One-upmanship on Obama...

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I was OK but my son is a bit headstrong...

WOW, "Full war declaration statement from DPRK". Could this really happen or is it oneupmanship by the North Korea Supreme Command hoping Obama is as weak as he looks and sounds? Even if he is the South Koreans aren't a pushover. That said it really does sound like the Team America script writers have been at it:

"The era when the U.S. resorted to the policy of strength by brandishing nuclear weapons has gone.

It is the resolute answer of the DPRK and its steadfast stand to counter the nuclear blackmail of the U.S. imperialists with merciless nuclear attack and their war of aggression with just all-out war.

They should clearly know that in the era of Marshal Kim Jong Un, the greatest-ever commander, all things are different from what they used to be in the past.

The hostile forces will clearly realize the iron will, matchless grit and extraordinary mettle of the brilliant commander of Mt. Paektu that the earth cannot exist without Songun Korea.

Time has come to stage a do-or-die final battle."

One-upmanship on Obama...

---

I was OK but my son is a bit headstrong...

WOW, "Full war declaration statement from DPRK". Could this really happen or is it oneupmanship by the North Korea Supreme Command hoping Obama is as weak as he looks and sounds? Even if he is the South Koreans aren't a pushover. That said it really does sound like the Team America script writers have been at it:

"The era when the U.S. resorted to the policy of strength by brandishing nuclear weapons has gone. It is the resolute answer of the DPRK and its steadfast stand to counter the nuclear blackmail of the U.S. imperialists with merciless nuclear attack and their war of aggression with just all-out war. They should clearly know that in the era of Marshal Kim Jong Un, the greatest-ever commander, all things are different from what they used to be in the past. The hostile forces will clearly realize the iron will, matchless grit and extraordinary mettle of the brilliant commander of Mt. Paektu that the earth cannot exist without Songun Korea. Time has come to stage a do-or-die final battle."

Orinoco octane...

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See chart (click to enlarge) from the US EIA: it illustrates petrol (Finished Motor Gasoline) exports from the USA to Venezuela ('000 Barrels/Day). This incredible fact tends to support last year's opinion that Venezuela's world leading oil reserves are irrelevant. Thank's to Setty's comment for the graph. Hat-tip: Caracas Chronicles "Somehow, Bolivarian anti-imperialism requires transferring $10 million a day more or less directly from Venezuela’s poor to U.S. gasoline refiners."



P.S. And for readers of Owsblog Nick Ripe will henceforth be called the well deserved name of New Krusty.

Orinoco octane...

---

See chart (click to enlarge) from the US EIA: it illustrates petrol (Finished Motor Gasoline) exports from the USA to Venezuela ('000 Barrels/Day). This incredible fact tends to support last year's opinion that Venezuela's world leading oil reserves are irrelevant. Thank's to Setty's comment for the graph. Hat-tip: Caracas Chronicles "Somehow, Bolivarian anti-imperialism requires transferring $10 million a day more or less directly from Venezuela’s poor to U.S. gasoline refiners."

P.S. And for readers of Owsblog Nick Ripe will henceforth be called the well deserved name of New Krusty.

Olamic optimist...

---

"I am an optimist. It does not seem too much use being anything else"; that quote Winston Churchill sums me up really although I do become bitter and twisted fairly regularly these days; a case in point was the adulation shown because some half-rate New Labour has-been decide to go away...WTF? Anyway, the point of the post is the following: "For first time since Osbo’s March 2012 budget more people say they want a CON majority than a LAB one", admittedly only 29% to 28% (and 41% to 35% still want LAB in next government!) but at least it's a start and they need to start saying more about what they have achieved...I thought THIS was very New Labour! The only thing everyone seems to agree on: the LibDems as a coalition partner for anyone is not an popular option!

Olamic optimist...

