Let's Face It: Gordon Brown Gets Schooled Every Week

In case you don't know it, there is a show called Prime Minister's Questions on every week on CSPAN. It is also available here.

Every week Gordon Brown gets schooled by David Cameron. This week they could not decide about detaining individuals without charge for 28 or 42 days. Brown seems befuddled at best and incoherent at worst. Cameron may be wrong about some issues, but he is better at packaging arguments than Brown.

Besides even with his recent boost in the polls, Reuters, Labour is still behind by nine points.

Get ready for Thatcher 2.

PKP

I have not posted in sometime so I figured I should. Really when you think about it there is not enough stuff on the internet. So below is my greatest list serve abuse of Phi Kappa Psi ever. After begging to be taken off the list serve for two years (I quit paying dues after sophomore year, but remained on the list serve), I sent this email out with the subject of “Rush Suggestions.” PKP always had some kind of rush problems because no one wanted to join but “stupid annoying debaters.” So all rush activities were debated endlessly.

Needless to explain the below abuse was a shining example of the PKP attributes that can be summed up by the our song “O Canada.”



Anthony Jardina Mon, Dec 25, 2006 at 10:14 AM

Happy Holidays,
I hope this finds you well on a, hopefully, very merry Christmas morning. Some how, my brother-in-law has been able to commune with my old broken computer and fixed it. Do not ask me how. He tried to explain, and it made no sense to me.
Anyway, I found my favorite, and arguably, greatest list serve abuse, in the history of PKP. So by popular demand, here it is, the infamous "Rush Suggestions."

As we used to say, Amici

Anthony

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

SURPRISE FANNY PACK SURVEY INSTEAD!!!!

Hey Guys,
I know you guys are really busy reading the minutes, unpacking from going to Michigan and eating stir fry, but I have a few questions about fanny packs. This is a quick survey and will only take about 45 minutes. Please reply to the entire list serve.
Question 1: What do you keep in your fanny pack? This includes things like change, gum, copies of the minutes etc.
Question 2: How many women hit on you a day because of your cool beans fanny pack?
Question 3: What color is your fanny pack? Please include description of pictures that may appear on them.
Question 4: When did you get your first fanny pack and how many have you had since?
Question 5: Have you ever seen Douglas "Talking about my fanny pack all the time" Dresser not wear a fanny pack?
Question 6: Can I get let into the Phi Psi party if I wear my fanny pack?
Question 7: Will Randall ever do the dishes again in apartment 1B?

Amici

Anthony

________________________________________________________________________________-

JOSH P.

-Original Message-----
From: owner-phipsi@listserv.it.northwestern.edu [mailto: owner-phipsi@listserv.it.northwestern.edu] On Behalf Of a-jardina@northwestern.edu
Sent: Monday, November 15, 2004 5:59 PM
To: phipsi@listserv.ACNS.NWU.EDU
Subject: [PHIPSI:2689] Rush suggestions

SURPRISE FANNY PACK SURVEY INSTEAD!!!!

Hey Guys,

I know you guys are really busy reading the minutes, unpacking from going to Michigan and eating
stir fry, but I have a few questions about fanny packs. This is a quick survey and will only take
about 45 minutes. Please reply to the entire list serve.

Question 1: What do you keep in your fanny pack? This includes things like change, gum, copies of
the minutes etc.
Loose Change, Gum, Keys, Makeup Remover
Question 2: How many women hit on you a day because of your cool beans fanny pack?
I forgot to mention my counter. It currently says I'm at 63.
Question 3: What color is your fanny pack? Please include description of pictures that may appear
on them.
Hot pink. Though my first one had a teenage mutant ninja turtle on it. That one was green.
Question 4: When did you get your first fanny pack and how many have you had since?
Perhaps 10-15 (it's hard to keep count) since my first one. I think I was probably around 3 or so. The teenage mutant ninja turtle one.
Question 5: Have you ever seen Douglas "Talking about my fanny pack all the time" Dresser not wear
a fanny pack?
He looks naked without it…
Question 6: Can I get let into the Phi Psi party if I wear my fanny pack?
The real question is, will we let you into the party without a fanny pack?
Question 7: Will Randall ever do the dishes again in apartment 1B?
My magic 8 ball says "Don't count on it."
Amici

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________-

KEN

Anthony
My answers are:

Question 1: What do you keep in your fanny pack? This includes things like change, gum, copies of the minutes etc.
GI Joes, Flintstones vitamins, pictures of Ligers, wondertwins rings from a Frankenberry box, and
cool beans


Question 2: How many women hit on you a day because of your cool beans fanny pack?
Usually about 17, but this one time it got up to 28 because I put some leaves in my fanny pack and
told all the ladies that it was eucalyptus for my pet koala bear and they were stupid enough to
believe that I actually had a pet koala bear.


