I just ran into
this article over on the BBC. Let's jump straight to the money quote, shall we?
In Washington, US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld described the election of a string of left-wing leaders in the region as worrying.
"[Chavez] is a person who was elected legally, just as Adolf Hitler was elected legally and then consolidated power," he said.
"Now [Chavez] is of course working closely with [Cuban President] Fidel Castro and [Bolivian President Evo] Morales and others.
"It concerns me."
I think this makes the third 'are-you-fucking-kidding-me' quote I've heard from the BA this week.
Now, correct me if I'm wrong here, but I could have sworn the Hitler was a right-winger. I realize that much of the propaganda in my country has equated leftists with evil for at least a couple of generation, but Rummy's kind of rhetoric is a wee bit over the top, no?
I mean, don't we have a 'legally' elected President that is currently consolidating (and abusing) power? And isn't he trying to 'work closely' with other world leaders ot expand that power base? Doesn't he subscribe to an ideology that believes the U.S. to have a God-given right...no...duty to run the world?
Interesting questions for sure, but aside from that...let's get back to the real point of the article. Spying. Something we've found out recently the neocons are big fans of.
Thursday's announcement came three days after Mr Chavez said agents had infiltrated an alleged spy ring at the US embassy.
"We have decided... to throw out of the country a military official from the mission of the United States for espionage," the president said.
He warned that the full US embassy military mission would be expelled if authorities caught any of its officers spying.
"The next step would be to withdraw the whole so-called military mission of the United States," Mr Chavez said.
He had threatened last week to have any American officials involved in spying arrested.
In the past week, Venezuela has also said that several of its military officers have been caught passing state secrets to the US.
Now, just to take a longer look at the situation. If Rummy thinks that Chavez is the next Hitler (which would make him the fourth(?) one right? After Bin Laden, Hussein, and the Original), how reluctant do
you think Rummy would be to spy on him?
Bomb him?
Assassinate him (as at least one American mullah has called for)?
What are the rules nowadays on dealing with pre-Hitlers?
Anyway, just thought I'd share my "are-you-fucking-kidding-me" quote of the day.