---

"I am an optimist. It does not seem too much use being anything else"; that quote Winston Churchill sums me up really although I do become bitter and twisted fairly regularly these days; a case in point was the adulation shown because some half-rate New Labour has-been decide to go away...WTF? Anyway, the point of the post is the following: "For first time since Osbo’s March 2012 budget more people say they want a CON majority than a LAB one", admittedly only 29% to 28% (and 41% to 35% still want LAB in next government!) but at least it's a start and they need to start saying more about what they have achieved...I thought THIS was very New Labour! The only thing everyone seems to agree on: the LibDems as a coalition partner for anyone is not an popular option!

Open organisation...

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Big Brother Watch reports on an exclusion inserted into the legislation 'underpinning' the Royal Charter on press-self regulation. The exclusion tabled a couple of hours ago by Lord Lucas and hopefully to be adopted by the Lords will exclude 'A publisher who does not exceed the definition of a small or medium-sized enterprise.' On Monday, the Lords will vote on the legislation “underpinning” the Royal Charter on press-self regulation...And the Blog Off campaign could use your support:

"A free and open world increasingly depends on a free and open internet. The internet empowers everyone — anyone can blog, create, learn, and share. It is controlled by no one — no single organisation, individual, or government. It connects the world. Today, more than two billion people are online — about a third of the planet."

SIGN THE PETITION AND TELL THEM TO BLOG OFF! I even agree with ugly, mouthy, lard-arse Tom Watson and hope the blogosphere remains free for me to call him that; and call Tony Blair the arch vampire, and Gordon Brown every insult under the sun (all richly deserved). Hat-tip Guido.



Update: Sebastian says the same.

Open organisation...

---

Big Brother Watch reports on an exclusion inserted into the legislation 'underpinning' the Royal Charter on press-self regulation. The exclusion tabled a couple of hours ago by Lord Lucas and hopefully to be adopted by the Lords will exclude 'A publisher who does not exceed the definition of a small or medium-sized enterprise.' On Monday, the Lords will vote on the legislation “underpinning” the Royal Charter on press-self regulation...And the Blog Off campaign could use your support:

"A free and open world increasingly depends on a free and open internet. The internet empowers everyone — anyone can blog, create, learn, and share. It is controlled by no one — no single organisation, individual, or government. It connects the world. Today, more than two billion people are online — about a third of the planet."

SIGN THE PETITION AND TELL THEM TO BLOG OFF! I even agree with ugly, mouthy, lard-arse Tom Watson and hope the blogosphere remains free for me to call him that; and call Tony Blair the arch vampire, and Gordon Brown every insult under the sun (all richly deserved). Hat-tip Guido.

Update: Sebastian says the same.

Oxygenation...

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OK, no excuses: I needed cheering up. Arsenal won and Spuds lost so it was a start but I'm trying to forget how Wales pounded England yesterday in the title decider of the 2013 Six Nations rugby championship; also, today is the day everyone  - for some reason - pretends they're Irish: it's St. Patrick's Day, which I didn't remember until about 7 pm.  So, considering all these patriot games, what better way to cheer me up than to post a picture of an Italian American fitness guru in Union Flag bikini....what? It makes perfect sense to me. You, better, now. (click image to enlarge...you know you want to).

Oxygenation...

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OK, no excuses: I needed cheering up. Arsenal won and Spuds lost so it was a start but I'm trying to forget how Wales pounded England yesterday in the title decider of the 2013 Six Nations rugby championship; also, today is the day everyone  - for some reason - pretends they're Irish: it's St. Patrick's Day, which I didn't remember until about 7 pm.  So, considering all these patriot games, what better way to cheer me up than to post a picture of an Italian American fitness guru in Union Flag bikini....what? It makes perfect sense to me. You, better, now. (click image to enlarge...you know you want to).

OMG V...

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They have enough work to go round...



Professor Sir Brian Jarman, working on a government NHS review in the wake of the Stafford Hospital scandal (well, it should have been a scandal but you'd be forgiven for missing it) has said the number of excess deaths at these trusts alone over the past 10 years amounted to "a bit over 20,000"... [BBC]..."That's only looking at 14 of the 140 trusts - there are likely to be other trusts where they have numbers that exceed the national value". Now, obviously many of the trusts will be below average so we can't extrapolate those figures to 20,000 per year but all the same...what the fuck was/is going on?!!!