Question 3: What color is your fanny pack? Please include description of pictures that may appear on them.
One of my fanny packs is neon green. On it is the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles logo in the front
and on top there is a picture of Michelangelo because he is my favorite. My other one is hot pink. This is the one that usually gets the ladies cooing for my hot fanny pack man love.


Question 4: When did you get your first fanny pack and how many have you had since?
I got the hot pink one in 1989 and I got the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles one at my Teenage Mutant
Ninja Turtles 21st Birthday party.


Question 5: Have you ever seen Douglas "Talking about my fanny pack all the time" Dresser not wear a fanny pack?

Yeah, he often forgets his fanny pack, that's actually why he gets mad whenever he does get mad,
which is a lot.


Question 6: Can I get let into the Phi Psi party if I wear my fanny pack?

Most of the time you can, but it helps if there are copious amounts of drugs in it or you are an
ETHS student because they usually end up at our parties somehow.


Question 7: Will Randall ever do the dishes again in apartment 1B?
Probably, he's going to be here all winter break and none of us are so eventually he'll prolly have to cave in. Either that or he's going to mail them to Jeffery.


___________________________________________________________________________________________________

JEFF

Anthony,

My fanny pack answers are as follows:


Question 1: What do you keep in your fanny pack? This includes things
like change, gum, copies of
the minutes etc.


G-g-g-g-g-unit Member Identification Card
Pez
Gigapet
Pokemon Trading Cards (Does anybody want to trade for a Shining Tyranitar
[Triple Star]!?!)



Question 2: How many women hit on you a day because of your cool beans
fanny pack?

I have a girlfriend, but she thinks it's hot.



Question 3: What color is your fanny pack? Please include description of
pictures that may appear
on them.


I'm a simple man; I like navy blue or black -- depends on my mood. There
are no emblems or pictures on the front; however a nice feature of both
these fanny packs is the double zipper. The items I use most are
conveniently stored in the outermost pouch; whereas the items I hold most
dear, such as my Tony the Tiger pencil sharpener, are safely stored next to
me.



Question 4: When did you get your first fanny pack and how many have you
had since?

I received my first fanny pack on September 7th 2000 -- third prize for a
triathlon I participated in. It was a simple grey with "Lake Geneva
Triathlon" inscribed on the front. The latching mechanism was the classic
clip -- belt sizes ranged from 20-38 inches. However, due to the light
weave of the canvas, said fanny pack was destroyed in a freak running things
over with my car incident. Since then, I have purchased the above mentioned
blue and black fanny packs.



Question 5: Have you ever seen Douglas "Talking about my fanny pack all
the time" Dresser not wear
a fanny pack?

Didn't the police confiscate it when he was arrested while trying to rush
the field? Otherwise, no.



Question 6: Can I get let into the Phi Psi party if I wear my fanny pack?

Only if you want Nirav's imaginary girlfriend all over you.



Question 7: Will Randall ever do the dishes again in apartment 1B?

2 week's history says no.



__________________________________________________________________________________________________

AVERY

First off, id just like to say that these are such great rush suggestions that you cant possibly
classify it as listserve abuse. Any complaints will result in a GBoard, which you can put your
reminder about in your fanny pack.

Question 1: What do you keep in your fanny pack? This includes things like change, gum, copies of the minutes etc.
WINTERFRESH GUM, MY CELL PHONE, JONATHAN ZEV BERMAN, AND A MONSTER ENERGY DRINK. I ALSO KEEP A
PICTURE OF MY FANNY PACK IN CASE IT IS STOLEN, SO THE THIEF WILL BE CONFUSED.
Question 2: How many women hit on you a day because of your cool beans fanny pack?
IT VARIES - BETWEEN 2 AND 50 DEPENDING ON IF IT MATCHES THE REST OF MY CLOTHING ENSEMBLE

Question 3: What color is your fanny pack? Please include description of pictures that may appear on them.

