Chavez Wins Bid to Get Rid of Term Limits

That's right, ladies and gents, the world is coming to freedom and seeing the light, just like President Obama said would happen. Oh, wait, the opposite is happening... hmm, I wonder who's going to break the news to him.

From Yahoo News:

"CARACAS, Venezuela – President Hugo Chavez won a referendum to eliminate term limits

Sunday, enabling him to run again in 2012 and beyond in what critics fear is an attempt to become president-for-life.

Fireworks exploded in the sky and caravans of supporters celebrated in the streets, waving red flags and honking horns. Thousands of people gathered outside Miraflores Palace, where the former paratroop commander appeared on a balcony to sing the national anthem and address the crowd.

"Today we opened wide the gates of the future," proclaimed Chavez, who has governed for a decade and vowed to rule for at least a decade more. "In 2012 there will be presidential elections, and unless God decides otherwise, unless the people decide otherwise, this soldier is already a candidate."

Chavez called the victory — which allows all public officials to run for re-election as many times as they want — a mandate to speed his transformation of Venezuela into a socialist state.

"Those who voted 'yes' today voted for socialism, for revolution," he said.

With 94 percent of the vote counted, 54 percent had voted for the constitutional amendment, National Electoral Council chief Tibisay Lucena said. Forty-six percent had voted against it, a trend she called irreversible. She said turnout was 67 percent.

At their campaign headquarters, Chavez opponents who say the amendment pushes Venezuela closer to dictatorship hugged one another, and some cried. Several opposition leaders left without speaking, but several who remained said they wouldn't contest the vote.

"We accept this result," said student leader David Smolansky, 23. "We're still standing. We're committed to Venezuela."

Voters on both sides said the referendum was crucial to the future of Venezuela, a deeply polarized country where Chavez has spent a tumultuous decade in power channeling tremendous oil wealth into combating gaping social inequality.

Venezuela's leftist allies in Latin America have followed the model. Ecuador pushed through a new constitution in September and Bolivia did so in January. Both loosened rules on presidential re-election. Nicaragua's ruling Sandinistas also plan to propose an amendment that would let Daniel Ortega run for another consecutive term.

Opponents say Chavez already has far too much power, with the courts, the legislature and the election council all under his influence. Removing the current 12-year presidential term limit, they say, makes him unstoppable.

"Effectively this will become a dictatorship," opposition leader Omar Barboza told The Associated Press. "It's control of all the powers, lack of separation of powers, unscrupulous use of state resources, persecution of adversaries."

Chavez supporters say their president has given poor Venezuelans cheap food, free education and quality health care, and empowered them with a discourse of class struggle after decades of U.S.-backed governments that favored the rich.

"This victory saved the revolution," said Gonzalo Mosqueda, a 60-year-old shopkeeper, sipping rum from a plastic cup outside the palace. "Without it everything would be at risk — all the social programs, and everything he has done for the poor."

Chavez took office in 1999 and won support for a new constitution the same year that allowed the president to serve two six-year terms, barring him from the 2012 elections. Sunday's vote was his second attempt to change that; voters rejected a broader referendum in December 2007."

How to Solve Our Dependence on Foreign Energy

Even with gas and oil prices dipping over the last six months, we have to keep in mind that unless we do something drastic this is only temporary. When the economy comes back online, expect the return of four dollar gas. Oil could again reach near $150 and a prolonged economic growth period could push gas near six dollars.

In order to attempt to reverse this potential future, the government and our business leaders need to make the decision that we should be less dependent on foreign energy. Everyone states how they'd like to do this, but it's imperative that we act boldly, especially while our enemies like Iran, Russia, and Venezuela have smarting economies.

So here's my plan. If you don't like it or feels that it doesn't go far enough, feel free to comment. If you think it's a good idea, email it to people you know to begin a chain that could end with Congressmen and Senators. It's time to act, and I think that it's about time.

What We Need to Do:

1. Relax restrictions on drilling for most domestic areas-- basically anywhere that won't really damage the environment. Make oil companies pay 25 cents on the dollar of profits from this new land opened in reinvestment, the "greening" of their facilities and automobiles, and the expansion of alternative energy.

2. Have the Congress invest $50 billion over the next 5-10 years in ethanol production in Brazil. Sugarcane in Brazil produces much more ethanol cheaper than corn, and avoids the fuel/food scenario. Have these fields owned by our government, with the ethanol being sent to the US tariff and tax free.

3. Create wind, solar, and geothermal energy on federal land, including solar panels on federal buildings. Phase out gasoline and diesel cars from federal and state vehicles, and phase in CNG, biodiesel, and ethanol cars.

4. Provide $50 billion over 10 years for the construction of ten synthetic coal-to-oil plants.

5. Eliminate most or all taxes on Compressed Natural Gas, and push for more drilling.

6. Mandate that all newly built homes and businesses be constructed with either solar panels or a small wind turbine OR have the owners pay a waiver to the federal government.

7. Allow the construction of more refineries and nuclear plants.

This plan is definitely expensive, but if carried out, could save us the amount it costs overall in just one year. This could be our ticket out of ALL energy entanglements with other countries (except Canada, Mexico, and Brazil.) Make this message count, send it to those who want to make a difference!

Also, if you need to search anything on Google, please use the bar below:

Can Someone Explain This to Me? Part 2

Throughout the Presidential campaign, Barack Obama has promised to raise our standing in the world. Though many doubt his foreign policy credentials, Senator Obama clearly believes that he will be able to make the United States a "respected" nation again, including among Middle Eastern countries that hate our guts.

To do so, President-Elect Obama has promised non-conditional sit-downs with Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Cuba, and North Korea. As asked by many before me, how in the world would he get tyrannical dictators to come to our side on issues? Is he that good with words? More importantly, how can he sit with, let's say, Iran and not have the Iranian government turn it into a massive propoganda victory? Can President Obama really help our foreign policy by sitting down with murderous and/or crazy dictators without preconditions? I think the answer is clear.