Unfortunately, I don't have a transcript of the actual speech to look at, but today, I see another correction which says the term Chavez used was "pendejo", which this article says means "coward".
But wait...Babelfish translator translates "pendejo" to....
"asshole".
I prefer "asshole" anyway, because that's really the most accurate descriptor, whether it's what Mr. Chavez said or not.
It's really kind of interesting to compare/contrast Bush and Chavez. The proletariat of America makes jokes about Bush being a chimp, and the aristocracy of Venezuela calls Chavez "eso mono" (that monkey). They carry protest signs in the image of a gorilla. Both men are referred to by their detractors as uncouth cowboys. Both can be seen in photo ops wearing denim jeans and shirts. Both have a reputation for saying inopportune things. Both are an embarrassment to their detractors.
But, Bush is completely divorced from the common people, and Chavez is completely divorced from the aristocracy. Bush was born into the ruling wealthy elite class and educated at Yale, Chavez was born to poor school teachers and joined the military as a young man where he rose through the ranks. Bush, who admits he doesn't even read newspapers, can barely make it through a complete sentence, and Chavez is a well-read, clever man with the gift of gab.
Once in office he brilliantly used Venezuela's membership of OPEC, turning the country into a price hawk bent on boosting oil prices. In this way, he garnered revenues to pay for new social programs -- and signaled simultaneously that Venezuela was no longer the creature of the US...
...By turns he is demagogic, cajoling, bullying, and threatening, vulgar or downright silly. He will sing, crack jokes, lambast some businessman or labor leader who has crossed him, quoting with equal adroitness from the Bible, Das Kapital, Simon Bolivar or even John Kenneth Galbraith on the iniquities of modern industrial society.
..."He's very confrontational, and rash in terms of choosing his enemies," says Larry Birns of the Council for Hemispheric Affairs in Washington, who has met Chavez several times. "He goes after everyone, the church, business, and labor; and he's far too dependent on the military." But for all the charges of totalitarian rule, there are no political prisoners, no censorship, and virtually unfettered freedom of assembly. source
...By turns he is demagogic, cajoling, bullying, and threatening, vulgar or downright silly. He will sing, crack jokes, lambast some businessman or labor leader who has crossed him, quoting with equal adroitness from the Bible, Das Kapital, Simon Bolivar or even John Kenneth Galbraith on the iniquities of modern industrial society.
..."He's very confrontational, and rash in terms of choosing his enemies," says Larry Birns of the Council for Hemispheric Affairs in Washington, who has met Chavez several times. "He goes after everyone, the church, business, and labor; and he's far too dependent on the military." But for all the charges of totalitarian rule, there are no political prisoners, no censorship, and virtually unfettered freedom of assembly. source
Venezuela is in better hands. Para ahora.
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