商品簡介
This overwrought polemic attacks Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez as a dictatorial "buffoon" who has misappropriated the principles of Simon Bolivar, has dismantled democracy, and has been driving his country to ruin after having "seized power in 1999" (by being elected). He is also criticized as a sworn enemy of the United States who has "strengthened ties with rogue regimes and terrorists around the world." The author also disputes Chavez's claims to have improved education and reduced crime and spends a significant number of pages cataloguing Chavez's "verbal incontinence." Chavez, however, is not the only person upon whom opprobrium falls. Also attacked are the "panegyrists" of Chavez, such as Noam Chomsky, who, had he "criticized Chavez's regime with anything close to the vehemence with which he unloads on the United States on a regular basis would certainly be behind bars" Of course, the fact that the right-wing golpistas, or coup-makers, of the short-lived 2002 overthrow of Chavez (during which the National Assembly and the Supreme Court were dissolved and numerous democratically-elected city and state officials were summarily dismissed) are not behind bars, but rather were pardoned by Chavez, rather undermines this contention and is typical of the kind of distortions prevalent in the argument that leads this reviewer to distrust what possibly may be more substantial and factual criticisms scattered through the text. Annotation c2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