OMG V...

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They have enough work to go round...

Professor Sir Brian Jarman, working on a government NHS review in the wake of the Stafford Hospital scandal (well, it should have been a scandal but you'd be forgiven for missing it) has said the number of excess deaths at these trusts alone over the past 10 years amounted to "a bit over 20,000"... [BBC]..."That's only looking at 14 of the 140 trusts - there are likely to be other trusts where they have numbers that exceed the national value". Now, obviously many of the trusts will be below average so we can't extrapolate those figures to 20,000 per year but all the same...what the fuck was/is going on?!!!

Obliged obscurantism...

---

Don't let the Left fool you: they say everything is free and fair in Venezuela. That there are no press restrictions. Well, finally, Cae el último canal televisivo crítico con el Gobierno de Venezuela [El Pais]. Under constant pressure up until this week, Venezuela’s only TV Station critical of Chavez will be sold, [Bloomberg]. Globovision are the ones that have been broadcasting the excellent and remarkable speeches that Henrique Capriles has been giving the last few days. The channel is being sold to "government-aligned investors."



Apparently the sale is 'forced' but the channel would only have lasted a few years anyway, not from all the fines, lawsuits, harassment etc but because it had been shut out of the analogue to digital migration announced last month by Science and Technology Minister (now Vice President, illegally) Jorge Arreaza (Krusty's brother in law).

Obliged obscurantism...

---

Don't let the Left fool you: they say everything is free and fair in Venezuela. That there are no press restrictions. Well, finally, Cae el último canal televisivo crítico con el Gobierno de Venezuela [El Pais]. Under constant pressure up until this week, Venezuela’s only TV Station critical of Chavez will be sold, [Bloomberg]. Globovision are the ones that have been broadcasting the excellent and remarkable speeches that Henrique Capriles has been giving the last few days. The channel is being sold to "government-aligned investors."

Apparently the sale is 'forced' but the channel would only have lasted a few years anyway, not from all the fines, lawsuits, harassment etc but because it had been shut out of the analogue to digital migration announced last month by Science and Technology Minister (now Vice President, illegally) Jorge Arreaza (Krusty's brother in law).

Our oecists...

---

Falkland Islands sovereignty referendum: no surprise: eff off CFK. I make it a 99.8% win on a 90% turnout [edit 92% turnout]; surely amongst the biggest wins ever (discounting dictators' 100% etc): "Of 1,517 votes cast in the two-day referendum - on a turnout of more than 90% - 1,513 were in favour, while just three votes were against." "Falklands referendum: Voters choose to remain UK territory" [BBC]. Click on the image to go to an excellent and full Falkland Islands timeline and history; notes on de facto control since 1760 here.

Excellent info at Falklands Timeline

Update: major face-palm: Seumas Milne, oh dear, to be so wrong...and in print.

Our oecists...

---

Falkland Islands sovereignty referendum: no surprise: eff off CFK. I make it a 99.8% win on a 90% turnout [edit 92% turnout]; surely amongst the biggest wins ever (discounting dictators' 100% etc): "Of 1,517 votes cast in the two-day referendum - on a turnout of more than 90% - 1,513 were in favour, while just three votes were against." "Falklands referendum: Voters choose to remain UK territory" [BBC]. Click on the image to go to an excellent and full Falkland Islands timeline and history; notes on de facto control since 1760 here.

Excellent info at Falklands Timeline

Update: major face-palm: Seumas Milne, oh dear, to be so wrong...and in print.

Our oecists...

---

No surprise: eff off CFK. I make it a 99.8% win on a 90% turnout; surely amongst the biggest wins ever (discounting dictators' 100% etc): "Of 1,517 votes cast in the two-day referendum - on a turnout of more than 90% - 1,513 were in favour, while just three votes were against." "Falklands referendum: Voters choose to remain UK territory" [BBC]. Click on the image to go to an excellent and full Falkland Islands timeline and history; notes on de facto control since 1760 here.