MY FANNY PACK IS GOLD AND BLACK FOR SOME GA TECH LOVE. IT HAS A PICTURE OF BUZZ ON IT, AND HE IS
HOLDING A BASKETBALL AS IF TO SAY "I AM BETTER THAN YOU AT BASKETBALL"

Question 4: When did you get your first fanny pack and how many have you had since?
I GOT MY FIRST FANNY PACK FOR SOME VACATION IN 1991, THE WHOLE FAMILY HAD THEM, MATCHING FANNY
PACKS, I BELIEVE THEY WERE BLUE AND WHITE. THE ONLY ONE IVE HAD SINCE IS MY GA TECH ONE.

Question 5: Have you ever seen Douglas "Talking about my fanny pack all the time" Dresser not wear a fanny pack?

SO THATS WHAT THE T STANDS FOR. COME TO THINK OF IT, I CANT REMEMBER A TIME WHEN HE DIDNT HAVE IT. IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, DTD'S FANNY PACK COULD SIMPLY MORPH, IT HAS THE ABILITY TO TAKE THE FORM OF
A SCRAGGLY BEARD, PURPLE BODY PAINT, OR CARDINALS HATS, BUT ALWAYS INSIDE HE KEEPS HIS FLUFFY
GRINCH DOLL TO REMIND HIM OF HIS INNER BEAUTY

Question 6: Can I get let into the Phi Psi party if I wear my fanny pack?

I THINK THE REAL QUESTION WE SHOULD BE ASKING IS WHY JARDINA IS STILL ON THE LISTSERVE, OR MORE
IMPORTANTLY, WHY OTHERS ON THE LISTSERVE HAVE FAILED TO COME UP WITH SUCH CREATIVE USE'S OF MY TIME IN RESPONDING TO EMAILS. GBOARD NEXT WEEK FOR THOSE WHO FAIL TO RESPOND TO THE FANNY PACK SURVEY.

Question 7: Will Randall ever do the dishes again in apartment 1B?
CREDIBLE INSIDE SOURCES (RANDALL) DENY THE FACT THAT RANDALL HAS BEEN SKIPPING DISHES AND CLAIM
THAT IN FACT THERE WERE NO DISHES TO BE DONE ON THE TIMES IT WAS HIS TURN. FURTHERMORE, THEY CLAIM THAT JARDINA HAS FAILED TO CLEAN THE CHEESE GRATER AFTER ALL OF THOSE CHEESES HE GRATED. SKEPTICS
(JARDINA) CLAIM THAT RANDALL HAD TONS OF DISHES TO DO AND HAS MISSED 3 TIMES IN A ROW, AND THAT HE
WILL CLEAN THE CHEESE GRATER ONCE RANDALL STOPS HAVING SO MUCH SEX IN THE APARTMENT W/ HIS SPECIAL FRIEND. CREDIBLE SOURCES (STILL RANDALL) CLAIM THAT ANTHONY CAN HAVE AS MUCH SEX AS HE WANTS TOO,
BUT ONLY AFTER HE STOPS GRATING THE CHEESE.
Amici,
Your Friendly Neighborhood VGP,
Avery


________________________________________________________________________________________


GUESS--Who else would start an email with "Ahem"?

AHEM,

As to the issue of the "cheese grater," uncredible info transmitters (Avery) incorrectly
un-identified the cheese grater as its correct form, the sauce pan lined with a thick coating of rice.

Said uncredible transmitter also forgets that Anthony CANNOT have as much sex as he wants to,
insofar as he is a) still cooking rice and leaving it for all to see, and 2) busy BITCHING, which,
as we all (especially the uncredible transmitter) know, is highly unattractive.

Inquiring minds now know.

-Randall

PS: Whose day is it to do the dishes?

