Bernardo Alvarez, Venezuela’s Ambassador to the U.S., believes that the two countries should start working together. Before they can do that however, he wants the U.S. to say “We are ready to respect Venezuela, period.” What? So it is the U.S. the one that needs to start showing respect? Was it not their President, Hugo Chavez, who during his speech at the 61st United National General Assembly said: “The devil (referring to President Bush) was here yesterday . . . it still smells of sulfur around here.”

Alvarez also stated that the Venezuelan administration has recently been trying to bring “equilibrium” to its society. Is that what it was doing when it threatened to punish its citizens for signing a petition that requested his (Pres. Chavez) “recall” from office [Venezuelan Recall Referendum of 8/15/04]? Or when it stifles criticism of government officials by threatening jail time of up to 20 months or up to 40 months when it is against the President?

If anyone should start showing respect, it is the Venezuelan government towards its own people.

This from a country that aligns itself with the likes of Fidel Castro and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

I like the fact that a national and 'world' leader (Chavez) is compelled to use name-calling as a form of diplomacy. While our own President Bush says that we have no intentions of hostility toward the Venezuelans, or any wish to "take" their oil (they already sell most it to us anyway)...

...yet people feel sympathetic towards Chavez and hostile towards POTUS Bush.

So how is that we are supposed to show them respect. We already bankroll their military and society as a whole through legal oil sales. And our leader doesn't feel compelled to call Chavez a socialist pig...who’s the one that needs to show the respect here?

Did the world not learn anything from the effects of socialism in the 20th century? I think at last count socialism was responsible for well over 70,000,000 deaths from collectivization, 'purifications', political cleansing, etc.

Every country who has tried socialism/communism has lost 1/4 to 1/2 of their population due to the insanity that is the "equalization" of the society. Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot, Ho Chi Minh, Castro, etc...ring any bells here?