela since they have their budgets pegged to selling more oil at $90, not less oil at $40.

Viva la revolución.
 
Bevo16

Bevo16

Registered User
pilot
MasterBates said:
I haven't seen an on base CITGO in a couple years. CC/Krock and NorVa seem to all have shitcanned CITGO.
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Are you sure?

The one in Millington was tired of getting passed by because it was a Citgo, so they took the signs down and put up blue NEX signs but didn't change the gas contract.

Nothing like the federal government spending tax dollars to help trick military members into buying gas that helps fund a national enemy (or whatever you would call them).
 
cfam

cfam

Well-Known Member
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
I really don't see the point of anyone boycotting CITGO. Granted, the company is owned by the Venezuelan government, but is still headquartered here, and supplies gas to thousands of retailers here. By boycotting Joe's Citgo down the street you're really only hurting Joe, not Chavez.

Interesting Snopes.com article counteritng the anti-Citgo chain emails. http://www.snopes.com/politics/gasoline/citgo.asp
 
T

tdimarco

Pro-Rec SNA
I think all this means is that, as expected, Venezuela will remain a minor but persistent pain in our diplomatic butt. They will work to undermine whatever we try to do in South America, but, from a historical perspective, we have seldom achieved anything positive down there anyway. Good point on declining oil revenues; these lower prices should cool them off for awhile.

Venezuela did purchase 24 Su-30's after we quit selling them F-16 parts, and they have an aging fleet of F-5's. As crazy as Chavez sounds, he has little incentive to stir up open military conflict. Cuba (in the post Cold War era) is probably a good analogy for what we can expect from Venezuela.
 
J

Jynx

*Placeholder*
Contributor
A4sForever said:
Thoughts?? I'd find a way to make him "go-away" and be able to deny any complicity ... culpable deniability ... but that's just me. :)
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Sir, I respectfully disagree...There's alot of racial and economic tension in Venezuela that doesn't really make official channels, but tends to filter through their expat community. Really, he's good at keeping the place in some semblance of order, and if the price of it means the little dog that he is gets to bark loudly, well so be it. If it gets bad enough, his own people will shoot him down, as his real cadre of loyal followers is pretty small, and he can't even count on alot of his own military.
I really don't think he's much of a threat to the US. He wouldn't want to risk pissing us off, and he knows he couldn't win in a knock down drag out. Remember a few years back when he bought a few Sukhois off of the Russians? It's not to fight us. Everyone on this forum knows you need alot more then 20 fighters to have an Air Force (Mechanics, Fuelers, AWACS etc). It's more to scare his own people in line then anything else
 
S

SkywardET

Contrarian
Jynx said:
Sir, I respectfully disagree...There's alot of racial and economic tension in Venezuela that doesn't really make official channels, but tends to filter through their expat community. Really, he's good at keeping the place in some semblance of order, and if the price of it means the little dog that he is gets to bark loudly, well so be it. If it gets bad enough, his own people will shoot him down, as his real cadre of loyal followers is pretty small, and he can't even count on alot of his own military.
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Regardless of our stance towards him, one fundamental question should be: is he the leader the Venezuelans deserve? Although supposedly this change to the Venezuelan constitution leaves room for his removal via "elections" that is a far cry from him having legitimacy in his now perpetual "election" victories.

Fidel Castro did happen to survive and be a pain in our side. Don't forget that regardless of who you believe is to blame for the Cuban Missile Crisis, a large share of the event that nearly ended civilization rests squarely with Hugo's "mentor" and just because there is no current nuclear arms race now does not mean there won't be a similar situation by 2049, Hugo's scheduled retirement date.
 
J

Jynx

*Placeholder*
Contributor
SkywardET said:
Regardless of our stance towards him, one fundamental question should be: is he the leader the Venezuelans deserve? ...just because there is no current nuclear arms race now does not mean there won't be a similar situation by 2049, Hugo's scheduled retirement date.
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You do raise a good point. He is antagonistic to our goals internationally, and he would love to have a strong backer to help contest our influence in Latin America. Still, I prefer him falling flat on his own face when Venezuelans realize how much better countries we have good relations with are doing (IE Chile, Brazil, Costa Rica). If we were to attempt another coup, the success of the following regime is on us, and I wouldn't want that responsibility, considering our track record on that continent. As it stands, he is largely an international pariah, and so we probably shouldn't be giving him more attention then he deserves, lest we legitimize him.
 
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