Here's what I would have said to Hugo Chavez, had I seen him at the last

[Flatulo]

72. I did read your OP, and I did catch your disclaimer. My reply was to another poster, but it's

more of a general observation than an itemized list of grievances.

Like all socialist revolutions that came before and will come after, every stumbling block, setback or failure, however minor, is the fault of agents provocateur, the CIA, the trans-global corporate print/TV/radio conspiracy, the weather, or the good old Yanquis.

Every success, whether humble or grand, is the direct result of the brilliant leadership of el comandante.

I guess I'm just too old and cynical to get onboard with any type of hero worship. He was most likely a good and decent man who felt the pain of the poor and did what he could to steer a few fazools their way.

He did a lot of other things that, had, for example GWB tried, would have led to mass protests and people jumping off of cliffs up here. And 46% of his countrymen felt it was time for him to go. I guess they know better than we how things are on the ground there.