Dagens Chavez

Vägledande citat

Again, I think the difference between Chavez and most others even on the left is that Chavez is seeking to win, and we are instead seeking, as often as not, to avoid alienating pundits or to even appeal to them. We are seeking to avoid annoying anyone we like, or anyone we might like, or who might like us. We are seeking to avoid looking odd to anyone, or to avoid making a mistake, or to avoid seeming shrill and angry, or self serving, or passionate. And we need to transcend all that.

- Michael Albert, Z-Mag

december 02, 2007

Respektera Venezuela!

Det är bara att stämma in i följande uppmaning av bl.a Londons borgmästare Ken Livingstone.

Democracy in action in Venezuela

Saturday December 1, 2007
The Guardian

We believe that the lives of millions of Venezuelans have been transformed by the progressive social and democratic policies of Hugo Chávez's government. Extreme poverty has been halved, illiteracy nearly eliminated, participation in education has more than doubled and free basic healthcare extended to nearly 20 million people. Unemployment has fallen to a historic low.
The constitution introduced by President Chávez, approved by Venezuelans in a popular referendum, is one of the most democratic in the world and enshrines rights of previously excluded and minority groups. An emphasis on social inclusion has improved the position of women and Venezuela's black, mixed-race and indigenous majority.
Venezuela's government has directly promoted participatory democracy through community councils, urban land committees and other local bodies. President Chávez's sweeping social, political and economic agenda, has been endorsed by Venezuelans in 11 democratic elections that have been consistently judged free and fair by international observers. Tomorrow the Venezuelan people will once again be called on to vote on a series of reforms to the 1999 constitution proposed by President Chávez.
Venezuela is one of the few countries in the world where both the constitution and any revisions to it must be approved by a majority of citizens in a national referendum. We call on the international community to respect the outcome of the coming referendum and support the sovereign and democratic right of the Venezuelan people to self-determination.
Ken Livingstone
Colin Burgon MP
Chair, Labour Friends of Venezuela
Jon Cruddas MP
Treasurer, Labour Friends of Venezuela
Harold Pinter, Tony Benn, Ken Loach, Diane Abbott MP, David Chaytor MP, Julie Morgan MP, Lembit Opik MP, Linda Riordan MP, Caroline Lucas MEP
Billy Hayes
General secretary Communication Workers' Union
Gerry Morrissey
General secretary, Bectu
Keith Norman
General secretary, Aslef
Gemma Tumelty
President, NUS
Lee Jasper
National Black Alliance
Bruce Kent and 36 others