Forum Home
PC World Chat
Thread ID: 85150	2007-12-01 15:39:00	Chavez Wants To Cut Off Venezuelan Oil	SurferJoe46 (51)	PC World Chat

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
616896	2007-12-01 15:39:00	Chavez Threatens to Cut U.S. Oil Supply Over Vote ......./Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez threatened on Friday to halt the OPEC nation's oil sales to the United States, seeking to fire up his leftist supporters for a weekend referendum on expanding his powers. The former soldier faces a tight vote on Sunday over proposed constitutional reforms that would allow him to stay in office for decades if he keeps winning elections. Chavez has tried to rally his followers in the last days of the campaign with fiery rhetoric against opponents at home and abroad, and he warned at a huge rally on Friday that he would retaliate if the U.S. government interferes in the referendum. "There will not be a single drop of oil for the United States," Chavez bellowed to hundreds of thousands of cheering supporters in downtown Caracas. "And if they want to come and take our oil they will face 100 years of war in Venezuela." Chavez's heavy spending on social programs has made him popular with Venezuela's poor majority but critics accuse him of seeking dictatorial powers and many moderate supporters are concerned that the reforms would give him too much power. He portrays the vote as a plebiscite on his rule. "Whoever votes 'Yes' is voting for Chavez, and whoever votes 'No' is voting for George W. Bush, president of the United States," he said. Chavez has for long accused Washington of backing a failed coup against his rule in 2002. Venezuela provides about 12 percent of U.S. oil imports and the leftist leader has often threatened to cut off the sales, but he has never done so. Political analysts say he wants to convince supporters that Venezuela is again at risk and they need to rally around him by voting to expand his powers. Chavez also threatened on Friday to cut ties with Spain and nationalize Spanish businesses in Venezuela if King Juan Carlos does not apologize for telling him to "shut up" at a recent summit in Chile. The constitutional changes would allow Chavez to run for reelection indefinitely and give him direct control over foreign currency reserves swollen by oil sales. They would also reduce Venezuela's official work day to six hours, expand social security benefits for informal workers like street vendors and allow the government to censor the media in a political "emergency." It is the first vote Chavez faces without a clear lead in polls, and many Venezuelans are concerned that either the president or his opponents might refuse to accept the result. Defeat could slow his declared socialist revolution but Chavez, a close ally of Cuba and Iran, has the advantage of a powerful get-out-the-vote machine that could tip the balance against a fractured opposition. Caracas-based pollster Hinterlaces, which is aligned with the opposition, released a telephone survey on Friday that showed the "No" vote leading "Yes" by 13 percentage points. But most other pollsters show the race is still a tossup, and some give Chavez the lead, helped by strong support in rural areas. Investors are increasingly nervous with Venezuelan bond prices slumping over the last month on concerns of possible political turbulence if the vote is close. Opposition leaders have promised to stage protests if the Chavez-controlled electoral authority tampers with the vote, while government leaders say the opposition is preparing to cry fraud and launch violent demonstrations if the reform passes.	SurferJoe46 (51)
616897	2007-12-01 19:50:00	Vote tampering, excessive increase in governmental power - America would never tolerate that kind of... oh, hang on a minute :)	sprinkles (11943)
616898	2007-12-01 20:09:00	It's like the slogan: "Don't steal or rob; the government hates competition".	SurferJoe46 (51)
616899	2007-12-01 23:15:00	Note the link to Iran. And it is already labelled as un-democratic. Just need the WMD/support for Islamic terrorists tags now for a full US-led invasion. Absolutely nothing to do with their large oil deposits mind you.	vinref (6194)
616900	2007-12-01 23:29:00	I hope Chavez cuts off Venezulan oil to the USA and soon. The reason is simple they are trying to undermine his rule, so why should he supply oil to people who are trying to take him out. And I hope Iran shuts off oil as well to the Americans who keep threathening to bomb their uranuim enrichment plant. Cant have it both ways, get cheap oil from people you then threaten to wax later on. I bet Chavez will be a ok guy if petrol goes to $10 a US gallon, those big ass yank tanks dont go far on one US gallon. C1	chicken one (6501)
616901	2007-12-02 00:48:00	I bet Chavez will be a ok guy if petrol goes to $10 a US gallon, those big ass yank tanks dont go far on one US gallon. C1 Pretty obviously a supporter of the left. Chevez is currenty trying to set a a communist state and has abitions of taking over Cuba when Castro goes. This guy could destabalize the who of South America.. What's the bet Helen wants to set up s FTA with him,..	paulw (1826)
616902	2007-12-02 00:50:00	OK . . your mean-nasty-belligerent rhetoric aside, this will affect the markets . . even if you believe that the "US Tanks" get -3 MP/gallon . . . and that's far far far from the truth . Even my most un-economical vehicle gets over 20 MPG and that's higher than many econoboxes with teeny wheels and room for two people and a thought between them . Now . . on to what WILL happen . Chavez is a plant of the US much like Castro, Saddam, Juan Perez and possibly even Vincente Fox . . now deposed . The US will call in their cards on the guy . . . he'll resist and they'll snuff him somehow in an "accident" or whatever . BUT . . . the cost of fuel WILL go up . . and youse guys are gonna get it in the neck too . I'm not saying that the US is a great equalizer . . far from it . . the days of "a big stick" and "flag diplomacy" are all gone and these smaller countries are finding the paper tiger value in the US . Sadly, these small parries into the sweetmeats of the US dollar make the economists angry, and they in turn stoke the fires for invasion . Gotta protect the almighty US $ . Follow the (paper) money trail!	SurferJoe46 (51)
616903	2007-12-02 07:26:00	It hard not be nasty with USA and Americans they just waste energy. People shouldnt be allowed to own cars that only do 20 mpg. Havent Americans heard of small 4 cylinder cars? I think the only thing comparable in petrol consumption in New Zealand was the NZ armys RL Bedford trucks. C1	chicken one (6501)
616904	2007-12-02 07:34:00	People by now, should, or, ought to know that US 1gallon = 0.8 Imperial gallons, so that US 20mpg = 25 mpg Imperial. (A US mile is the same as an Imperial mile :) )	Terry Porritt (14)
616905	2007-12-03 02:29:00	OK . . your mean-nasty-belligerent rhetoric aside, this will affect the markets . . even if you believe that the "US Tanks" get -3 MP/gallon . . . and that's far far far from the truth . Even my most un-economical vehicle gets over 20 MPG and that's higher than many econoboxes with teeny wheels and room for two people and a thought between them . Now . . on to what WILL happen . Chavez is a plant of the US much like Castro, Saddam, Juan Perez and possibly even Vincente Fox . . now deposed . The US will call in their cards on the guy . . . he'll resist and they'll snuff him somehow in an "accident" or whatever . BUT . . . the cost of fuel WILL go up . . and youse guys are gonna get it in the neck too . I'm not saying that the US is a great equalizer . . far from it . . the days of "a big stick" and "flag diplomacy" are all gone and these smaller countries are finding the paper tiger value in the US . Sadly, these small parries into the sweetmeats of the US dollar make the economists angry, and they in turn stoke the fires for invasion . Gotta protect the almighty US $ . Follow the (paper) money trail! Spot on surferjoe . . .	lazydog (148)
1 2