Update: major face-palm: Seumas Milne, oh dear, to be so wrong...and in print.

Opiparous oration...

---

Fox in the headless chicken house: good speech to the IEA today. Here is what he said in full. So, "Liam Fox urges spending freeze" (a freeze? Surely there were already cuts?) [BBC]

"Mr Fox's proposed freeze on all public spending - as against the current freeze for Whitehall departmental budgets - would cut spending in real terms by 2.5% a year. The current plan is for a 1% annual cut."

Ah. And, my favourite bit of his speech;

"We are all familiar with the issue and history of debt.  In 1997 Labour inherited a balanced budget on coming to office – indeed, it was a budget that was set to move into surplus...



...To make matters worse, the panic spending that Gordon Brown embarked upon in order to try to avoid his impending defeat, set a trajectory for spending that would see debts continue to mount at an alarming rate. 



Even with the coalition Government’s deficit reduction plans - which the current Labour leader has attended Trade Union rallies to protest against - the national debt will reach £1.4 trillion in 2015.



History will judge Gordon Brown and his disciples harshly."

I live in hope: the pike is sharpened; the city gates in view. More from Thomas Pascoe reporting [DT], "Dr Liam Fox is absolutely right when it comes to Labour's legacy of debt".

"They spent with abandon, rolling out the Socialist vision of a big state. But much worse; rather than diminishing the reliance that individuals have on the state, they purposely pushed the drug of welfare addiction to more and more people, ensnaring even the affluent middle classes... ..The expansion of welfare addiction is one of the most corrosive effects of socialism and it must not only be neutralised, but reversed."

However, many weren't impressed.

Opiparous oration...

---

Fox in the headless chicken house: good speech to the IEA today. Here is what he said in full. So, "Liam Fox urges spending freeze" (a freeze? Surely there were already cuts?) [BBC]

"Mr Fox's proposed freeze on all public spending - as against the current freeze for Whitehall departmental budgets - would cut spending in real terms by 2.5% a year. The current plan is for a 1% annual cut."

Ah. And, my favourite bit of his speech;

"We are all familiar with the issue and history of debt.  In 1997 Labour inherited a balanced budget on coming to office – indeed, it was a budget that was set to move into surplus...

...To make matters worse, the panic spending that Gordon Brown embarked upon in order to try to avoid his impending defeat, set a trajectory for spending that would see debts continue to mount at an alarming rate. 

Even with the coalition Government’s deficit reduction plans - which the current Labour leader has attended Trade Union rallies to protest against - the national debt will reach £1.4 trillion in 2015.

History will judge Gordon Brown and his disciples harshly."

I live in hope: the pike is sharpened; the city gates in view. More from Thomas Pascoe reporting [DT], "Dr Liam Fox is absolutely right when it comes to Labour's legacy of debt".

"They spent with abandon, rolling out the Socialist vision of a big state. But much worse; rather than diminishing the reliance that individuals have on the state, they purposely pushed the drug of welfare addiction to more and more people, ensnaring even the affluent middle classes... ..The expansion of welfare addiction is one of the most corrosive effects of socialism and it must not only be neutralised, but reversed."

However, many weren't impressed.

Outrage outrage...

---

[Edited: 'dead' video/image removed] You may recall the following paragraph from my post earlier this year; I have copied it here to keep the links: "Remember the science is settled? Remember there is consensus? Remember drowning pets and exploding children? Remember being told not to eat meat or the Inconvenient Truth and Al Gore's Nobel prize?



Today Christopher Booker asks us to 'Look at the graph to see the evidence of global warming'. You may think 0.08C over only 15 years in quite a lot if it continues at the same rate...but "But the 0.5C rise between 1976 and 1998 was no greater than the 0.5C rise between 1910 and 1940 (with 35 years of cooling between them, so that the net rise in the past century has been only 0.8C).



The UK government's Climate Change Act (what's Miliband minor doing now, anyone?) will probably cost 15 to 20 billion quid a year; the whole national energy policy - and the coming power outrages - is based around it.