*****************************************
Question 7: Will Randall ever do the dishes again in apartment 1B?
CREDIBLE INSIDE SOURCES (RANDALL) DENY THE FACT THAT RANDALL HAS BEEN SKIPPING DISHES AND CLAIM
THAT IN FACT THERE WERE NO DISHES TO BE DONE ON THE TIMES IT WAS HIS TURN. FURTHERMORE, THEY CLAIM THAT JARDINA HAS FAILED TO CLEAN THE CHEESE GRATER AFTER ALL OF THOSE CHEESES HE GRATED. SKEPTICS
(JARDINA) CLAIM THAT RANDALL HAD TONS OF DISHES TO DO AND HAS MISSED 3 TIMES IN A ROW, AND THAT HE
WILL CLEAN THE CHEESE GRATER ONCE RANDALL STOPS HAVING SO MUCH SEX IN THE APPARTMENT W/ HIS SPECIAL FRIEND. CREDIBLE SOURCES (STILL RANDALL) CLAIM THAT ANTHONY CAN HAVE AS MUCH SEX AS HE WANTS TOO,
BUT ONLY AFTER HE STOPS GRATING THE CHEESE.
Amici,
Your Friendly Neighborhood VGP,
Avery




_________________________________________________________________________________________________

MATT

===========End of original message text===========

Question 1: What do you keep in your fanny pack? This includes things like change, gum, copies of
the minutes etc.
Black hair dye to do touch ups, a list of all the girls that dumped me, and a note book and pen to write poems about my infinite sadness

Question 2: How many women hit on you a day because of your cool beans fanny pack?
None obviously. I am in the process of writing a song about it. It's called "I'm so sad because nobody likes me"


Question 3: What color is your fanny pack? Please include description of pictures that may appear
on them.
Hot pink so someone will notice me and it has a picture of Chris Carrabba.


Question 4: When did you get your first fanny pack and how many have you had since?
I came out of the womb sportin a festive fanny pack.

Question 5: Have you ever seen Douglas "Talking about my fanny pack all the time" Dresser not wear
a fanny pack?
The one time he wasn't wearing it was when my dad took it off him and threw it away. We gotta do something to stop that random old asshole.

Question 6: Can I get let into the Phi Psi party if I wear my fanny pack?
No, we don't take kindly to you folk round here.

Question 7: Will Randall ever do the dishes again in apartment 1B?
About as likely as Jardina and Avery doin an eifel tower on a prostitute while eating a slab of beef jerky



________________________________________________________________________________________________________

DAVID MAUNU

Question 1: What do you keep in your fanny pack? This includes things like change, gum, copies of
the minutes etc.
My handy dandy swiss army knife to fend off any big scary robbers who wish to confiscate said pack. And by that I mean people taller than 5'10". And a cap gun. Oh, and a stopwatch, which I usually use to keep track of the amount of time I waste taking really cool surveys when I should be writing a paper that is due later today.

Question 2: How many women hit on you a day because of your cool beans fanny pack?
I get punched about twice a day. Oh, hit on. Uh, none. Er, I mean, lots.

Question 3: What color is your fanny pack? Please include description of pictures that may appear
on them.
Mostly black with a little neon green stripe. Also, my mom embroidered my full name in white. I also attached a finish flag and scratched off my middle name and instead wrote "boxa saunu" with a red sharpie.

Question 4: When did you get your first fanny pack and how many have you had since?
Before I went off to college. She's my first and only love. Wait, no, IT. Yeah, It's my first and on – oh, nevermind.

Question 5: Have you ever seen Douglas "Talking about my fanny pack all the time" Dresser not wear
a fanny pack?
Yeah, a couple times. Once he said he was gonna get naked and start the revolution. Fortunately he only got off his fanny pack before he accidentally punched his pledge son in the face while trying to punch a member of the ex-presidents who had called him skorny.

Question 6: Can I get let into the Phi Psi party if I wear my fanny pack?
Maybe. It mostly depends on if the person working the door recognizes you as a brother (or ex-brother) of this fraternity. So if you're not wearing your Anthony jardina mask, you'll probably get in. Unless of course you're just a douche.

Question 7: Will Randall ever do the dishes again in apartment 1B?
An interesting question. Probably yes. I would say no, and that he should just make his girlfriend do them, but then I remembered, this is randall we're talking about, he never made anybody do anything. Well, except that one time with that one girl in that one movie. What was it, punch drunk love? God I love adam sandler. Unfortunately drew Barrymore is a bitch and terrible actress. But I digress. The answer is yes.

