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http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123199029094384757.html

Mr. Chávez, who was first elected in 1998, is barred under the constitution from seeking re-election in 2012...but guess what? he's gonna try to change the rules, again...
Democracy in venezuela is dying a slow and painful death.

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Originally posted by generalissimo
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123199029094384757.html

Mr. Chávez, who was first elected in 1998, is barred under the constitution from seeking re-election in 2012...but guess what? he's gonna try to change the rules, again...
Democracy in venezuela is dying a slow and painful death.
sounds bad but well if the people aren't going to sort the problem out then i guess they deserve what they get

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Originally posted by generalissimo
Mr. Chávez, who was first elected in 1998, is barred under the constitution from seeking re-election in 2012
There are no term limits in the U.K., France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Denmark, Sweden etc.etc. I imagine the list would include most countries in the world. There would be terms limits if these countries changed the law. Meanwhile coutries with term limits can change their constitutions, can't they?

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Originally posted by FMF
There are no term limits in the U.K., France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Denmark, Sweden etc.etc. I imagine the list would include most countries in the world. There would be terms limits if these countries changed the law. Meanwhile coutries with term limits can change their constitutions, can't they?
Yes, but it doesn't count as democracy unless they do it exactly the same as the US.
After all, the US gave democracy to the world.

Edit - when you say Chavez is gonna try and change the rules again, you mean a referendum. So, the people will, democratically, agree to allow the rules to be changed, or not.

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I dislike Oogo as much as the next conservative, but talking about him trying to legally change the law to allow him another election, while it does say something about him and his personality, it doesn't say much else. Sure, the guys a sociopath, but what world leader isn't?

The only reason to start a thread about Chavez here is to spin up the socialists and this won't do it. It's much for effective to talk about him having to go back against his previous anti-capitalist decisions and resort to capitalism because Paradise' national oil company is so bad.

Holy cow, whatta coincidence. Here's one right here.

http://www.iht.com/articles/2009/01/15/america/15venez.php

CARACAS: President Hugo Chávez, buffeted by falling oil prices that threaten to damage his efforts to establish a Socialist-inspired state, is quietly courting Western oil companies once again.

Until recently, Chávez had pushed foreign oil companies here into a corner by nationalizing their oil fields, raiding their offices with tax authorities and imposing a series of royalties increases.

But faced with the plunge in prices and a decline in domestic production, senior officials here have begun soliciting bids from some of the largest Western oil companies in recent weeks — including Chevron, Royal Dutch/Shell and Total of France — promising them access to some of the world's largest petroleum reserves, according to energy executives and industry consultants here.


Edit: For the edit record.

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Originally posted by generalissimo
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123199029094384757.html

Mr. Chávez, who was first elected in 1998, is barred under the constitution from seeking re-election in 2012...but guess what? he's gonna try to change the rules, again...
Democracy in venezuela is dying a slow and painful death.
i thought this thread was gonna be about carter.

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Originally posted by eamon o
sounds bad but well if the people aren't going to sort the problem out then i guess they deserve what they get
there was a referendum a while ago about this, chavez lost.

now, he's ignoring the people's will to maintain democracy because he'll use his legislative body (which is controlled by the left) to change the rules.

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Originally posted by FMF
There are no term limits in the U.K., France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Denmark, Sweden etc.etc. I imagine the list would include most countries in the world. There would be terms limits if these countries changed the law. Meanwhile coutries with term limits can change their constitutions, can't they?
however you haven't got people abusing the system in order to remain in power for decades.

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Originally posted by generalissimo
however you haven't got people [in Europe and elsewhere] abusing the system in order to remain in power for decades.
The two words to describe what you have said here are 'utter naivety'.

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Originally posted by generalissimo
there was a referendum a while ago about this, chavez lost.

now, he's ignoring the people's will to maintain democracy because he'll use his legislative body (which is controlled by the left) to change the rules.
He is? From your link:

Venezuelan lawmakers on Wednesday approved amendments to the constitution that would allow President Hugo Chávez to run for re-election indefinitely, the final step before the proposal goes before voters in a referendum.

The voters get the final say. The proposals narrowly defeated in December 2007 included an end to Presidential term limits, but contained other measures as well so it's hard to say whether most voters oppose or support term limits. This referendum will be a straight up or down vote on term limits only.

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Originally posted by generalissimo
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123199029094384757.html

Mr. Chávez, who was first elected in 1998, is barred under the constitution from seeking re-election in 2012...but guess what? he's gonna try to change the rules, again...
Democracy in venezuela is dying a slow and painful death.
Democracy can take many forms. Different countries= Different customs. Must not be judgemental. 😏

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Originally posted by no1marauder
He is? From your link:

Venezuelan lawmakers on Wednesday approved amendments to the constitution that would allow President Hugo Chávez to run for re-election indefinitely, [b]the final step before the proposal goes before voters in a referendum.


The voters get the final say. The proposals narrowly defeated in December ...[text shortened]... or support term limits. This referendum will be a straight up or down vote on term limits only.[/b]
he lost once, so he's trying again, why?

I bet this time he'll make sure he wins (with intimidation and other tricks).

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Originally posted by FMF
The two words to describe what you have said here are 'utter naivety'.
you're a pointless individual...

is anyone in western europe doing this?
no.

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Originally posted by zeeblebot
i thought this thread was gonna be about carter.
So did I...

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Originally posted by generalissimo
he lost once, so he's trying again, why?

I bet this time he'll make sure he wins (with intimidation and other tricks).
Venezuela has free elections. You prefer no elections at all in South America rather than having the "ignorant peasants" getting a vote, but hey you can't always get what you want.

Personally, I've always thought term limits were contrary to the very concept of representative government.