"Yet it was on that modest rise in the 1980s and 1990s that the whole of the greatest and most expensive scare in history was launched on its way, with all the terrifying political and economic consequences we see around us today... ...The price we are all increasingly having to pay for their gullibility is incalculable."

Outrage outrage...

---

[Edited: 'dead' video/image removed] You may recall the following paragraph from my post earlier this year; I have copied it here to keep the links: "Remember the science is settled? Remember there is consensus? Remember drowning pets and exploding children? Remember being told not to eat meat or the Inconvenient Truth and Al Gore's Nobel prize?

Today Christopher Booker asks us to 'Look at the graph to see the evidence of global warming'. You may think 0.08C over only 15 years in quite a lot if it continues at the same rate...but "But the 0.5C rise between 1976 and 1998 was no greater than the 0.5C rise between 1910 and 1940 (with 35 years of cooling between them, so that the net rise in the past century has been only 0.8C).

The UK government's Climate Change Act (what's Miliband minor doing now, anyone?) will probably cost 15 to 20 billion quid a year; the whole national energy policy - and the coming power outrages - is based around it.

"Yet it was on that modest rise in the 1980s and 1990s that the whole of the greatest and most expensive scare in history was launched on its way, with all the terrifying political and economic consequences we see around us today... ...The price we are all increasingly having to pay for their gullibility is incalculable."

Outrage outrage...

---

You may recall the following paragraph from my post earlier this year; I have copied it here to keep the links: "Remember the science is settled? Remember there is consensus? Remember drowning pets and exploding children? Remember being told not to eat meat or the Inconvenient Truth and Al Gore's Nobel prize?

Today Christopher Booker asks us to 'Look at the graph to see the evidence of global warming'. You may think 0.08C over only 15 years in quite a lot if it continues at the same rate...but "But the 0.5C rise between 1976 and 1998 was no greater than the 0.5C rise between 1910 and 1940 (with 35 years of cooling between them, so that the net rise in the past century has been only 0.8C).

The UK government's Climate Change Act (what's Miliband minor doing now, anyone?) will probably cost 15 to 20 billion quid a year; the whole national energy policy - and the coming power outrages - is based around it.

"Yet it was on that modest rise in the 1980s and 1990s that the whole of the greatest and most expensive scare in history was launched on its way, with all the terrifying political and economic consequences we see around us today... ...The price we are all increasingly having to pay for their gullibility is incalculable."

Olamic odorivector...

---

Apologies in advance if you think I'm going to be kind to Krusty just because his funeral is today. With the gathering of thousands and more than 30 heads of state in Caracas we hear that, like some other good-old-boys (Russia's Vladimir Lenin, North Korea's Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh and China's Mao Zedong) before him, Krusty is to be embalmed.



I certainly hope they had this idea before yesterday because as experts will tell you, they 'may have a difficult time preserving Mr. Chavez's body unless the right chemicals were injected immediately after death, "This is not something you do two or three days after someone dies"'. said Colombian embalming expert Camilo Jaramillo; he also said that the process for preserving a body for the long-term is different than embalming a corpse for a few days or weeks,"If they have done this on a temporary basis, they may have a hard time doing it for the long term, because it's a different set of chemicals".



Of course, today the smell may not be from the body: it's hot and the standing water doesn't smell too good either.



Update: Oh dear, 'Se nos apagó la candelita' Elton, FFS. And speaking of bodies: ABC claims coffin was empty! Hat-tip Caracas Chronicles.

Update 2: the same night, while the country is in mourning and the world and the world's press and visiting dignitaries were focused on the funeral, the Tribunal Supremo de Justicia committed to Constitutional fraud: Ripe Nick swore to obey and defend the Venezuelan Constitution by abusing the Constitution. Capriles speaks out. [edit] Ex-Minister of Science and Technology (ahem) Jorge Arreaza sworn in as the new executive vice-president...oh, just a coincidence, but he's Krusty's son in law (one of many 'gifted' relations) 

Olamic odorivector...

