CHAVEZ ASSASSINATED !! Venezuela in chaos! Bush prepares to invade to bring peace.

Check the tense body language between Chavez and Bush.

Now that the fake headline has attracted your attention, I can proceed. An article appeared today on aljazeera.com. It’s generally fair, balanced and neutral reporting: the original is here. I’ve stolen part of it then added my own “What if…?” comments as a postscript.

I’ll state up front that I generally support the sentiment driving Chavez’s anti-US passion. Being a born cynic, however, I can see possible loopholes and traps further down the road for Venezuelan unity.

Here's part of the article, then my commentary:

Chavez granted rule by decree
Venezuela's congress has granted Hugo Chavez, the president, powers to rule by decree - enabling him to push through plans to nationalise key industries as part of his "socialist revolution".

The special powers, which last for 18 months, will enable him to transform 11 broadly-defined areas, including the economy, energy and defence.

Roberto Hernandez, the congressional vice-president, said: "We in the national assembly will not waver in granting president Chavez an enabling law so he can quickly and urgently set up the framework for resolving the grave problems we have."

The president has already said that he will use the law to decree nationalisations of Venezuela's largest telecommunications company and the electricity sector, impose new taxes on the rich and greater state control over the oil and natural gas industries.

Chavez's supporters deny the law constitutes an abuse of power and say radical steps are necessary to accelerate the creation of a more egalitarian society.

The opposition accuses Chavez of being a tyrant in the making, taking a slow approach in following Fidel Castro, the Cuban leader.

WHAT IF... Chavez were to die, or be “eliminated” by u-know-who? (assassinations by all governments are routine, as everyone is surely aware). I’ve not yet observed evidence of any serious ‘Plan B’ by Venezuela, or of any up-and-coming charismatic deputy to fill Chavez’s shoes. It’s a formula for disunity in the next 18 months – the ideal climate for infiltration (at the least) or pre-emptive invasion (at the worst). Venezuela is, after all, the world’s 4th largest oil supplier, and reduction of supply could instantly drive oil to $100+ per barrel and strike panic into stock markets.

Factor into this scenario the already strong Opposition to Chavez within Venezuela, hungry for under-the-table funding from u-know-who.

Also factor in the impending death of Castro, Chavez’s main propaganda support: a chaotic scene in Cuba would be an ideal platform for deliberate de-stabalisation of both Cuba and Venezuela, along with a number of South American countries which lately have leaned to the Left in response to american bullying.

So is this potentially yet another "un-losable" war for George Jnr, or might it become a convenient excuse to avoid tackling the REALLY big fish - Iran. The warrior-mentality Republicans will probably imagine they need a convenient war as a saving vote-catcher to get them through the 2008 elections. In that sense, Fidel Castro has chosen an unfortunate time to depart.

Chavez theatrically rants to the UN that "the devil has been right here... I can still smell the sulphur" - in reference to Bush's speech the previous day.

Grassroots Venezuelan poor love native-born Hugo Chavez because he promises to deliver them from poverty and share the country's wealth rather than continuing the habits of Globalisation and its hidden agenda: the further concentration of wealth in the hands of the already-rich.

Bush's day-dream: the beginning of a push into South America...

Bush, in fact, has already condemned the concentration of power into Chavez’s hands and stated that he is “worried about Venezuelan democracy” (= code for “We’re gunna get ya oil, buddy, and pay ya back big time for raising taxes on foreign oil companies”).

Amazingly, the ‘Reverend’ Pat Robertson, Bush’s mouth-piece mate from the Religious Right-wing, has actually made a public call for Chavez to be assassinated. Now there's a violent christian extremist/terrorist if ever you needed evidence.

Watch this space. Nostradamus and his famous FunkyPix2 Freedom Fighters are hot on the case.

Chavez says that Bush is "...more dangerous than a monkey with a razor blade".
Yep. I can hardly disagree.

We would never encourage anyone to OUST HUGO CHAVEZ through undemocratic means

Finally... Marxism may score a genuine goal with Chavez on the team. However, unless there's a player following up behind him, there can be no possibility of a 'rebound' (follow-up). A string of South American countries, notably Bolivia, could then collapse like a pack of cards under invasion by an aggressive pre-election USA and a pissed[-off] president with nothing left to lose - even what's left of his legacy. Even the newly elected Democrat Congress wouldn't be able to stop him. How do you spell I M P E A C H M E N T ?

...and Castro Lives!

Lookout, Georgie.

There will be more Castros.

Sweet dreams.