George Bush and Hugo Chavez: separated at birth

in foreign policy magazine via alternet, javier corrales describes hugo chavez' techniques for holding on to power... what a hoot...

• Attack Political Parties

• Polarize Society

• Spread the Wealth Selectively

• Allow the Bureaucracy to Decay, Almost

• Antagonize the Superpower (terrorists, in the case of George Bush)

Ultimately, all authoritarian regimes seek power by following the same principle. They raise society's tolerance for state intervention. Thomas Hobbes, the 17th-century British philosopher, offered some tips for accomplishing this goal. The more insecurity that citizens face -- the closer they come to living in the brutish state of nature -- the more they will welcome state power. Chávez may not have read Hobbes, but he understands Hobbesian thinking to perfection. He knows that citizens who see a world collapsing will appreciate state interventions. Chávez therefore has no incentive to address Venezuela's assorted crises.

george really ought to stop dissing this guy and plan a get-together to compare notes...

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