Join Nickelback

I recently had the opportunity to discuss future career opportunities with some chums of mine. While talking about the future, I suggested we all join the band Nickelback.

They all thought it was a terrible idea. I disagreed. Joining Nickelback is a great idea that will have lasting benefits.

Before we all get too excited about this opportunity, let’s review the facts about Nickelback. I really don’t know anything about them, so this section is sparse. They are a band. Wikipedia says they are from Canada. That is good news.

Now that we are done with the background, I will just give a list of reasons to join Nickelback.

1) Money
The point of joining Nickelback is to get lots of money. They apparently are popular (I can’t name one of their songs). So all we have to do, is play the tambourine in the background and get paid (hopefully twice a month). We may never get to the hall of fame for tambourine players http://www.stardustlanes.com/tambourine.html, but the checks should clear the bank. See image below about playing the tambourine.



See even little kids can do it. We would be awesome at it.

2) Ripped jeans
It seems like it is prerequisite to join Nickelback that you have ripped jeans. I would just say during the interview that I didn’t have any, and then they would have to buy me some. Awesome.



3) No landmines
Nickelback is against landmines. So if we join, we don't have to worry about them.



I can see why they are against them.



4) Easy lyrics
This time I wonder what it feels like
To find the one in this life
The one we all dream of
But dreams just aren't enough
So I´ll be waiting for the real thing.
I'll know it by the feeling.
The moment when we´re meeting
Will play out like a scene straight off the silver screen
So I`ll be holdin’ my breath
Right up to the end
Until that moment when
I find the one that I'll spend forever with

Those are actual Nickelback lyrics. I know, I know. They are so bad it’s almost laughable. If there was something that devalued all that is good, I am sure that it came out of the pens of Nickelback. But remember that is a good thing for us. We want to join Nickelback. You can write really dumb trite things, and its awesome.

5) They let me in. But they will probably everyone else in too.



Bonus.

6) On a more serious note, LT said yesterday she could not deal with my “overwhelming clown[ishness].” Unclear if that is good or bad.

Hugo Chavez

I wrote this in 2003 and was proven dramatically wrong. I brought this paper up because Fronline recently did a peice on Chavez. I am thinking about writing more about economic systems given our current crisis and that I am about to do major debate files on capitalism.

There are two things that have kept Chavez in power that my paper did not take into account.

1) Oil prices spiked after this and stayed consistently above $100 a barrel. Now Chavez is facing a harder time since oil is lower, but the price is expected to go up. The greater concern is that Petroleos de Venezuela, the oil company of Venezuela run by the government, is producing less because everyone who knew something about Oil is now gone. For the time being, it will support him, Cuba and other revolutionaries in South America.

2) Rush Limbaugh style politics-he has a weekly show that runs for about 5 hours. In it he criticizes his ministers and asks them a bunch of random questions. So it appears like they are the ones at fault. Unlike the American style of politics, "the buck stops here", Chavez has an uncanny ability to divert blame. He is also entertaining. A bonus when politics for the most part is just entertainment. Yes politicians can do some very damaging things (Iraq), but for the most part government does not touch our lives in a big way. (I will also say government is a big deal in other posts so I do realize I am contradicting myself.)

All in all, Venezula while bad doesn't really matter. The oil they produce can ONLY be refined in the US. We have the only refineries that can deal with their type of crude oil. Other refineries can't cut it. So they will continue to ship their oil to us. We will refine it, and the battle or rhetoric will heat up or down depending on the administration.

One other note, the recent elections (in Nov.) in Venezuela saw Chavez's party lose. Why? Social reforms are not happening, the economy is down, and crime is way up. So its late coming, but Chavez might be on his last leg.



