Don't Give Hugo a T-Shirt

So argues Spencer Troxell in a post about Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez, aimed at his fellow liberals. Chavez may say all the right words to push the buttons of opponents to the current US President. But, he says, none of that can alter that he's a very bad man. Writes Troxell:

All I mean to suggest to those of my thus polarized peeps is to be careful. That harsh, partisan microscope that you apply to the vulcans and their ilk can be equally benifical when turned inwards.

I know this may all fall on deaf ears, and I'm beginning to think a radical is a radical is a radical, but just in case, please consider my appeal:

We don't need any more dictators, guerillas, or martyrs, to push our true populism forward. We don't need a revolution to change our system, just the votes. Hugo may say the right things, he may call President Bush the right names, he may quote the right authors. But he's not right. He's the dictator of Venezuala, and he wouldn't mind too much at all if we all died.

The last thing we need is to encourage some South American Despot with our placid approval, or to continue to smear the distinct, and uniquely American, tradition of populism in the same way our baby-boomer predecessors did.

In 08 we'll be under new management. It will be a long time before the same is true for the people of Venezuala.

The people want change:
How many revolutions,
Until we throw up?

Don't give Hugo his T-shirt.

Whatever you think of Spencer's politics, he puts the lie to the notion that to have a particular ideological perspective means that you can't engage in healthy critiquing of your own team's ideas. In fact, such self-cleansing, self-examination is essential. Good stuff, Spencer!