Separated by only 2000 miles, you might think Presidents Barack Obama and Hugo Chávez could be long lost twins. If not twins, then at least brothers. They certainly share a special bond as the Western Hemisphere's first leaders to identify themselves as African. They both campaigned as young, charismatic orators, set to reshape their nations to help the capitalist-exploited lower classes. Having been elected 10 years ago, Chávez has already left a legacy that any leftist leader would be wise to study for it's successes and failures.
Many of their similarities are not by accident or a mere coincidence in the scope of modern politics. It is typical practice for a politician to align themselves with popular and iconic figures that lead before them. Obama, like so many other politicians, found unique and creative ways to associate and connect himself to the likes of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., John F. Kennedy and Abraham Lincoln. He has given speeches likening his accession to that of Lincoln, and promising someday to follow in the footsteps of honest Abe and liberate the enslaved. He made a tie to Kennedy in his fictional memoir, "Dreams of my Father," in which he concluded that Senator Kennedy's direct involvement with the African Airlift was solely responsible for bringing Obama Sr. to America to receive an education.
Chávez has pulled off similar political stunts to elevate his status using hero-worship. In 1983, on the anniversary of the bolivian revolution, he gave a provocative speech tying himself to Simón Bolívar through his grandfather. He hangs flags and portraits of Fidel Castro during television broadcasts in order to relate himself to Che Guevara. He may have been a military trained man, but he never once spent any time on the battlefield. Yet he is viewed as a revolutionary, much the way Obama is being hailed an experienced civil rights leader.
What I find most troubling is really at the root of both of their political philosophies and their campaign messages. Both leaders filled voters with soaring speeches about being able to change and fix so much, even though it is impossible. They promised massive reforms and more government while claiming to be middle of the road and the best leader for everyone. Follow their political ideas, especially after almost 10 years of Chávez, and they are leftist, socialist followers.
Socialism is always euphoric on paper and in theory. There are many left leaning media outlets now professing the brilliance of Chávez's reign and how the former Bush administration did nothing but smear a great Latin American leader. One would have to accept Chávez before they could accept Obama, so it is only natural that the media that fauns over the new Administration would be praising his southern brother.
In a scheme to provide oil to the poor, Chávez used a crisis to purchase the oil industry (CITGO) and take full control of the country's commodity. They even had a pilot program, that began in of all places, Chicago, to try and give the impoverished access to the same cheap oil. The plan was doomed to fail as the oil in Venezuela is heavy crude and requires more capital to refine. Until oil went about $50 a barrel, the plan would fail. But cheap oil from Venezuela on the market would have the effect of less OPEC output and higher barrel prices. Was it a scheme to help the poor, or to help the government of Venezuela? Methinks it was the latter.
I watched a fantastic documentary on PBS Frontline: "The Hugo Chávez Show". In it they interviewed construction workers and factory workers who were hired by the government to work on national projects to assist the poor. Claims that his government programs were working were refuted by unpaid, crying workers, forced to toil like slaves to make their leader look like he was delivering. Another man, a former community organizer and campaigner, sat before Chávez on a nationally televised public Q & A session. He praised the President for everything that he had done for the poor, and came to tears expressing his love for all the work that he had done for the people of Venezuela. Then he asked his question about why they were having problems getting paid for all the campaign work they did. Chávez leapt right into defense mode and claimed the man was being paid to come and attack him for being the good guy. The man was heart broken being attacked like this from his idol, but on air, the audience felt better about having voted for Chávez because he was still fighting for them.
This is how he operates, and I promise that Obama at the slightest tinge of negativity, will find a sacrificial lamb. Is it ironic that Obama chose his former competition for offices of high power, much like Chávez has done in Venezuela? It seems every time there are enough complaints against the government in Venezuela, Chávez comes on his state controlled news station to blame a member of his cabinet for the problems, and fire them to the applause of a crowd. When will Clinton's lack of experience in foreign policy land her on Obama's chopping block?
As the Obama years begin to unfold, I expect to find many more similarities in our new found Socialist America with Socialist South America. The first American African, socialist leaders with a lineage of hero political visionaries setting about to control wealth and saddle their future peoples in an insurmountable debt will continue on their twin paths. I only hope that us remaining objective Americans can pick up the lessons learned in Caracas to avoid the forthcoming mistakes to be made in Washington.
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