Axis Of BS

I recall a conversation I had with a friend a while ago. My friend was perturbed that I called Hugo Chavez a “nut job” and also my critique of Jimmy Carter for attempting to be diplomatic with said “nut job”. He wasn’t really defending Chavez too strongly. His point was that Chavez controls a lot of oil and is also wily. He thinks (or, at least thought, at the time) that we should have a better relationship with Venezuela in order to decrease our dependence on foreign oil and that Carter was eminently qualified to handle that task. I think that Chavez is nuts (although he could still be wily, I guess) and I don’t think you can negotiate with someone that’s nuts. I didn’t think that Carter should have gone down to talk with Chavez after the many aggressive anti-American statements he had made. I think the Carter thing is a minor point though. In the grand scheme, I don’t think that Carter’s trip is relevant.

Chavez reminds me of a dangerous version of the Latin American dictator in The movie “The In Laws” (the one with Peter Falk and Alan Arkin not the new version).

Last week I wrote about some similarities I see between Iran and Venezuela regarding some bubbling social unrest due to the policies and actions of both Chavez and, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Today we have this from Rueters.

That’s our “Dynamic Duo”. Chavez, fresh off his visit with Putin in Russia to buy weapons has stopped in Iran to work a deal with Ahmadinejad to build Methanol plants in both countries. But, it’s not just about economics and business.

“The two countries will be united defeat the imperialism of North America,” a beaming Chavez told a news conference during an official visit to the Islamic Republic, which the United States has labeled part of an “axis of evil”.

“Iran and Venezuela — the axis of unity,” read one of many official posters at the site near the port town of Assalouyeh, showing the two leaders hugging each other and shaking hands.

Thats right, the “Axis of Unity”. Here are a few more Chavez gems from a Breitbart piece.

“The election of anti-American governments in the (Latin American) region shows that US imperialism is weakening,” Chavez said.

“Numerous oil and gas contracts between Iran and Venezuela show the two countries are serious in developing ties,” he said, describing Iran as a “good model for other countries.”

Venezuela and several other Latin American countries are members of the Non-Aligned Movement that at a summit last year emphatically backed Iran’s “right” to nuclear energy.

Iran is a “good model for other countries”. Little things like that are why I say the guy is nuts.
That aside, here is what’s going on; Iran is rationing gas because they can’t refine enough on their own and Chavez now has the same problem after evicting Exxon and Conoco last week.

So, In Iran you have people rioting because of gas rations brought about by a dependence on refined gas from other countries. The economic sanctions against Iran would make it tougher to get the gas. The sanctions exist because of Iran’s desire to develop nuclear weapons.

Venezuela has people demonstrating in the streets because Chavez took away their T.V. After kicking out the U.S. oil companies, they are going to have trouble finding anybody to invest in refineries. Venezuela is one country that likes the idea of Iran having nuclear weapons. They were alone in September 2005 in opposing a resolution at the International Atomic Energy Agency that found Iran in violation of nuclear safeguards.

It seems to me that the two countries are going to be limited in how much they can help each other.

Chavez has openly expressed desires to coordinate a “Global Revolution Against Washington”. It looks as though Iran is in but, who else. Well, you’ve got Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua and Belarus. Not really a “Global” juggernaut. The wild card is Russia. After all, Chavez was just there last week buying more weapons from Putin. If Russia would get on the bus then you have something to reckon with.

I am just a songwriter from the Ozarks. Maybe I’m in over my head or stupid but, I wish somebody, I don’t care if your a Democrat, Republican or one of my Libertarian pals, would explain to me what the HELL is going on here.

Again from Breitbart/AP. Thats right it’s Vladimir Putin rubbing shoulders with George Bush today, at Kennebunkport during the week of Independence Day and mere days after Putin cut weapons deals with Chavez.

President Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin projected a united front Monday against Iran’s suspected nuclear weapons program.
“When Russia and the United States speak along the same lines, it tends to have an effect and therefore I appreciate the Russians’ attitude in the United Nations,” Bush said. “We’re close on recognizing that we got to work together to send a common message.”

Putin predicted that “we will continue to be successful” as they work through the U.N. Security Council.

Security Council members have begun discussing a U.S. proposal for sanctions against Iran because of its refusal to stop enriching uranium. The U.S., Russia and their fellow permanent U.N. Security Council members, however, have told Iran they will hold off on new sanctions if it stops expanding its enrichment activities while they seek to restart talks about the program with Tehran. Diplomats say the Iranian government has not yet responded to the proposal.

Putin suggested there would be “further substantial intercourse on this issue.”

This is going on just as we have evidence that sanctions are working in Iran and just as we have bi-partisan legislation proposed in the House that would punish any country that supplies Iran with gas.

Putin is playing us for chumps; he is in business with Chavez and Chavez has an axis with Ahmadinejad. I think that “substantial intercourse” is the key phrase because that appears to be exactly what Putin is doing to us.