Chavez: The Impossible Road to Success

June 9, 2003

Hugo Chavez represents a radical departure form the current solutions of neo liberal reforms to Latin America’s problems. Instead of free markets and an opening up of democracy, he pushes for reforms more fitting of past populist leaders like Peron, Vagras, and Cardenes. He openly applauds communist Cuba, in the face of an international system that has concluded overwhelmingly that communism is impossible. Chavez’s radicalism, however, is politically unstable. His base will soon erode from him for multiple reasons and the economy will soon decline. He has shown his style of politics is not a way to stand against globalization or a viable model for other countries.
Chavez relies on a social base that is similar to those of past populist leaders. To understand Chavez’s political base, one must first understanding Venezuelan politics. Venezuelan politics for around fifty years has been dominated by the Punto Fijo system. It was a system that relied on two main political party actors Action Democratica and COPEI. This system, while stable for many years, did not allow political action by the left or communists who were deemed too radical (Lecture 5/27/03). This left a large group of unorganized poor who desired some types of radical reform, but politically they could never enter the system (Lecture 5/27/03). Furthermore, and more importantly, the political parties began to become entrenched and ossified. They could no longer respond to the growing economic problems in Venezuela (McCoy 1, 7). In this environment Chavez a long standing political revolutionary, who had already tried to overthrow the government, launched a campaign that galvanized large sectors of the unorganized poor and those tired of the old political system (Lecture 5/27/03; Weyland 73).
While Chavez carried more political sectors than the unorganized poor when first elected, the unorganized poor currently remain his most important sector. Chavez has brought the poor into Venezuelan politics The recruitment follows the same patterns as populists of the past. Peron, in Argentina, mobilized the unions, then a group that which had not played a major role in politics (Lecture 4/10/03, 4/8/03). Also, Peron effectively mobilized rural votes that until then, was largely controlled by the caudillos (Gibson 343). Vagras, in Brazil started his career in the same way by mobilizing factions that had previously not had power, and his political base, when elected president, was the poor (Skidmore and Smith 155, 162). Cardenes in Mexico followed much the same pattern distributing land and mobilizing the workers and peasants in a corporatist system who until that time shared little power in Mexico’s political structure (Skidmore and Smith 234-236; Gibson 350). In all of these populist cases the leaders relied on a group of people, usually the poor, who until recently did not have political power until they were finally mobilized, and a political leader took up their cause (Green 17).
Chavez’s origin in the military is also similar to populist leaders Chavez was a former officer in the military like Cardenes and Peron (Skidmore and Smith 233, Lecture 4/10/03, lecture 4/8/03). Similarly, Vagras in Brazil received military support after the military staged a coup (Skidmore and Smith 156). The support of the military should be seen as a key area of support for these leaders.
Chavez’s leadership style also fits with other characteristics of populist leaders. He has a charismatic style fitting of other popular movements. He is known for his enthralling speeches and charisma that is comparable to Eva Peron’s style (Lecture 5/27/03, Eva Peron Movie). He also appeals to the poor sentiments linking himself incessantly to Simon Bolivar (Lecture 5/27/03). His appeals to anti party politics and promises of great reform also match other styles of leadership like Menem’s in Argentina and Fujimori’s in Peru (Weyland 75).
Despite his similarities to other leaders, Chavez will be unable to maintain the level of support they had in the past. Opposition is galvanizing against him especially the military, his political base is fickle and his great political reform will not work. Currently, Chavez faces opposition from multiple coalitions. Business is at the front of this attack mainly in response to Chavez’s communist rhetoric (Weyland 87). Another faction is the Catholic Church who remains opposed to Chavez’s introduction of Bolivarian ideology into the school systems (Weyland 85). Along with these two factions the middle class has begun organizing against him for his authoritarian style policies (Lecture 5/27/03).
In the face of such strong opposition, Chavez must rely on the poor, his strongest political coalition. However, this reliance will soon lead to disaster for multiple reasons. The poor have a low political organization and are unlikely to form them due to fears of returning to a systems like Venezuela’s past (Weyland 76, 84). Furthermore the poor expect massive reforms from Chavez. He has increased their hopes of a new system that will change the fundamental characteristics of Venezuelan society. This was only heightened by the new constitution which most of the populous looked to as a “panacea” (McCoy 6). However, Chavez will be unable to fulfill his promises. First, Chavez faces massive political opposition from many groups like business and the Catholic Church. Second, the hopes of the poor are too high and could be expressed in