Pat Robertson: TERRORIST
When 700 Club president Pat Robertson advocated the assassination of democratically-elected Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, Robertson became an advocate of terrorism.
There is no difference between an Islamic extremist advocating violence against U.S. citizens and a Christian extremist advocating violence against foreign nationals. Both fit the definition of a terrorist.
The reaction to Robertson's statement was quite interesting. Most working people just thought he was nuts, but the U.S. government said he was speaking as a "private citizen." Other Christian extremists jokingly downplayed his comments and focused on his age and his propensity to speak before he thinks. Still others called his comments "anti-Christian," yet chose to divert attention to Chavez, citing as fact that he committed "election fraud." (Egads! One wonders if they have ever heard of Florida or Ohio.)
Hugo Chavez was democratically elected several times and the opposition -- funded by the United States -- claimed election fraud. In 2002, Chavez underwent an intense recall vote under international observation, including former President Jimmy Carter and the Carter Center, yet Chavez was elected again with 58 percent of the vote. No evidence of fraud was found.
Chavez won because he appeals to Venezuela's poor workers and peasants. He promised to use a percentage or his nation's vast oil wealth to begin literacy programs, provide access to health care, find a workable land reform solution, and to make economic pacts with other Latin American nations. While Robertson was busy untying his tongue, Chavez was in Jamaica, where he signed an agreement with Prime Minister Percival Patterson.
The agreement increases the supply of Venezuelan oil through Petrocaribe, a Chavez oil program than will save Caribbean nations about $1 billion per year. Jamaica will get up to 22,000 barrels of discounted oil at a cost of $40 per barrel to be financed with low interest loans. This is an example of fair trade that the world could use more of. During an earlier stop in Havana, Cuba, Chavez spoke of increasing poverty in the United States as oil prices climb, and announced his government's desire to sell gasoline directly to poor, organized communities. Chavez said this would reduce costs by cutting out the middle men.
Pat Robertson is no crazier than Bush or Cheney or Rumsfeld or Rice. Venezuela accounts for 10 percent of U.S. oil imports and the Bush administration is not happy about a renegade leader using oil profits for human needs. This sets a bad example in the world. It makes the rest of the greedy bastards look like the greedy bastards they are.
Now, what to do about Robertson? He was speaking on the 700 club, not at home on his front porch. He was speaking as a Christian broadcaster, not as a private citizen, and the FCC has control over his broadcast license. Everyone should demand that ABC pull his show off the air and that the FCC revoke his license. The next step is to go after his advertisers and let them know they have a terrorist on their payroll.
Because Robertson advocated the violent death of the president of a sovereign nation, the Dept. of Homeland Security also needs to investigate his statement to determine if terrorism charges should be filed against him. According to my dictionary, he is a terrorist.
There is no difference between an Islamic extremist advocating violence against U.S. citizens and a Christian extremist advocating violence against foreign nationals. Both fit the definition of a terrorist.
The reaction to Robertson's statement was quite interesting. Most working people just thought he was nuts, but the U.S. government said he was speaking as a "private citizen." Other Christian extremists jokingly downplayed his comments and focused on his age and his propensity to speak before he thinks. Still others called his comments "anti-Christian," yet chose to divert attention to Chavez, citing as fact that he committed "election fraud." (Egads! One wonders if they have ever heard of Florida or Ohio.)
Hugo Chavez was democratically elected several times and the opposition -- funded by the United States -- claimed election fraud. In 2002, Chavez underwent an intense recall vote under international observation, including former President Jimmy Carter and the Carter Center, yet Chavez was elected again with 58 percent of the vote. No evidence of fraud was found.
Chavez won because he appeals to Venezuela's poor workers and peasants. He promised to use a percentage or his nation's vast oil wealth to begin literacy programs, provide access to health care, find a workable land reform solution, and to make economic pacts with other Latin American nations. While Robertson was busy untying his tongue, Chavez was in Jamaica, where he signed an agreement with Prime Minister Percival Patterson.
The agreement increases the supply of Venezuelan oil through Petrocaribe, a Chavez oil program than will save Caribbean nations about $1 billion per year. Jamaica will get up to 22,000 barrels of discounted oil at a cost of $40 per barrel to be financed with low interest loans. This is an example of fair trade that the world could use more of. During an earlier stop in Havana, Cuba, Chavez spoke of increasing poverty in the United States as oil prices climb, and announced his government's desire to sell gasoline directly to poor, organized communities. Chavez said this would reduce costs by cutting out the middle men.
Pat Robertson is no crazier than Bush or Cheney or Rumsfeld or Rice. Venezuela accounts for 10 percent of U.S. oil imports and the Bush administration is not happy about a renegade leader using oil profits for human needs. This sets a bad example in the world. It makes the rest of the greedy bastards look like the greedy bastards they are.
Now, what to do about Robertson? He was speaking on the 700 club, not at home on his front porch. He was speaking as a Christian broadcaster, not as a private citizen, and the FCC has control over his broadcast license. Everyone should demand that ABC pull his show off the air and that the FCC revoke his license. The next step is to go after his advertisers and let them know they have a terrorist on their payroll.
Because Robertson advocated the violent death of the president of a sovereign nation, the Dept. of Homeland Security also needs to investigate his statement to determine if terrorism charges should be filed against him. According to my dictionary, he is a terrorist.
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