Nuclear Rhetoric Heats up

Putin has put Europe on notice by saying he'll aim his nuclear missiles at the Old Continent in response to the US wanting to install a missile defense shield. I haven't heard threats like this since the Cold War. And now NATO is getting involved.

It would appear that Russia, and Putin in particular, it trying to restore the old superpower's clout in the world. During the Cold War, the Soviet Union would threaten Europe (directly and indirectly) as a means to assert it's authority in the region. Having Putin start this game again is something an unstable world cannot afford at this time.

Another Loss of Freedom in Venezuela

It sounds like something out of a dark science fiction movie. Television stations being shut down that run shows not approved by the dictator - programming instead being replaced with propaganda messages run by the government, "Venezuela now belongs to everyone." It's frightening.

Hugo Chavez is slick, indeed. He trumps up accusations about the only station that dares to question his leadership ability, saying they have "incited attempts on [his] life." Well, isn't that convenient. He tells his followers, those most eager to believe in what he is selling (shared wealth for everyone), what he wants them to hear, and then they do the rest. For example, while thousands protested against Chavez's closure of RCTV, his followers held a counter "anti-violence" demonstration. It's dystopic.

As Chavez tightens his grip on power, I can guarantee that the people of Venezuela will see similar justifications for the seizure of their freedoms. And, since Chavez now controls the media, the people will believe him.

Can this happen here in America? You better believe it. All it would take would be for circumstances to be bad enough, a slick politician who promises prosperity at the expense of the upper class, a willing Congress and presto! Don't believe me? That's OK... I'm sure the people of Venezuela thought it was absurd ten years ago, too.

Al Qaeda Threatens Major Attack in Britain

In what they claim will rival "Hiroshima and Nagasaki," terrorists from Al Qaeda are threatening a major terrorist attack in Great Britain.

TimesOnline Reports:

The report was compiled by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC) - based at MI5’s London headquarters - and provides a quarterly review of the international terror threat to Britain. It draws a distinction between Osama Bin Laden and Al-Qaeda’s core leadership, who are thought to be hiding on the Afghan-Pakistan border, and affiliated organisations elsewhere.

The document states: “While networks linked to AQ [Al-Qaeda] Core pose the greatest threat to the UK, the intelligence during this quarter has highlighted the potential threat from other areas, particularly AQI [Al-Qaeda in Iraq].”

The report continues: “Recent reporting has described AQI’s Kurdish network in Iran planning what we believe may be a large-scale attack against a western target.

“A member of this network is reportedly involved in an operation which he believes requires AQ Core authorisation. He claims the operation will be on ‘a par with Hiroshima and Naga-saki’ and will ‘shake the Roman throne’. We assess that this operation is most likely to be a large-scale, mass casualty attack against the West.”

Chavez is Planning to Stay in Office... Indefinitely

In another major blow to constitutional democracy, Hugo Chavez now wants the terms limits normally imposed on leaders of his country eliminated so that he can "serve" as leader indefinitely. This announcement came after he stripped one of Venezuela's largest TV channels (the only channel left that allows dissenting views from that of Mr. Chavez) of it's license to broadcast, effectively taking state control of the media. Oh, and for good measure, he also went ahead and nationalized the country's biggest oil company. Viva socialism.

As he works to consolidate his power, I can't help but feel sorry for the people of that country as their freedom is taken away from them, piece by piece. It's heartbreaking to watch the manipulation and lies that are leading that country down a very dark road.

But even more ominous is what this will mean for the United States in a few short years. We will have a very oil-rich and powerful dictatorship at our doorsteps in South America. And as Mexico falls deeper and deeper into chaos, you can bet that Red Hugo will eventually slide into that country as it's savior and literally be in our backyards. Think Ahmadinejad was bad calling for Israel to be "wiped off the map?" Mr. Chavez has openly called for the destruction of the United States.

Ding Dong Saddam is Dead

It has been a long time coming, but Iraq's former dictator, Saddam Hussein, has been executed by the hands of those he brutally oppressed for 20+ years. It is unclear how his death will be received in Iraq over the next few days, but one shouldn't be surprised to see an increase in terror attacks and sectarian violence. In the long term, however, this might prove to be a turning point for the struggling new democracy in Iraq.

Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti
1937-2006

Venezuela Votes to Continue and Expand Dictatorship

Voters poised to re-elect Chavez in a landslide.

The opposition to Chavez's dictatorial rule had no chance. Chavez has a record of stifling all opposition, including sending his violent supporters to blockade media outlets that broadcast anything negative about the Dictator. It's gotten so bad that the free press in Venezuela is only free inasmuch as it supports President Chavez. The network brave enough to broadcast other opinions, Globovision, has had it's offices torched by Chavez supporters, and it's cameramen and anchors killed and brutally attacked. It's a shame that little of this is reported in the North.

Chavez, who doesn't give a darn about the poor people in his country, plays upon their poverty and fears to maintain a tyrannical hold on power. He buys their votes with subsidies the country cannot afford, and takes wealth and property away from the middle class using the power of the government. This is called the redistribution of resources and is a hallmark of communism - a despotic form of government that Chavez openly supports.

The system that Chavez is building cannot be supported on oil revenue alone, and I expect to see Venezuela doing a bit of expansion in the coming decade or so. Unfortunately for freedom's sake, it seems that his eventual takeover of Latin America will have been freely handed to him by the people based on the promise of "free stuff for all" at the expense of liberty and individuality.

So, given this kind of hostile atmosphere, it's still impressive that Chavez's opposition got any votes at all. Good for them, even if they failed in the end. Someone needs to stand up for freedom in that country.