Saturday, August 1, 2009

Mr Z feels you should know this. Another cautionary tale:

From Mr. Z: We have used Venezuela in the past at this site to identify what is going to happen in the U.S. – for good reason, and, unfortunately, advisedly. So far, Obama is on a good path to copying Hugo Chavez’s path, just at a much faster speed of implementation.

Chavez has withdrawn the license for 34 radio stations, and they are looking into another 240 which are currently under scrutiny, all with bogus claims (could it be that they were critical of the regime?). Such freed licenses are then transferred to so called „Radios comunitarias“ (Citizen or community radios) – well, you know what that means….it sounds eerily like “community organizer stations”, doesn’t it?

This decision was made the same day on which the Attorney General of Venezuela, Luisa Ortega Díaz, proposed a strengthening of the media laws. Once implemented, journalists and editors are threatened with two to four years of prison if they distribute information which entices “public panic” and endanger the “peace, the safety and the independence of the Nation”. One does not have to be a lawyer to understand what that probably means.

But it doesn’t end there. Information Minister Blanca Eekhout emphasizes that it is essential they regulate the “enormous power” of the media. They accused the international media of tainting the image of the country and State Chief Hugo Chavez. More than 50% of 725 articles in 15 newspapers were negative. Venezuela has become one of the countries which is most discredited in the international media.

Could that possibly be because of the policies pursued in that country?

Anyway, folks, be careful...this is eerie. Stay tuned.

Z: Meet quietly, march carefully, distribute information carefully.......We're not nuts who think that anything this bad could happen here, we're just asking you to stay aware. What scares me the most is the words above in red........that sounds so .....typical, doesn't it, something they can use so effectively to keep people quiet...and down.

That's all.

19 comments:

Ducky's here said...

What happened? Someone threaten to throw Rush off the air?

Deborah on the Bayside said...

As a matter of fact, Ducky, several someones (with the power to do it) have. Where have you been the last year?

Public safety? Same tactic the Soviets used. Not to mention the ancient Chaldeans, Franco, the Chi Coms. Oh, I seem to remember a guy named Adolf being interested in such strong media control (or did he force Jews to turn in their radios because he didn't want them listening to the Berlin Philharmonic?)

Mr. Z is spot on. Birds of a feather....

Z said...

Of course not, you'd really be shaking if that happened, because then you'd see what America really thinks, and in pretty large numbers, Ducky.

Left and Right shouldn't want to follow in Obama's socialist/oppressive footsteps.
you HAVE heard of the Fairness Doctrine, haven't you?

Conservatives aren't waiting around anymore until it happens...we're aware, we're getting the drift. I think the treatment of Joe the Plumber, Palin, Rizzi, etc., woke up even some of my lib friends who still do love American free speech and real fairness.
Obama's treatment of Cambridge cops sure did wake up a few of the best of their Black members, didn't it.

America's getting it, Ducky.....

What's the matter, someone threaten to throw light on your socialist hero? Ya..I think so.

Rita Loca said...

I have been listening to Chavez and his goons all day. so very depressed. And then to see my own country full of citizens who are eager to follow the same path!

Z said...

JM, it's odd because my stepdaughter travels very frequently and for long periods of time to Caracas.

She said the entrepreneurial types there, young well educated Venezuelans DESPISE Chavez. But, I told her that's what I figured...but how about the poor? I advised her, probably a little stupidly as she could get in trouble, to "ask a waitress" "ask a cab driver.." just subtly, stupid-like-a-fox "do you LIKE this guy Chavez?" (she's fluent at Spanish).....she reported THEY HATE HIM.
weird...the people she spoke to all hate him, including the poorer of the people she meets.

Rita Loca said...

90% of Venezuelans are opposed to this seizure. It no longer matters.

Anonymous said...

Great Post Mr. Z,

I don't know about the advice to meet quietly, march carefully, distribute info carefully, Z.

We're not out to break the law, we're into getting the message out. We do still have the constitution!

If we behave that way, it means a win for those who would quiet us. They want us afraid.

Isn't that what Republicans have been doing for ages which frustrates the heck out of us? Afraid to stand up for what's right?

I think we have to make noise, let our numbers be known, and our presence felt. There are more of us than there are of them.

Remember?......Sing!

Pris

Joe said...

I work at a Christian radio station. I will follow President BO's policies with great interest, particularly the "Fairness Doctrine."

Z said...

Pris, I don't think so..and I'm not holding back or acquiescing!...we have to DO IT, we have to be careful.
We're not going to invite loud extremists who can't control themselves ... bad idea.

I'm HUGE on not giving AMMO; it'll be tough enough with the media hating the conservatives...it's a whole other thing to have your gov't hating you, too.

shoprat said...

Socialism isn't about the people but about the restoration of Feudalism. The elites gain power over everything just like they had in the Dark Ages.

Anonymous said...

I'm thinking of the Aussie's who, after they'd turned over their guns
to the govt. had a silent march.

End of story. They went home, everything calm and peaceful, and still don't have their guns.

I'm not saying we need extremists, but loud? Yes! Demanding? Yes!

And it's about time.

Pris

RightKlik said...

We must be vigilant. If we lose more of our First Amendment rights, the rest of our rights will go with them.

Z said...

OOOOOOOOKAY, Pris! I see your point!!

right on!

MathewK said...

Read about this earlier, and they had the gall to call the shutting down of the air waves 'democratizing'. Only leftist scum can be so hypocritical.

FrogBurger said...

It happened in France when the sole non-socialist thinking channel, run by Berlusconi (not the greatest guy, I must admit) was shutdown by Mitterrand by not renewing their license.

If they do that in the US, I wouldn't be surprised. I'm glad there's the internet. They cannot shut down radio over broadband and podcast.

I know they're planning to control the internet already but it still is a tough task to do.

Always On Watch said...

Americans as whole do not believe that their freedoms could ever be curbed in such a way.

Well, Americans are wrong about that. They're very distracted right now and don't value their freedoms as they did previously. That's one effect of an ailing economy.

Anonymous said...

I left a somewhat blabby comment at Leslie's blog; it would appear to also pertain to this post, as well.

Anonymous said...

Here's a link to Mustang's outstanding post, btw...

Anonymous said...

And what is now being posted at the whitehouse site, about wanting to know the names of people spreading nasty things about the great health care adventure they want to ram down our throats??

WVDOTTR