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| NYT Endorses Ousting Venezuela’s Maduro |
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By Stephen Lendman |
| The Times wants Big Oil getting its dirty hands on Venezuela’s oil,
the world’s largest reserves, preventing revenues they generate being
shared with all Venezuelans equitably. It endorses Washington’s predatory agenda - its wars, political assassinations and coups to transform independent nations into US colonies - at the same time, ignoring its appalling human rights abuses. It’s a mouthpiece for state-sponsored viciousness, indifferent to human suffering, mindless about democratic values and rule of law principles. On March 2, its editors endorsed ousting Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro. A litany of Big Lies and misinformation as justification followed. NYT: “He has arbitrarily locked up political opponents…” Fact: He’s held anti-government elements responsible for street violence and instability accountable for their crimes. NYT: He “created ludicrous conspiracy theories to explain his government’s failures…” Fact: Manipulative US policy orchestrated months of violent street protests, created Venezuelan economic crisis conditions. Low oil prices exacerbates them. Fact: Washington tried and failed to oust Hugo Chavez - by coup d’etat and recall referendum. Fidel Castro warned him. He knew he was marked for death. In 2013, Obama killed him, poisoning or infecting him with cancer causing substances. Four major surgeries in 18 months couldn’t save him. In February 2015, Maduro foiled a US plot to oust him, denouncing Washington’s scheme, saying on national television “(w)e have dismantled a coup attempt against democracy, against the stability of our homeland.” Civilian and military officials involved were arrested and detained, held accountable for intending to overthrow Venezuela’s democratically elected government - the plot orchestrated in Washington. NYT: Maduro “made a tough economic landscape bleaker by picking fights with neighbors and failing to rein in hyperinflation.” Fact: Maduro, like Chavez, values cooperative relations with all nations - at the same time, unwilling to sacrifice Venezuelan sovereignty to US diktats. High inflation is a longstanding problem, not easily resolved despite continued forthright efforts. Economist Mark Weisbrot recommends adjusting destabilizing economic imbalances by assuring Venezuelans have access to food, medicines and other essentials at affordable prices - citing America’s food stamp program as an example. Stabilizing the currency is essential, letting it float, likely settling “nowhere near the current black market rate.” Devaluation would cause short-term inflation, likely abating within a year, Weisbrot explained. Once currency stabilization is achieved, dollars would come back in “since everything would be cheap” for its holders, he said. In 2002, Argentina successfully adopted this policy. The hemisphere’s fastest economic growth followed. Times editors bemoan no simple way to remove Maduro. “(A)lternatives…are fraught with risks and obstacles,” they said. They want him to surrender his executive authority to fascists controlling Venezuela’s National Assembly, the first step to destroying Bolivarian fairness. Chavismo lives. Maduro vows to keep supporting what Venezuelans cherish. Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III." http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com. Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network. |
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