A Model Regime for Certain American Protestors?

Critics are abided in the U.S. like nowhere else. We have our constitution, civil laws and military to thank for our tremendous freedoms. Many of us are more than a little embarrassed for those who embarrass themselves in not realizing what the balance of the non-European world is like in comparison. Not only can these folk wonder about American geography, they have very little comprehension of dangers beyond our borders and the evil capacity of those who envy our way of life so much that they would not hesitate to eat our lunch in a very permanent sense.

Try Venezuela, for instance. Aruba (north of Venezuela) like Disney World was nice, but Aruba is not part of Venezuela, it is an autonomous member of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (European).

Are you with me so far, complainers? Could you have criticized Hugo Chavez the way you have your president? Could Venezuela's press have criticized Chavez as our press has battered Bush daily from the day he took office? The answer is emphatically no.

Here are many pictures (warning: graphic and too visceral for this blog) to prove it. The protestors are / were sort of American complainers' counterparts. Somehow, I believe they have much more to complain about than Americans, however. Since we have not heard much about El Presidente's repressive tactics and human rights violations from our biased media, I did some checking. Perhaps someone in Venezuela will vouch for or refute what these sources have said:

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL 2005 Report (January - December 2004)

Human Rights Watch Venezuela: Curbs on Free Expression Tightened, Santiago, March 24, 2005 - Amendments to Venezuela’s Criminal Code that entered into force last week may stifle press criticism of government authorities and restrict the public’s ability to monitor government actions, Human Rights Watch said today.

The Washington Post Company Chavez's Censorship By Jackson Diehl, Monday, March 28, 2005; Page A17

Just a thought.