Okay - I know you guys are probably tired of me bringing up Pres Chavez - but I just cannot help it. Here is a new tid-bit on my favorite President and American actor.

I am just totally blown away by Sean Penn . . . and I am not referring to his acting abilities (although he does have them) but by the way he allows his emotions to control him. That is the only thing that can explain his visit to Venezuela to listen to and APPLAUD Pres Chavez. His hatred for President Bush is so deep that he thinks that Chavez is a good guy. [For more info on Chavez, take a look at the other threads that I have started.]

As per the following article, they agree that the only reason that President Bush "attacks Chavez so much," is becuase Bush wants Venezuela's oil wealth. Are you kidding me? That has got to be the most stupidest conclusion I have ever heard . . . however, coming from a totalitarian President and an "actor" who does not have a clue . . . well, I guess it is not surprising.

Sean Penn meets Chavez in Venezuela - Yahoo! News

Lucky for Penn, he is not a Venezuelan and he is not criticizing Chavez or he would spend 40 months in jail !

Wow! First off, if we wanted Venezuela's oil wealth we would just go and take it. Secondly, Venezuela is one of our top 3 oil suppliers (and the top 2 aren't in the Middle East...Mexico and Canada), #4 is Nigeria...but I digress. We don't need their 'wealth' as we have the largest GNP in the world by about a $7 trillion margin.

I really don't think actors should have public political viewpoints. It detracts from their ability to make 'neutral' entertainment and makes it hard for fans to watch their movies after knowing their political views (if you don't agree with them).

When actors stop living in 15,000 sq. ft. mansions and driving around in huge vehicles, and flying private jets everywhere, then they can start talking about who wants who's oil and oil wealth.

Lastly, just because someone doesn't like President Bush doesn't mean you have to side with a socialist dictator who decided to steal the oil from his people and give it to himself. You want to talk about a national leader stealing oil, forget about the Bush/Cheney conspiracy and "war for oil" and look no further than Chavez. The man kicked out free-market international oil companies and took personal control of the oil fields in his country. That would be like President Bush declaring that all oil revenues in the US shouldn't go to the companies who drill them, but to his personal bank account, and then he "promised" to distribute the money to the poeple. Way to go socialism!

This is turning out like all the pro-communism and pro-collectivisation in the 1950s and 60s. But instead of fields of food, we're dealing with fields of oil.

The sad part is that the news media and all of Hollywood support and condone this behavior. You’d think that his visit to Venezuela would get him blacklisted. On the contrary, he is liked even more by the out-of-touch crazies on the west coast.

I don't understand how Americans can look at what is happening in Venezuela and think it is okay. Can you imagine that one day you wake up and the government is there to take your home and possessions to give them to someone else?

I guess anyone can be a communist or a socialist when you are looking at it from the outside. I'm sure it would take a different appeal if it was happening to them.