Venezuela Getting Ready

by **antiaristo** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 9:13 pm

Maybe Hugo heard the Fisk interview? <blockquote>Quote:<hr>Venezuela aims for biggest military reserve in Americas Greg Morsbach in Caracas Saturday March 4, 2006 The Guardian Around 500,000 Venezuelans will start a four-month military training programme today to turn them into members of the country's territorial guard. They are the first group of a total of 2m Venezuelan civilians who have so far signed up to become armed reservists. By the summer of 2007, Venezuela is likely to have the largest military reserve in the Americas, which is expected to be almost double the size of that in the United States. The huge recruitment drive is part of President Hugo Chávez's plan to create a people's army that would answer directly to him in the event of civil unrest or an armed conflict. General Alberto Muller Rojas, one of the members of the army high command who helped to devise the new thinking in military strategy being adopted by Venezuela's leftwing government, said: "If for example the United States were to invade Venezuela one day, and that's what many people are expecting, the only way we could repel such an attack would be a full scale guerrilla war against the foreign aggressors. "Our professional army only numbers 80,000 soldiers, so we would need to use civilians like in Iraq to fight the Yankee forces." Top military officials are confident that a reserve force of 2m, or one in five adults, would be sufficient to dissuade any country from invading Venezuela, the world's fifth biggest oil exporter and fifth biggest supplier of crude oil to the US. Many of Venezuela's state-owned companies, such as the oil giant PDVSA, have started their own territorial guard units. However, they are being asked to join the formal training programme offered by the armed forces. Richard Arrais, 40, a marketing executive who works at PDVSA's headquarters in Caracas, has his own office and works in a nine-to-five job Mondays to Fridays. But once a week he and his friends meet up as reservists. He said: "Since January we've been holding informal meetings to discuss military tactics and to receive courses such as first aid. "But the training starting this Saturday will be tougher. There will be drill, weapons training and assault courses, as well as a military exercise in the countryside." Mr Arrais and others like him say they are happy to give up every Saturday in defence of their fatherland and the values of President Chávez's socialist revolution. They believe internal opposition forces and the United States could strike at any moment. So far service in the territorial guard is voluntary. But the Venezuelan parliament is studying proposals to make it obligatory for all Venezuelan adults to join the territorial guard. Mr Chávez has sought to position himself at the vanguard of a bloc of Latin American leftist leaders acting as a counterpoint to US hegemony in the region. Tensions between Caracas and Washington have simmered in recent weeks with an espionage row that has resulted in a US naval attache being expelled and disputes on a range of issues from the war on drugs to aviation safety restrictions.<hr></blockquote> <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/venezuela/story/0,,1723274,00.html">www.guardian.co.uk/venezu...74,00.html</a>

by **Floyd Smoots** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 9:52 pm

There are way too many good links to what is really going on in V-ville, anti, old bloke. I, for one plan to purchase only Citgo brand petrol, as long as we can still get any. I know, I am one of those who is still fortunate enough to own a motorcar. Citgo is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Venezuela's state-owned oil corporation, which, apparently plows the lion's share of its profits back into Venezuela's infrastructure, i.e., schools, hospitals, libraries, etc. Sometimes, with the right person at the helm, a ship of state can manage not to toss too many of its citizens overboard. No wonder Monkey Boy and Tony the Tiger hate Mr. Chavez. No wonder Fat-Pat Robertson publicly requested Hugo's assanination on his Faux-Church telly-blog, the 700 Clowns Club!!! The worm-ridden rat's rectum!!! <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/mad.gif ALT=">:"> Very succint post, Brother John!!! edit: schools rule, shools drool. Floyd cain't spill.... Edited by: <A HREF=http://p216.ezboard.com/brigorousintuition.showUserPublicProfile?gid=floydsmoots>Floyd Smoots</A> at: 3/4/06 6:57 pm

by **antiaristo** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 10:13 pm

Floyd, I think Chavez is great. I've written and told him so. Would that we could have a leader like him! <blockquote>Quote:<hr>I know, I am one of those who is still fortunate enough to own a motorcar.<hr></blockquote> Floyd, my friend, you misread me. There is absolutely NO self-pity gor myself. None. I last drove in March 1995. I sneaked back into England to see my girls. I was driving a BMW 730 si. It had a flat six engine that many consider the best ever designed. I got sopped by the cops doing just under 100mph. I had no idea! My license was taken until I paid the fixed fee, whereupon my license would be returned. I paid the fee, but they never returned my license. Thereby began my flirtation with walking. One of the best things that happened to me. I now love walking. I look at those people in their cars and think "What fools." I never got to see my children. My wife wouldn't let me.

by **Floyd Smoots** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 11:52 pm

anti, I fear you have misread me. I thought not that you were "cryin' th' blues", in any way. As my newly-found "muse" has righteously pointed out to me in private emails (??? Ha-Ha, Thanx for the privacy, Tony Bush & George Blair!!!), we blog not to the posters only, but to a world-wide audience of lurkers/non-member readers who need to know what is really going on. My "fortune", concerning the motorcar, was, in no way addressed to you, my brother-in-arms. It was for the world-wide audience who not only can't afford one, but, some of them (possibly) have never ever had the "luxury" of even riding in one. That's all that was "on about". I never try to get the closest parking spot to anywhere. If it's there, sure, I'll take it, but I won't fight over it because, thank God, at least for now, my "walking legs" are still so-far functional. I am a great believer in walking. You may be interested to note, that I must use a tunnel every day to get to work, from Portsmouth, through to a small corner of Norfolk, and thence, to Chesapeake, Virginia. This tunnel system has been in place since 1954 (plus or minus). and, now, "Aye, here's the rub, Matey. Arrghh!" In all of this tunnel system's history it has graciously allowed NO PEDESTRIANS!!! Our tax dollars at work, and, while trying to get to work. Have you ever read the late Ray Bradbury's short story entitled "The Pedestrian"? Very chilling, that. ....Brother Floyd edit: missing punk-chew-a-shun marx. Heh-heh, he said "marx". Dammed Commie Rat Bastid!!! <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/wink.gif ALT=";)"> Edited by: <A HREF=http://p216.ezboard.com/brigorousintuition.showUserPublicProfile?gid=floydsmoots>Floyd Smoots</A> at: 3/4/06 8:57 pm

by **antiaristo** » Sun Mar 05, 2006 11:38 am

Floyd, Understood. I did misread you. Is that the English Ray Bradbury? Argentina has learned too. Negotiating with the British is an oxymoron. <blockquote>Quote:<hr>Argentina is menacing Falklands, say Tories Gaby Hinsliff Sunday March 5, 2006 The Observer Argentina was accused last night of staging 'worrying' manoeuvres around the Falklands. The accusation was made by the Tories who questioned whether overstretched British forces could repulse a new assault on the islands. Shadow defence secretary Liam Fox accused the Argentines of 'increasing the tension' with submarine incursions as they doubled the size of their air force and fitted new missiles. 'Their air force has been testing the response times of our Tornados after an Argentine plane shows up on the Falklands radar. All these developments have been very worrying. Under this Labour government, could we respond to a renewed attack from Argentina? ' he told a Conservative party conference in Scotland yesterday. A Foreign Office spokesman said a fishing vessel had been boarded recently in international waters off the Falklands but there was no record of any serious security concerns.<hr></blockquote> <a href="http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,1724116,00.html">observer.guardian.co.uk/u...16,00.html</a>

Venezuela Getting Ready

Venezuela Getting Ready

Does Anyone Here Blame Them???

Hugo Rules!

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