Peter Brookes is an ex-CIA person who is part of the Heritage Foundation, a far-right conservative US "think tank" which is tied to and/or is linked to organizations such as the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and the Project for the New American Century (PNAC).
The NED is the branch of the US State Department (the US government) which finances pro-US activity abroad. Venezuela's anti-Chvavez movement has received millions of dollars from the NED (and other US government organizations such as USAID) for activities, many of them violent, against the democratically-elected Chavez government. Much has already been written about this and can be easily researched on the web.
At least two members of the Board of Trustees of the Heritage Foundation are members of the PNAC, another US-based organization which promotes the world-takeover by the USA, economically, culturally and, of course, militarily: "The Project for the New American Century is a non-profit educational organization dedicated to a few fundamental propositions: that American leadership is good both for America and for the world; and that such leadership requires military strength, diplomatic energy and commitment to moral principle."(As a side note, I went through sections of their website to try to find out what "traditional American values" are. I found no reference to what these might be. Money? War? Sue anyone you can? Mistrust? Deceit? Ruthlessness? Lying? Oppression and repression? Racism? Maybe readers can clarify this point for all of us.)
- The two Heritage Board member who are also in the PNAC are Midge Decter, Heritage Trustee Since 1981 and Steve Forbes, Heritage Trustee Since 2001 (President and Chief Executive Officer, Forbes Inc
The above information is intended to give readers a little bit of background with regard to who Peter Brookes is ... who he really is.
Peter Brookes recently wrote an article entitled, "U.N.-believable misjudgement," which appeared on a site called Townhall.com. The same article appeared on the Heritage Foundation website on February 21, 2006, under the title, "New Radical Chic: UNESCO's Bizarre Hero." I say, the same article because it was written by the same person and the article reads the same, even though I did not check every word, comma and period.
Now, I challenge Brookes to answer a few questions ... I will not quote his entire article, but will quote certain sections and then follow with my observations and/or questions.
He opens the article with, "Here's one for you: Early this month, in front of 200,000 screaming supporters in Havana's Revolutionary Square, Cuban dictator Fidel Castro bestowed Venezuelan strongman Hugo Chavez with UNESCO's 2005 International Jose Marti Prize for promoting Latin American heritage, liberty and values. Huh? Chavez? Liberty? I'm not sure what the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization folks are 'partaking' of, in their cushy Paris headquarters, but the notion that Venezuela's caudillo is deserving of an award espousing these ideals (not to mention presented by Castro in Havana) simply boggles the mind ... In a mind-numbing 2½ hour speech that only a despot (or, maybe, Bill Clinton) could give, Chavez called the U.S. a 'brutal, cynical, murderous empire,' promising that 'we will do everything to shred it.' "
Question #1: Isn't Chavez speaking the truth? Isn't the US government a brutal, cynical and murderous empire?
Then Brookes quotes Said Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, who states: "It is astonishing and beyond the pale that a man such as Chavez, who poses a very real threat to democracy, not only in Venezuela, but in the entire region, and has engaged in virulent anti-American attacks, was honored by UNESCO."
Question #2: What threat to democracy, precisely? I would like for Brookes to name the specific threats. I challenge him to name one specific and verifiable threat. Wasn't Chavez democratically elected? Wasn't Chavez put up to a national referendum half way through his mandate? He won with a 59% majority. The referendum was overseen by hundreds of international observers, including the Carter Center. The referendum, as well as previous elections were legitimate. So, what threat is Chavez to democracy?
Then he says: "That's only the half of it. Chavez has seized private property, closed radio and TV stations for anti-government content and jailed critics. He has consolidated single-party rule, stacked the courts with Chavistas and won a 2005 election by stuffing ballot boxes, according to Steve Johnson, a Latin America expert."
Question #3: What private property did Chavez seize specifically (I assume Brookes means illegally or undemocratically). Name one, name a single verifiable case to support that statement. We await the answer anxiously.
Question #4: Which radio and/or television stations did Chavez close (again, I assume Brookes means illegally or undemocratically)? Name one single case ... or one single occasion. I am sure that Brookes, or any of his cronies will not be able to come up with even one example ... because no such event ever happened.
Question #5: What "critics" has Chavez jailed (again, I assume he means illegally or undemocratically)? Carlos Ortega? Capriles? Who? Name one single case. I challenge Brookes to prove to the world that he is not lying.
Question #6: What does "consolidated one-party rule" mean? Please explain to the world what that means, specifically, not in ethereal terms or in terms of "academia" bla-blah.