---

Apologies in advance if you think I'm going to be kind to Krusty just because his funeral is today. With the gathering of thousands and more than 30 heads of state in Caracas we hear that, like some other good-old-boys (Russia's Vladimir Lenin, North Korea's Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh and China's Mao Zedong) before him, Krusty is to be embalmed.

I certainly hope they had this idea before yesterday because as experts will tell you, they 'may have a difficult time preserving Mr. Chavez's body unless the right chemicals were injected immediately after death, "This is not something you do two or three days after someone dies"'. said Colombian embalming expert Camilo Jaramillo; he also said that the process for preserving a body for the long-term is different than embalming a corpse for a few days or weeks,"If they have done this on a temporary basis, they may have a hard time doing it for the long term, because it's a different set of chemicals".

Of course, today the smell may not be from the body: it's hot and the standing water doesn't smell too good either.

Update: Oh dear, 'Se nos apagó la candelita' Elton, FFS. And speaking of bodies: ABC claims coffin was empty! Hat-tip Caracas Chronicles.
Update 2: the same night, while the country is in mourning and the world and the world's press and visiting dignitaries were focused on the funeral, the Tribunal Supremo de Justicia committed to Constitutional fraud: Ripe Nick swore to obey and defend the Venezuelan Constitution by abusing the Constitution. Capriles speaks out. [edit] Ex-Minister of Science and Technology (ahem) Jorge Arreaza sworn in as the new executive vice-president...oh, just a coincidence, but he's Krusty's son in law (one of many 'gifted' relations) 

Opposition oppression II...

---

...no more lies..."In his statement which was made on Venezuelan TV Maduro, he blamed the U.S. for the cancer of the Venezuelan leader, claiming that the president suffered from the cancer of 'enemies' and expelled two U.S. diplomats whom he accused of spying on the country’s military." [Link]

"Maduro asserted that there is "scientific evidence" that Hugo Chavez was inoculated with cancer by "historical enemies" of the Bolivarian Revolution." [Link]. [edit] FFS. There will be blood.



Updates: Now for the reckoning: "Yet Mr Chávez turned out to have been as reckless with his health as with his country’s economy and its democracy." Oppresive Autocrat: "Lost in the parallel strains of adulation and disgust was an appreciation of the complexity of his rule. In fact, Venezuela under Chávez was a glorious contradiction -- an autocracy with a popular, elected megalomaniac at its center." An Awful Manager: "The legacy of his 14-year “socialist revolution” is apparent across Venezuela: the decay, dysfunction and blight that afflict the economy and every state institution". Dead but Alive: "And now, Chávez’s hand-picked successor is telling the man’s grieving followers that we — those who disagree with him — are responsible for the illness that took his life.". This last (and hat-tip for other links) from Francisco at Caracas Chronicles.



Further Update: A Clown Masquerading As A Threat. "In truth, Chavez was vastly over-estimated by Washington. Listening to bone-headed Republicans you could have been forgiven for supposing this bullshitting caudillo was a Latin American Stalin" (by coincidence, Uncle Joe the mass murderer also died on March 5th exactly [edit] 60 years before [fwiw, I think Chavez was dead days before])... ..."Chavez was a bully and a crackpot. Lamenting his demise is a fool’s business. The better response would be to pity Venezuela and hope, though the odds do not seem promising, that something better will follow now the great charlatan has gone."



More: The Ghost of Hugo Chávez, "How his economically disastrous, politically effective ideology will haunt the country he ruined." Thus, the regime’s electoral wizards engineered gerrymandering schemes that made anything attempted in the American South look like child’s play. Chávez’s campaign coffers were fed by opaque slush funds holding billions in oil revenue. The government’s media dominance drowned out the opposition. Politicians who appeared formidable were simply banned from running for office. And the ruling party became expert in using fear and selective intimidation to tamp down the vote. Chávez took a populist message and married it to an autocratic scheme that allowed him to consolidate power. The net effect over Chávez’s years was a paradoxical one: With each election Venezuela lost more of its democracy.



