For a Canadian perspective, one of the many differences between Venezuela and here is that here, all media is anti-conservative, so there’s no annoying posturing over which one is “anti-government”, and which one isn’t.
But for those of you keeping score at home, the rabidly anti-Bush socialist dictator of Venezuela,
Rosie O’Donnell
Hugo Chavez, is now floating the notion of closing down another private TV station which dares to oppose him in any way. He already closed the biggest one; then he started up a new state-run media channel and appointed his comrades to the “board of directors”, in an apparent attempt at aping the “corporate” board appointment techniques of Canada’s liberals’ CBC; and that of the liberals’ media regulator and censor, the CTRC.
No doubt the Canadian socialist Jack (“ass”) Layton of the you’ve got to be kidding party will continue to rationalize Chavez’s takeovers of private companies just as he did the oil companies—which included Canadian oil firms. Certainly Layton and all liberals and leftists in Canada are in favor of state-run and state-owned media—they love their state-run CBC—despite my oft-repeated question which they refuse to answer for fear of the hidden agenda being exposed: what kind of government competes against its own citizens in business for profits?
Previous entries about this socialist action (in Venezuela):
—Familiar: Socialist Chavez closes privately-owned TV station, starts new state-run media channel.
—Venezuelan socialists set to ban NON-state-run media. Who couldn’t see this happening? Careful!
CHAVEZ THREATENS TO SHUT ANOTHER TV STATION
Students protest limits to free speech
National Post
CARACAS • Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez threatened to shut down the country’s last opposition television station yesterday as students took to the streets for a third day, protesting what they say is an assault on free speech.
Mr. Chavez said he had “no fear” of criticism he might face for closing Globovision, a 24 hour news channel that he accused of trying to instigate his assassination. The threat follows the shutdown on Sunday of Radio Caracas Television, Venezuela’s most-watched TV network.
“They’re trying to light the streets on fire and justify violence,” Mr. Chavez said in a speech to supporters televised from Vargas state. “I call on the people in the slums to be alert to defend the revolution.”
The three days of disorder in Caracas and other major cities mark the longest stretch of anti-Chavez demonstrations since March, 2004, when opposition-led protests demanding a recall referendum left nine dead. Clashes across Venezuela between the police and marchers injured at least 40 people yesterday, Globovision reported.
University students gathered in eastern Caracas while Chavez supporters rallied downtown to support the government’s refusal to renew the licence of RCTV, as the country’s oldest broadcaster was known.
Communications and Information Minister William Lara added pressure on non-state television outlets yesterday, asking for an attorney-general’s probe of Globovision Tele CA and Time Warner Inc.’s Cable News Network for allegedly inciting violence.
In an interview yesterday, Globovision general manager Alberto Federico Ravell called the accusations “ridiculous” but added he was worried by the government’s offensive.
“If this government, with one stroke of the pen, closed the oldest television station in the country (RCTV), that has been on the air for 53 years, how will it not be able to shut this station which is far smaller,” he said.
“This is a country with a single party and a single trade union. Now it appears there is going to be a single channel.”
RCTV, which had a national distribution, and Globovision, available only in Caracas and Carabobo state, were the only prominent stations critical of the government.
“Chavez has just gone too far this time,” said Ruben Briceno, 22, a Central University of Venezuela student majoring in social work. “First it was the shutdown of Radio Caracas. What will come next?”
To answer that last question: gay marriage, certainly, but it never really stops, Señor Briceno. They’re “progressives”! Their plan is to squeeze as much toothpaste out of the tube as possible.
Naturally I will take this opportunity to add my li’l mantra: State-owned and state-run media should be banned in this country, much as socialists should be banned from shutting down private media or deciding which private ones—like Fox News Channel—should be allowed to broadcast; and of course forbidden from starting state-run media. A ban on state-owned or state-run media should be in our constitution. That would prevent this kind of garbage. I know, liberals would be against that too, of course.
EXTRA:
I notice that Fox News Channel is doing a credible job of covering the ongoing massive, growing anti-Chavez protests which are going on as I write this. On Canada’s state-run CBC Newsworld and liberalvision CTV Newsnet, I’ve not come across any live coverage as yet.
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