Comments on: Venezuela’s D-Day: The December 2, 2007 Constituent Referendum http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2007/11/venezuela%e2%80%99s-d-day-the-december-2-2007-constituent-referendum/ a radical newsletter in the struggle for peace and social justice Mon, 07 Jul 2008 00:44:04 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: James Hughes http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2007/11/venezuela%e2%80%99s-d-day-the-december-2-2007-constituent-referendum/#comment-10340 James Hughes Thu, 06 Dec 2007 13:29:19 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2007/11/venezuela%e2%80%99s-d-day-the-december-2-2007-constituent-referendum/#comment-10340 How can a country remain viable in this world and "develop away from capitalism". Isolation will result in the working class suffering even more. Centralizing power in one man is never the way to lift up the oppressed and impoverished. Show me one shinning example of one man rule that has improved the lot of the poor and dispossessed. A six hour work day and voting rights for 16 year-old children. How does that develop the nation? How can a country remain viable in this world and “develop away from capitalism”. Isolation will result in the working class suffering even more. Centralizing power in one man is never the way to lift up the oppressed and impoverished. Show me one shinning example of one man rule that has improved the lot of the poor and dispossessed. A six hour work day and voting rights for 16 year-old children. How does that develop the nation?

]]> By: Marilyn http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2007/11/venezuela%e2%80%99s-d-day-the-december-2-2007-constituent-referendum/#comment-10136 Marilyn Tue, 04 Dec 2007 03:46:37 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2007/11/venezuela%e2%80%99s-d-day-the-december-2-2007-constituent-referendum/#comment-10136 What were the 50 items that the referendum contained. The unlimited presidential term for Chavez was the focus of the capitalist media. But I know it also called for a 6-hour work day, nationalization of the banks, and government control of foreign currency, all of which would help the country develop away from capitalism. What were the 50 items that the referendum contained. The unlimited
presidential term for Chavez was the focus of the capitalist media. But I know it also called for a 6-hour work day, nationalization of the banks, and government control of foreign currency, all of which would help the country develop away from capitalism.

]]> By: heike http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2007/11/venezuela%e2%80%99s-d-day-the-december-2-2007-constituent-referendum/#comment-10000 heike Sat, 01 Dec 2007 21:12:01 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2007/11/venezuela%e2%80%99s-d-day-the-december-2-2007-constituent-referendum/#comment-10000 The whole thing reeks of a DGI Black Operation. Release it on the eve of an important referendum, make sure it's a "CIA Plot," put in a few possibly plausible facts, and voila! The Cubans and their Venezuelan companeros can't even get their act together -- Prensa Latina wrote that it was from a "dissident source" in the US Embassy, while the other version says it was "intercepted." Of course, they should know that middle level officials in U.S. embassies don't write directly to their agency chiefs, but that's a minor detail no one will notice. They didn't release the "original" of the document because they were afraid it would be shown immediately as bogus. “We reject and are disappointed in the Venezuelan government’s allegations that the United States is involved in any type of conspiracy to affect the outcome of the constitutional referendum,” Benjamin Ziff, a spokesman for the United States Embassy here, said in a statement. A C.I.A. spokesman called the document “a fake,” while analysts, including investigators who had previously uncovered financing of Venezuelan opposition groups by the United States government, expressed doubts about the authenticity of the memo. “I find the document quite suspect,” said Jeremy Bigwood, an independent researcher in Washington. “There’s not an original version in English, and the timing of its release is strange.” Petras's misrepresentation of facts has been identified by others before: http://www.wpunj.edu/newpol/issue35/landy35.htm The whole thing reeks of a DGI Black Operation. Release it on the eve of an important referendum, make sure it’s a “CIA Plot,” put in a few possibly plausible facts, and voila! The Cubans and their Venezuelan companeros can’t even get their act together — Prensa Latina wrote that it was from a “dissident source” in the US Embassy, while the other version says it was “intercepted.” Of course, they should know that middle level officials in U.S. embassies don’t write directly to their agency chiefs, but that’s a minor detail no one will notice. They didn’t release the “original” of the document because they were afraid it would be shown immediately as bogus.

“We reject and are disappointed in the Venezuelan government’s allegations that the United States is involved in any type of conspiracy to affect the outcome of the constitutional referendum,” Benjamin Ziff, a spokesman for the United States Embassy here, said in a statement.

A C.I.A. spokesman called the document “a fake,” while analysts, including investigators who had previously uncovered financing of Venezuelan opposition groups by the United States government, expressed doubts about the authenticity of the memo.

“I find the document quite suspect,” said Jeremy Bigwood, an independent researcher in Washington. “There’s not an original version in English, and the timing of its release is strange.”

Petras’s misrepresentation of facts has been identified by others before:
http://www.wpunj.edu/newpol/issue35/landy35.htm

]]> By: Deadbeat http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2007/11/venezuela%e2%80%99s-d-day-the-december-2-2007-constituent-referendum/#comment-9903 Deadbeat Thu, 29 Nov 2007 13:46:34 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2007/11/venezuela%e2%80%99s-d-day-the-december-2-2007-constituent-referendum/#comment-9903 Good luck to the Venezuelan people. Right now they are the shinning example of hope. They have managed to find solidarity necessary that can move their society forward. Good luck to the Venezuelan people. Right now they are the shinning example of hope. They have managed to find solidarity necessary that can move their society forward.

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