Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Death Wish

Hugo Chavez wouldn't be the first thug ruler to think a quick foreign adventure would bolster his domestic rule.

I figured the Dutch would be a prime candidate for such an adventure.

But Chavez might have his sights set on Colombia and is issuing threats:

Should Chavez be taken seriously? Yes, says Maruja Tarre, former international relations professor with a degree from Harvard Kennedy School and now a Caracas-based consultant to multinational firms.

With his revolution losing popularity amid rising inflation, rampant crime, a stagnant economy, and frequent water shortages and power outages, Chavez needs a galvanizing event, she says. A border skirmish, if not a full-fledged war, would solidify his support base ahead of next year's legislative elections and give his Bolivarian Revolution the heroic episode that it lacks.


Would Chavez be stupid enough to engage in a war with Colombia? A border skirmish, Chavez could survive, if he strikes first and hard.

But if Chavez can't end the conflict quickly, Colombia would clean his clock. the idiot savante Chavez has spent his rule crippling his armed forces by imposing his own theories of warfare on their doctrine.

I can't believe Chavez would be dumb enough to provoke a war with Colombia. But you never know.