Anyone who is familiar with the Phalanx is certainly familiar with Hugo Chavez, the hard-line socialist leader of Venezuela. In recent weeks, Chavez has taken time off from is normal schedule of deriding the US to bash Mexican President Vincente Fox. Chavez became enraged with Fox after he sought to renew interest in a hemispheric free trade agreement at a recent summit in Argentina. Chavez labeled Fox a stooge of the United States and a war of words ensued, which still hasn’t been resolved. The story of Fox and Chavez highlights a struggle most of Latin America is facing. While Fox has embraced free trade and a favorable business climate, Chavez has done the opposite. Chavez, a socialist, has sought to restrict business, while exerting greater government control. He has also imposed limits on the press and silence opposition to his rule. In every sense, Chavez is a dictator and as a result, Chavez the socialist is increasingly popular among Venezuelans, while the outgoing president of Mexico is not popular at all.

This story is being repeated in other Latin American nations, like Argentina, but why? Why are the socialists on the upswing while the advocates for free enterprise are on a downward spiral? The answer is clear, socialists give people what they want to hear. While Free Enterprise proponents promise opportunity for those who seek to achieve, socialist promise handouts, free this and free that, regardless of effort or ingenuity. The problem is the socialists can only promise. They can’t deliver. Witness Hugo Chavez, his promises to reduce poverty, provide housing for the poor and create jobs have all proven to be empty promises. Chavez hasn’t created any jobs, the housing crisis in Venezuela continues to be a problem and poverty levels have actually increased, yet Chavez remains popular. It is for this reason that Chavez is a popular target for the Phalanx.

More than any other Hugo Chavez epitomizes the strategy of the left everywhere in the world. It is a strategy of empty promises, state control and distraction and it is the goal of every leftist everywhere. Chavez’s goal is not so much to reduce poverty or help the down trodden in his country, so much as it is to enhance his own political power. This is why he has clamped down on the press, silenced the opposition and installed puppets throughout the government. To maintain his power, however, he must remain popular with the masses. This is achieved by two methods. First he must tell the people what they want to hear. Promise them anything and above all never tell them anything about hard-work or personal responsibility. Never tell them to stop having children they can’t afford, never tell them to stay in school and work hard, just tell them the government will provide for their needs.

Chavez, however, is no fool, he knows the socialist model is a failure and leads only to stagnation and economic deficiency, witness Europe, so he must distract his people from this inexorable reality so as to remain popular. This is achieved by levying blame for the country’s problems on others, preferably outsiders or someone or something the people are already jealous of, like the United States. This is commonly known as pulling a Mussolini. It is for this reason that Chavez constantly charges that the US is threatening to invade or any other host of tirades Chavez has cooked up. For the most part this strategy works. It not only works on the poor of Venezuela, but it works in Argentina, Brazil and even in America, which is why the leftists in the Democratic party look to Chavez as a model to stage their return to power. It is also for this reason that Chavez launched an attack on Vincente Fox, when Fox pointed out this reality. “We have some presidents, fortunately a minority, who blame other countries for all their problems," Fox noted. Chavez, therefore was forced to slam Fox or risk being exposed for the sham that he is. Invariably as the number of lazy, irresponsible poor increase in Latin America and the rest of the world the leftists will become increasingly popular and the path of least resistance all the more inviting for more and more countries and governments.
Link to article in Toronto Star