When Democracy Goes Sour

Former paratrooper Hugo Chavez promised his fellow Venezuelans a new and better deal through his program of "Socialism For the 21st Century." Enough folks believed him.

He was elected president. He survived a recall move.

Hugo Chavez was a big believer in democracy. He flew the flag of vox populi, vox dei high and proud.

Until the people said no to Hugo's proposed reform (read evisceration) of the constitution a couple of months back

Subsequently the Chavez regime dropped its false flag of democracy and raised the skull and crossbones of authoritarianism. Close down the television and radio stations that refuse to parrot the party line. Bash the heads of those who disagree with the regime's view of life.

Now Chavez has taken the next logical step. By an executive decree formulated in secret and sprung on the nation. (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/03/world/americas/03venez.html?th&emc=th) The new measure is not the sort which warms the hearts of pro-democracy types anywhere.

It must however make some of Hugo's nearest and dearest friends such as the Castro brothers very happy. It might even bring smiles to Hugo's new buddies, the Tehran mullahocracy.

What is the decree?

It "reorganises" the country's intelligence services. Nothing wrong with that. The US did it as well in the wake of 9/11.

There is such a thing as carrying reorganisation too far. Not that Hugo would admit that he could possibly do such a thing.

You tell me: Are the following features indicative of an over the top approach or not?

The decree requires full cooperation between members of the judiciary and the two new intelligence services, one of which focuses exclusively upon domestic threats to the government. Those judges who do not share fully with the domestic spooks (and accept their guidance) face mandatory imprisonment.

The decree requires all Venezuelans to cooperate fully not only with the secret police but even those "citizens" organisations loyal to Chavez under penalty of imprisonment for up to six years in the case of non cooperative government employees. That's as good a deal as KGB and its predecessors ever got in the old Soviet Union.

Of course the use of "citizens'" groups to assist the secret police in ferreting out and squashing dissent is taken right from the Cuban model of socialism. In Cuba the local neighborhood watch groups called Committees for the Defense of the Revolution have a long, dreary record of assuring that the Fidelistas can keep a tight lid on dissent of any sort.

Socialism For The 21st Century closely resembles the Police States Of The 20th Century.

Democracy anyone?

Initially the new fiat was justified by Interior Minister Ramón Rodríguez Chacín as being necessary to combat "interference by the United States" by assuring that the secret police held a tight “ideological commitment.” Later, faced by a completely unexpected torrent of opposition he retreated slightly, “We are talking about the responsibility all Venezuelans have with the security of the state and the resolution of any crime."

The regime didn't intend any restriction of free expression or repression of political institutions. So averred the head of the secret police.

Right. And gasoline costs under a buck a gallon anywhere in the US.

Not all Venezuelans rolled over and licked the Chavez boot. Take for example the statement by a senior member of the national judiciary.

“We are before a set of measures that are a threat to all of us,” said Blanca Rosa Mármol de León, a justice on Venezuela’s top court, in a rare public judicial dissent. “I have an obligation to say this, as a citizen and a judge. This is a step toward the creation of a society of informers.”

A damn big step!

Chavez slashed back at critics like the justice by alleging that they were supporters of the imperialism of George W. Bush. He added that his new diktat would protect Venezuela against "imperialist attacks" and assure the country's "national security."

How many sins have been committed in the name of "national security" not only overseas but here in the United States?

At least here we have a periodic opportunity to endorse or reject the actions taken on behalf of our national security. At least here--unlike Cuba, Iran or, now, Venezuela we have a strong measure of protection against zealous snoops seeking to limit our right of dissent and opposition to those in power.

(The Geek maintains that position despite the numerous attempts by the current administration and the wallahs in Congress to infringe on our individual and collective rights of debate, dissent and disagreement. Yes, much of the PATRIOT act is objectionable and the FBI as well as other agencies have abused their authority in electronic interceptions and surveillance, but not nearly so egregiously as was the case forty or fifty years ago. We survived those abuses and will survive the more recent ones.)

Those who live under the sway of Hugo Chavez's delusions of adequacy will probably not have the chance to effectively oppose the new decree. Venezuela itself may survive but only after repression is resisted, blood flows and a new (hopefully) more humane order emerges.

Chavez may last as long as Castro, but unlike the Cubans who exchanged a brutal, corrupt dictatorship for a less corrupt but equally repressive and inefficient one, Venezuela has experienced genuine democracy and an open society for most of the past several decades. They are not used to grovelling before the authority of the state.

It's going to take more than a secret police force and a legion of snitches, more than Russian weapons and Iranian banking agreements, more than a high price for oil to keep Chavez in power long.

Hugo should have thought it through before he hauled up the jolly roger of dictatorship. In the end pirates are hung.