And More: Chavez isn't leaving Venezuela's as a full on economic basket case. But...[Link]

Opposition oppression II...

---

...no more lies..."In his statement which was made on Venezuelan TV Maduro, he blamed the U.S. for the cancer of the Venezuelan leader, claiming that the president suffered from the cancer of 'enemies' and expelled two U.S. diplomats whom he accused of spying on the country’s military." [Link]
"Maduro asserted that there is "scientific evidence" that Hugo Chavez was inoculated with cancer by "historical enemies" of the Bolivarian Revolution." [Link]. [edit] FFS. There will be blood.

Updates: Now for the reckoning: "Yet Mr Chávez turned out to have been as reckless with his health as with his country’s economy and its democracy." Oppresive Autocrat: "Lost in the parallel strains of adulation and disgust was an appreciation of the complexity of his rule. In fact, Venezuela under Chávez was a glorious contradiction -- an autocracy with a popular, elected megalomaniac at its center." An Awful Manager: "The legacy of his 14-year “socialist revolution” is apparent across Venezuela: the decay, dysfunction and blight that afflict the economy and every state institution". Dead but Alive: "And now, Chávez’s hand-picked successor is telling the man’s grieving followers that we — those who disagree with him — are responsible for the illness that took his life.". This last (and hat-tip for other links) from Francisco at Caracas Chronicles.

Further Update: A Clown Masquerading As A Threat. "In truth, Chavez was vastly over-estimated by Washington. Listening to bone-headed Republicans you could have been forgiven for supposing this bullshitting caudillo was a Latin American Stalin" (by coincidence, Uncle Joe the mass murderer also died on March 5th exactly [edit] 60 years before [fwiw, I think Chavez was dead days before])... ..."Chavez was a bully and a crackpot. Lamenting his demise is a fool’s business. The better response would be to pity Venezuela and hope, though the odds do not seem promising, that something better will follow now the great charlatan has gone."

More: The Ghost of Hugo Chávez, "How his economically disastrous, politically effective ideology will haunt the country he ruined." Thus, the regime’s electoral wizards engineered gerrymandering schemes that made anything attempted in the American South look like child’s play. Chávez’s campaign coffers were fed by opaque slush funds holding billions in oil revenue. The government’s media dominance drowned out the opposition. Politicians who appeared formidable were simply banned from running for office. And the ruling party became expert in using fear and selective intimidation to tamp down the vote. Chávez took a populist message and married it to an autocratic scheme that allowed him to consolidate power. The net effect over Chávez’s years was a paradoxical one: With each election Venezuela lost more of its democracy.

And More: Chavez isn't leaving Venezuela's as a full on economic basket case. But...[Link]

Orchila obituary...

---

Not quite...and not wishing to appear morbid - and against Venezuelan majority opinion - IMHO there isn't long to go. Hugo Chavez is in his presidential residence on the island of Orchila; having not been seen in public since early December he was returned by night and in secret - without fanfare or warning - to Venezuela to be treated at military hospital in Caracas ten days ago; still nobody saw him although to listen to the sock-puppets you'd think he had 'breathing difficulties' but was running things. Then, a few days ago he is sent to 'a family setting' after a new rapidly-developing lung tumor had affected 35% of his left lung, this worsening diagnosis apparently on the same day he had 5 hour meetings with government reps [ABC Esp]. He is battling for his life [BBC]; no more lies.

Orchila obituary...

---

Not quite...and not wishing to appear morbid - and against Venezuelan majority opinion - IMHO there isn't long to go. Hugo Chavez is in his presidential residence on the island of Orchila; having not been seen in public since early December he was returned by night and in secret - without fanfare or warning - to Venezuela to be treated at military hospital in Caracas ten days ago; still nobody saw him although to listen to the sock-puppets you'd think he had 'breathing difficulties' but was running things. Then, a few days ago he is sent to 'a family setting' after a new rapidly-developing lung tumor had affected 35% of his left lung, this worsening diagnosis apparently on the same day he had 5 hour meetings with government reps [ABC Esp]. He is battling for his life [BBC]; no more lies.