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| I have a lot in common with Chavez - we both think Barbie sucks |
Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez has died of cancer at the age of 58, or so the official reports say. I figure the radical capitalists did him in, considering how honestly and truthfully Chavez spoke of their exploitative, and failing, economic model.
I will miss Chavez as a world leader with his emphasis on regular people, and his lack of bullshit when it came to pointing out who and what was the source of global misery.
Hugo Chavez: Quotes on Capitalism and Consumerism
“[The planet] is being destroyed under our own noses by the capitalist model, the destructive engine of development, ... every day there is more hunger, more misery thanks to the neo-liberal, capitalist model.”
“Capitalism is the way of the devil and exploitation. If you really want to look at things through the eyes of Jesus Christ — who I think was the first socialist — only socialism can really create a genuine society.”
"Capitalist countries promote the need for cigarettes, drugs and alcohol so they can sell them. They produce video games showing cities being bombed so that they can sell weapons more easily."
"Dolls like Barbie have nothing to do with our culture."
"We have to re-invent socialism. It can’t be the kind of socialism that we saw in the Soviet Union, but it will emerge as we develop new systems that are built on cooperation, not competition."
"Health can’t be privatized because it is a fundamental human right, nor can education, water, electricity and other public services. They can’t be surrendered to private capital that denies the people from their rights."
RIP Hugo. You were, unfortunately, one of a kind - a world leader brave enough to think differently, get out of the box, and confront greed and hypocrisy.
I read this article on CNN about how the middle class is losing ground:
ReplyDeletehttp://money.cnn.com/2013/03/05/news/economy/middle-class-wages/index.html?iid=HP_LN
It says,"Economists say they don't expect much improvement for the middle class any time soon. The recession is officially over, but the recovery is fragile, and its gains aren't evenly spread. Between 1993 and 2011, the top 1% of America's earners saw their income soar by 58%, while everyone else only got a 6% bump."
How can the 1% have so much while the 99% are struggling to get by? Something is truly out of whack!
We have to get things back in whack, and soon. We will cooperate on a local and global scale to make things better for the majority of humans that have been left out.
Delete"According to the *Forbes “rich list”*, the combined wealth of the world's 1,426 billionaires is a staggering $5.4 trillion. If they decided to fall out with us and form their own country, they would be the fourth richest country in the world, just behind Japan but ahead of Germany."
What kind of mental illness is this when it occurs alongside crushing poverty?
I don't even understand what one would do with that sort of money. Keep investing to make more? It doesn't make sense. A person couldn't possibly even need more if you are already a billionaire. I'm sure the novelty of gold plated toilet seats must wear off at some point. And you can't take it with you when you die anyway. Why horde billions of dollars in the bank when you could help others in the world to meet their basic needs? The Joy that would give to the world would be priceless.
DeleteI have always wondered the same thing actually. Why hoard so much? The average human needs very little to live on and still be happy and healthy.
DeleteThen there's that part of me that wants to do away with the monetary system altogether. Or have masses of people at once do away with it. That way, when you read about it, you won't have the typical finger pointing "They are living off others' hard earned money!" or "As a taxpayer, etc etc etc..." There'd be no judgment! People would be forced "open" so to speak.
Hugo Chavez is a great leader , but Venezuela with its great people will find a good replacement. may Allah rest his soul in Peace.
ReplyDelete