Our first asshole: Bob Piper.
his link http://www.bobpiper.co.uk/2007/05/chavez_media_move_justified.php
Distance from Venezuela: 4,273.83 miles or 6,878.06 Km approximately.
Has visited Venezuela: 0 times.
Sources: "The revolution will not be televised" Documentary, and The CIA....yes...The CIA.
So our friend Bob is saying that the closing of RCTV, Venezuela's oldest TV network, is justified because, and I quote: "RCTV has used its access to the public airwaves to repeatedly call for the overthrow of the democratically elected government of President Hugo Chávez." I wonder how many times has Bob watched RCTV, although from his claim, it seems he has watch it "repeatedly" and was lucky to watch it specifically when RCTV was calling to overthrow Chavez.
Now, I don't know if Bob got the same signal I got, but I remember those days, all TV stations, except for the government ones, were displaying lots of Anti Chavez Propaganda, as a matter of fact, my favorite one: Chavez talking about being poor and how good it is, etc, and then we see the price tags for his shirt, $300 or something; suit, $500; watch, $1,000 and the pen was the most expensive one at around $2,500...priceless. Anyway, I don't recall RCTV actively saying to people: "Go and overthrow Chavez," or anything in the like. I do remember however, RCTV reporting the incidents and people chanting and shouting that they wanted Chavez out. Now, I am under the impression that under free speech, I, as a citizen, can say whatever I want, even if it implies I want to get rid of Chavez and then the Media should be there for me to express myself. Bob seems to differ.
Bob continues in his claims saying: "RCTV exhorted the public to take to the streets and overthrow the government and also colluded with the coup by deliberately misrepresenting what was taking place, and then conducting a news blackout. Its production manager, Andrés Izarra, who opposed the coup, immediately resigned so as not to become an accomplice." As I stated before, I don't remember RCTV calling people to overthrow the government, although, I have to give it to Bob they encourage people to protest, which in democracy it's a right, or so I think. Let's analyze this piece by piece: First, RCTV deliberately misinterpreted what was going on. I guess when they divided the screen on the middle of a Chavez "Cadena" (for those of you who don't know what Cadena means, it stands for chain and it's the term used when Chavez forces every media to transmit whatever he wants to say) while people approaching "The Casona" (The Government House) were being shot at by Chavez' foes. Maybe RCTV misinterpreted the words of Lucas Rincon http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2002_Venezuelan_coup_d'%C3%A9tat_attempt#Coup
stating that Chavez had resigned. So really Bob, what did they misinterpreted? Was it the part of a pacific march of millions being shot by adepts to the government? Was it Chavez resignation? Please do tell us.
Moving on, we have our friend Andrés Izarra who resigned from RCTV after these events took place claming that he couldn't stand for the Media blackout that had happened. (Media blackout? did he mean Chavez Cadena in the middle of people being shot?). Now, I don't know if you are aware of this Bob, but Andrecito was then named as the Minister (don't know if "Ministro" translates to Minister but it means the person in charge) of Information and also Director of Telesur (a government tv channel). Now, was he really resigning because of a media blackout, or was he just making a career move?
/ Links in Spanish /
http://www.talcualdigital.com/Especiales/Protagonistas_izara.asp
Sorry that the link above is in spanish but there are three important parts on it:
- Marcel Granier's Statment “cero chavismo en pantalla” (No chavismo on the screen).
- Carlos Ocariz says: "En esos días las cosas sucedieron de una manera rápida y confusa, pero también Andrés falló. Se dejó llevar por las emociones cuando le prohibieron difundir los saqueos. En cambio, no denunció las agresiones y la intolerancia de los chavistas a los periodistas y los canales." Which I translate to: On those days things happened in a very fast and confussing way, but Andres falied too. He let his emotions take over when he was forbidden to transmit the sacking that was taken place. In exchange, he didn't denounce the aggressions and intolerance by chavistas towards the newspapers and TV Stations.
- Marcelino Bisbal, (Media Investigator) on the appointment of Andrecito as Information Minister (If someone knows the correct word please tell me, thanks), “Uno esperaría que el Gobierno fijara una política de comunicación en función del Estado, pero es más un ministerio de contrapropaganda política que otra cosa”. Translates to: You would expect that the government would have a politic of comunication in the conutry's favor, but this is more a "Ministerio" of counter-propaganda than anything else.
But seriously Bob, I don't expect you to change your views or to say something coherent really, since it's more than clear that you idolatrize Chavez and his socialism of the 21st century (which I'm not sure what it means but it seams to be: let's make everyone poor, that way we are all equal).
So Bob, to end this post, I give you a link to a video demonstrating Chavez own use of the Media, and based on your reasons to support the closing of a TV station, shouldn't Chavez be closed down too? I'll let you be the judge.
http://www.freerctv.com/
And by the way Bobo, I will call you Bobo from now own since to me it seems that it suits you better. So anyway Bobo, you can kiss my big brown Venezuelan Ass and go Fuck yourself and your stupid socialist claims with a rusty telephone pole. The next time you decide to support Chavez, just take a moment to think about all the people that have died thanks to his oppressive government and his marvelous politics, and I'm not talking only about people shot at protest, no Bobo, I'm talking about people dying in hospitals because there are no resources, and this include children.
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