CHAVEZ AGAIN: We all knew something would happen!

So, what's your point? That the democratically elected government of a sovereign nation shouldn't be allowed to buy weapons for its military, or that nations shouldn't be allowed to buy military weapons from Russia?
 
These guys (Chavez, Sheik Hassan Nasrallah) should take a page from Richard Parsons and Lakshmi Mittal and compete through the financial/productivity game rather than through military escalation.
 
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Leif Roar said:
So, what's your point? That the democratically elected government of a sovereign nation shouldn't be allowed to buy weapons for its military, or that nations shouldn't be allowed to buy military weapons from Russia?
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Why do you rant at me? The US government is the one trying to persuade Russia to nullify the deal. They've decided that the deal exceeds Venezuela's defensive needs and that it is not in the interest of both Venezuela and Russia. How the hell do you come to determine that about sovereign nations.
 
FreeChile said:
Why do you rant at me? The US government is the one trying to persuade Russia to nullify the deal. They've decided that the deal exceeds Venezuela's defensive needs and that it is not in the interest of both Venezuela and Russia. How the hell do you come to determine that about sovereign nations.
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I'm not ranting at you. I just didn't see what you were trying to say by posting the link you did, so I asked.
 
Dave1001 said:
These guys (Chavez, Sheik Hassan Nasrallah) should take a page from Richard Parsons and Lakshmi Mittal and compete through the financial/productivity game rather than through military escalation.
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How is the Venezuela-Russia deal not a financial game? They were getting arms from the US. The US changed the rules. They decided to get arms from Russia at a better price and under better terms. They even get to build the weapons (rifles in this case) in their own country.

Perhaps you mean "financial/productivity" in a different way.
 
FreeChile said:
How is the Venezuela-Russia deal not a financial game? They were getting arms from the US. The US changed the rules. They decided to get arms from Russia at a better price and under better terms. They even get to build the weapons (rifles in this case) in their own country.

Perhaps you mean "financial/productivity" in a different way.
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Yep, I sure do. More in the high speed broadbrand internet in every home, and a robot in every home as near term goals sort of way. A focus on improving (and diversifying) their human capital.
 
FreeChile said:
We all knew something like this was coming. What to do ... Let's take a look at the list of Chavez's friends thus far, possibly in Chronological order

Venezuela, Cuba, Iran, Bolivia, Belarus, Russia, North Korea

Venezuela's Chavez to sign Russia arms deal
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/americas/07/26/chavez.russia.ap/index.html
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The US has stoped suppying him with parts for his current planes so he needs to look elsewhere. His options were probably the J-11B the SU-30 and perhaps the Dassault Rafale. The SU-30 is the most imediaetly availible and probably the one closest to his price bracket. He would be unlikely to work with North Korea becuase he doesn't need their missile technology.
 
Can someone tell me what country Chavez believes he needs to defend Venezuela from? Please don't anyone say, "The U.S.," or you get the laughing dog.
 
BPSCG said:
Can someone tell me what country Chavez believes he needs to defend Venezuela from? Please don't anyone say, "The U.S.," or you get the laughing dog.
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Great question. One thing I like about Chavez is that he participated in amending their constitution such that it instituted term limits for his position. Given that Venezuela is filled with people equally talented as Chavez to lead the country, one of the best things the world can do is support Venezuelans in making sure that if Chavez wins reelection, he steps down after the end of his second term, as the constitution mandates.
 
BPSCG said:
Can someone tell me what country Chavez believes he needs to defend Venezuela from? Please don't anyone say, "The U.S.," or you get the laughing dog.
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All things being equal, I can't really blame him for wanting to significantly upsize his military. It isn't like he's going to get U.S. troops to bail him out of any difficulty he might or might not face during his tenure.

He's intentionally trying to pick a fight with us because, in his (probably correct) estimation, it strengthens his popularity.

If he's the least bit paranoid (I might even go so far as to say pragmatic), he will fear what the U.S. might or might not do offensively...by proxy, if not directly.

Do I get the laughing dog?
 
BPSCG said:
Can someone tell me what country Chavez believes he needs to defend Venezuela from? Please don't anyone say, "The U.S.," or you get the laughing dog.
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Other bits of Venezuela. No secret that he has internal threats. Other than that Colombia isn't the worlds most stable country.

Mostly though this looks like standard "Venezuela is a country thus it should have an armed forces of some kind". Most countries do. Even if you don't have a specific threat today.

Consider Belgium has 72 F-16. Who is going to attack Belgium?

Even Luxembourg has a militry. What sane country is going to attack Luxembourg or notice it's 900 if it does?
 
BPSCG said:
Can someone tell me what country Chavez believes he needs to defend Venezuela from? Please don't anyone say, "The U.S.," or you get the laughing dog.
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Pat Robertson.

Actually, I tend to agree with Rob. How do you secure your place as ruler? Fight a war that doesn't exist.
 
Rob Lister said:
All things being equal, I can't really blame him for wanting to significantly upsize his military.
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Size isn't changeing much. It is becomeing more effective but that is mostly through mondernisation (which whould have to happen sooner or latter you can't keep 60s tech going forever). He is slightly increaseing his ability to defend his costal waters (but that was through purcases from Spain last year which the US goverment first tried to prevent then discovered that it couldn't because Spain didn't need US components to make the stuff). He is also aquiring more helecopters.
 
BPSCG said:
Can someone tell me what country Chavez believes he needs to defend Venezuela from?
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The same mythical country that the USA needs a giant military to defend against. :)
 
BPSCG said:
Can someone tell me what country Chavez believes he needs to defend Venezuela from? Please don't anyone say, "The U.S.," or you get the laughing dog.
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If he's not using them for defense, who is he going to invade? Please don't say the U.S....

I think it's far more likely that the U.S will attack Venezuela than the other way around. I don't think America *will* invade, but I doubt Chavez has the ability or motive to invade the largest military in the world.
 
BPSCG said:
Can someone tell me what country Chavez believes he needs to defend Venezuela from? Please don't anyone say, "The U.S.," or you get the laughing dog.
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Exactly! After all, South America is peaceful and unified. No terrorists either.
 
BPSCG said:
Can someone tell me what country Chavez believes he needs to defend Venezuela from? Please don't anyone say, "The U.S.," or you get the laughing dog.
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Chavez is on record as claiming that the US have a strategic desire to invade Venezuela and take control of their oil reserves.

There was a good article in yesterday's FT.
 
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