Take away my democracy? Okay. Just don't mess with my favorite television station

Tens of thousands of Venezuelans marched today to the Caracas headquarters of an anti-government television station, which is being forced off the air after President Hugo Chavez's administration refused to renew its broadcasting license.

Just so we're clear, this is happening in the same country where virtually no one had anything to say when Chavez gave himself dictatorial powers and the country's elected representatives went along with it.

Message to would-be-dictators everywhere: give yourself that promotion. Just don't mess with the freedom of citizens to watch television.

Hugo Chavez, El Presidente mucho macho

Venezuela committed suicide today.

To broad public applause (since opposition parties and private dissent are essentially outlawed) Venezuela's legislators voted unanimously to give President Hugo Chavez the right to rule the country by presidential decree.

Living in Canada, where the election of a non-status quo governing party starts panicked citizens into a rant in all forms of media against the oncoming totalitarian order, it's hard to imagine an officially democratic country essentially handing over the reigns of government to a single person - in particular, a cartoonish sloganeering Castro-style socialist who previously attempted to take over the country in a decidedly undemocratic (and failed) coup. But that's exactly what Venezuela has done.

This doesn't mean the end of Venezuela as a country. But it does mean the end of Venezuela as the kind of country where anyone with a brain and a hope for the future would want to live.

Unfortunately, some Vancouverites are still taken in by the argument that anyone who is against US President George Bush must be a good guy - and anyone against Chavez is by default a war-mongering, baby-killing stooge. Hopefully, even these useful idiots will see the light as Chavez' regime goes from bad to worse to Cuba.