What’s up with this guy? Is he just a slut for attention, eager to stir up controversy just because he loves the spotlight, or does he really want to start a war with the US? With threats like this, do you think he’s risking US airstrikes to destroy the planes on the ground? And does anyone know the extent of a country’s legal obligation (presumably contractual) to protect such technology transfers? What are the US options if they think he’s serious?
Pandering to the sensibilities, or othwerwise, of his home crowd. Simple enough. Of course Stalin is right, those F16s would never leave in tact if they were of any real military value.
[quote=“Stray Dog”]The enemy must not be allowed to help other countries defend themselves from us - attack! Attack! Attack!
Funnily enough, I’m transcribing Thirteen Days right now. I wonder who’ll play Bush in the movie about this one.[/quote]
Stray Dog…now I want you to think about this. If the Chinese get their hands on several F-16s, they are going to be able to use what they learn against [i]their[/i] enemies who have F-16s. Right? Now tell us…where do you live?
I am not sure Rascal. Can you tell us where he got the F16s from? I don’t know. But I do know that Germany armed Saddam selling him 50 percent of his chemical, nuclear and missile technolgy. Were you recommending that we be more like Germany?
Seriously, what do you think of the election? What will happen next? Who is this new woman?
Oh, I see, they were sold to Venezuela when they had responsible leadership.
Chavez is merely taking the lead in a region that is quickly becoming less and less U.S.-friendly.
the days of latin america capitulating to our demands are over. we can’t simply assume they are going to march to our drum beat. the leadership in many of the countries is realizing that they have many friends who don’t jive with the US and they have plenty to offer…it’s free-will.
so democracy and free markets are only for Americans and maybe Canadians?
China? Russia? Iran? North Korea? Cuba?
[quote]
and they have plenty to offer[/quote]
Do they?
Right. That is why these nations are so closely associated with such high-minded ideals?
No. The problem in Latin America is and always has been corruption and patronage. New Orleans is nothing compared with what goes on in all the cities of Latin America. EVERYTHING is for sale including political favors. The problem in Latin America is not that free markets and democracy failed, it was that they never had a chance. The system is so stacked against rule of law that the effective mediation of justice is impossible. I lived in Argentina, a country I love very much, for a long time and the privatizations were great. Soon, a country without faxes, pay phones, Internet had it in abudance, where there were housing shortages, there was an excess of choice, where there were water shortages from water mains bursting open into the street, there was new investment in pipes and cheap, plentiful water. Ditto for electricity even in summer when there used to be power outages galore. What happened? Those who privatized the government businesses unleashed an effective force that raised productivity incredibly. Argentina failed because the regional governments kept spending money on patronage projects and running up the national debt to unsustainable levels and boom. This was not the fault of free trade but the lack of it. Otherwise, why is it that the most capitalist nations are the richest and most stable while economic stagnation increases as countries become more socialist? Take a look at the UK and US and then compare them with Germany and France and them imagine going even farther with Brazil and Argentina.
Chile has stuck with free markets since the 1980s and it is now the richest most successful economy in Latin America. So much for free will. So much for taking other choices. Latin America has always been full of these populist scum bags who promise and deliver the world and bankrupt the economy in the process. Argentina and others have been through this song and dance so many times it would make your head spin and yet no one seems to learn.
[quote=“Comrade Stalin”][quote=“Stray Dog”]The enemy must not be allowed to help other countries defend themselves from us - attack! Attack! Attack!
Funnily enough, I’m transcribing Thirteen Days right now. I wonder who’ll play Bush in the movie about this one.[/quote]
Stray Dog…now I want you to think about this. If the Chinese get their hands on several F-16s, they are going to be able to use what they learn against [i]their[/i] enemies who have F-16s. Right? Now tell us…where do you live?
[/quote]
I’m not saying where I live, but I’m wishing it were a bunker now.
It’s the good old ‘rally the country against the evil ’ to distract the population from the fact that the economy is going to pot and his land reform programme is only slightly more successful than that of his friend Robert Mugabe.
And of course, he has a personal grudge against the U.S. - there were rumours of US involvement in the coup against him a few years ago. Dunno whether there was any truth to the rumours, but Chavez probably believes it.
I bet this is what Chavez is dreaming about: an ‘unprovoked’ (“they’re our planes - we can do what we want with them”) attack on their air force would get everyone behind the brave Hugo Chavez who is standing up to the big bullies in Washington …
Or hopefully someone with half a brain will get Chavez to read the contract where it reads: DO NOT SELL OR TRANSFER THESE HERE PLANES OR THE SPECS TO THESE COUNTRIES…
Ask the businessmen he’s “fixed,” the independent press and maybe the middle class how they feel. Yes, he has “done” a lot of things that you and I are merely “talking” about. The man is a stupid populist fool who looks exactly as one would expect. Thick and coarse and ignorant.
Our containing ourselves is not the problem. Our inaction and impatience and inattention to detail is. Few countries in the world have suffered because of too much American involvement, they have suffered from too little.
Or hopefully someone with half a brain will get Chavez to read the contract where it reads: DO NOT SELL OR TRANSFER THESE HERE PLANES OR THE SPECS TO THESE COUNTRIES…[/quote]
Ahh … make that an unprovoked attack on our air force - which the American imperialists then brazenly try to justify with some mumbo jumbo in the small-print of an agreement from years ago.
[quote=“david”]Ahh … make that an unprovoked attack on our air force - which the American imperialists then brazenly try to justify with some mumbo jumbo in the small-print of an agreement from years ago. [/quote]david -
You’re so funny…lol “…the American imperialists …”LOL…please tellme you are not teaching children…lol.
And your…"…then brazenly try to justify with some mumbo jumbo in the small-print of an agreement from years ago." comment is just too rich.
David…are you aware of the restrictions on military equiptment and technology sales? No…probably not.
it is a complicated and very serious affair. The coveted accepted status is as an “End User.” This is granted on the understanding that whoever is granted permission to buy said equiptment and/or technology agrees to abide by the provisions of the “End User” agreement.
Broaching this agreement is a very serious affair.
It can bring the dogs of hell down on ones ass. And in a completely legal maner.