Question #7: How did Chavez stack the courts with Chavistas? Please explain to the audience the Venezuelan process for choosing judges. I doubt you know (or want to know) that the process takes place through the elected National Assembly and not through Chavez' office. I, as millions of other, await your explanation of exactly how Chavez stacked the courts with his supporters.
Question #8: Stuffed ballot boxes? How and when? Please provide proof of such ruthless and out-in-space accusations.
He goes on to state: "While Chavismo is a blight on the lives of Venezuela's middle class and the liberties of one of Latin America's (once) oldest democracies, Fidel's Mini-Yo (i.e., 'Mini-Me') has used Caracas' significant oil wealth to dole out generous social services to the poor, making Chavez wildly popular."
- Observation #1: Venezuela never had a democracy. It was called a democracy. What would you call former governments that controlled and censored all media? Democratic? Not in my books, not in the books of any healthy-thinking brain.
- Observation #2: In the above paragraph, Brookes thinks he is being funny (in slang, a smart-ass). I a can just imagine a room full of radical, racist, segregationist, Arab-hating, "nigger"-hating, Christian fanatics laughing at his funny stuff ... just the way I can imagine this same group of human degenerates rolling over with drunk laughter at the anti-Islam cartoons which recently made headlines. Civilized? Democratic? Humane?
He the dares to state: "Chavez also supports Colombian FARC narco-guerillas in addition to providing them sanctuary in Venezuela."
Question #9: How do you know this Brookes? Show us all the evidence.
Then he confirms his links to and/or support for the NED (and/or equivalent): "If anything, UNESCO should be rewarding the tireless efforts of little-recognized champions of human rights that toil in obscurity for individual freedom and dignity in places like Cuba and Venezuela, as Nile Gardiner, a U.N. analyst, puts it."
He is, I assume, and correctly so I believe, referring to all those NED-financed Venezuelan traitors "struggling" for "democracy" ... people like Maria Corina Machado, Carlos Ortega, Carlos Fernandez and many more ... those ruthless Venezuelans who have publicly called for the assassination of Chavez and who instigated mass violence against the democratically-elected Chavez government in 2002-2003 and 2004. These are the same people who were behind assassinations and bombings. Democratic? Yeah, sure. My foot!
He finishes with: "It's wise for UNESCO to remember that it's the U.S. that is one of its largest benefactors, forking over 22 percent of UNESCO's budget. It should also understand that this sort of outrageous anti-American, anti-freedom Theater of the Absurd won't be tolerated, either. "
My view, and probably most of the world view, the USA should resign from UNESCO. UNESCO does not need dirty, blood-stained money. Furthermore, and shamelessly so, Brookes' threatening tone ("won't be tolerated") provides ample evidence to the type of person Brookes really is. Won't be tolerated? Huh!
Question #10: And what will you, or people who think and act like you, or the US government do about it? Because we don't like you guys or agree with you, will you bomb us? Embargo us? Assassinate us? Destroy us? Shower us with radioactive missiles like you did to innocent Iraqis? Will you rape our women like you do all over the world? Will you torture prisoners and laugh at them while you torture them ... just like the Christian conservative who laugh at your "funny" jokes, Brookes. Are these the "American Values" which your Heritage Foundation stands up for and promotes?
I assume, Brookes, that you will respond ... people await your precise and well-investigated and well-supported answers to these questions.
Oscar Heck
oscar@vheadline.com
| Oscar Heck has been a VHeadline.com commentarist for over 3 years and has contributed close to 500 articles. Born in Canada, Oscar has spent most of his life working as an executive recruiter and corporate investigator. He has traveled to 34 countries and lived/worked in 12, including Kuwait during the Gulf War (1991). Oscar's love affair with Venezuela began 28 years ago when he first went to work as a missionary in the shantytowns (barrios) of Caracas and in the Barlovento area, east of Caracas. Over the years, Oscar has traveled and worked throughout much of Venezuela, living mostly in the barrios. Oscar's strong anti-US-government stance stems mostly from his experience in the Gulf War and from his vast exposure to the inside workings of large corporations. His strong pro-Venezuela stance stems from his love for the Venezuelan Pueblo and from his unwavering belief that Hugo Chavez, Venezuela's current President, is taking positive steps toward enhancing the lives of the traditionally exploited, abused and excluded 80% majority. Oscar is fluent in English, Spanish and French. You may contact Oscar at oscar@vheadline.com |