politically dangerous ways for Chavez. For example the poor started taking over abandoned land and vacant buildings when Chavez came to power. This has similarities to the Chilean workers, who took over the Ford plant, once Allende was elected president (McCoy 5; Lecture 4/23/03). Allene’s radical base partially lead to his downfall. If the poor keep mobilizing in this fashion could do the same for Chavez (Lecture 4/23/03). Third, the unorganized masses are fickle and could easily stop supporting him if Chavez’s policies fail. This is exactly what happened to Fernando Collor of Brazil and Abdala Bucaram in Ecuador who relied on the poor and were unable to fulfill their promises (Weyland 76). Fourth, it seems that Chavez will be unable to keep the poor supportive of his system because he has taken a middle of the road approach to politics (Weyland 79). While he spouts praise for communism, he also privatizes multiple industries (McCoy 6). This middle of the road approach will devastate him politically. While he will raise the poors’ expectations, he also pushes policies for them to rebel against. At the same time, the opposition fears that his rhetoric will lead to a communist revolution. They will never support him and his middle of the road approach will not assuage their fears. Fifth, any solution is suspect because Chavez has staffed his administration with loyalists instead of trained politicians. This will only make any type of new reforms ineffective (Weyland 81). Chavez’s reliance on a linkage to Bolivar and shaky political base only ensure he will be unlikely to be modeled throughout Latin America. He has not invested enough time to gain a strong political backing to truly handle Venezuela’s problems.
Another political faction that could lead to Chavez’s downfall is the military. Currently Chavez is politicizing the military by putting officers loyal to him in a number of positions: the minister of defense, Minister of transportation, governor of the deferral district, chief of the bureau of taxation and many more (McCoy 6). This process is politicizing the military something that should be feared. There are number of examples that clearly show when the military becomes politicized revolution becomes much easier. In Chile when Allende hoped to put a military officer in his cabinet to stabilize politics, it ended up politicizing the last neutral branch in Chilean politics. It only further exacerbated problems eventually leading to a military coup (Skidmore and Smith 130; Valenzuela 82, 99-100). In Brazil the military stared to become politicized when they started a number of military colleges that began dealing with internal security issues (Stephan 134-143). This process eventually lead to a highly regimented system, where fear of class politics (also in Venezuela thanks to Chavez’s talk of revolution) lead to a military takeover (Skidmore and Smith 169). With the polarization of the military Chavez must also deal with a military opposed to his leftist leanings, coup attempts and use of the military for civilian works (Weyland 85). With this politically important sector so opposed to Chavez and historically so dangerous to upset, it appears that Chavez may not provide a good example for other Latin American countries to follow.
Chavez also has an authoritarian strain to his political platform that will soon prove unworkable. Chavez when his party rewrote the constitution put in a number of authoritarian elements: increasing the presidents terms, dissolving the Senate, creating a “state of exemption” where democratic procedures would be suspended (Weyland 86, Lecture 5/27/03). He is trying to centralize power. However, authoritarian measures will only ensure his demise faster. One of the key reasons why Venezuela rebelled from COPEI and AD was their inflexible structure that was dubbed the patriarchy (McCoy 5, Lecture 5/27/03). It seems that the forces that rallied against the illiberalism will also strike against Chavez. Also, authoritarianism is feared in much of Latin America after their own bureaucratic authoritarianism stages, so any attempt by Chavez to become more authoritarian will be combated at every side.
Along with is political policies faltering, his economic policies will only further damage his chances of success. Since he assumed office, international investment has fled the country. Foreign investment contracted eighteen percent in 1999 and only slightly rose in 2000. While domestically, investment in business has seriously declined as well (Weyland 79). In a system with a sluggish economy due to lack of investment Chavez must continue to rely on money from the oil sector. However despite recent assurances that the oil sector will not strike, it seems impossible to keep the entire country dependent on oil (Lecture 5/27/03). There could easily be oil fluctuations that would devastate oil prices (McCoy 8; Weyland 74). Furthermore, eventually if the country continues to rely on the oil industry to support its finances eventually the oil company will not be able to invest in itself or new oil projects. This will hurt the industry’s ability to grow and expand, eventually falling behind other oil exporters. This process occurred in Mexico where the government relied on the oil industry far too much (The Economist 6). With the decreasing economy it will only be a matter of time before more political resistance shows up to combat Chavez.
Chavez does not present a new alternative to globalization or a model for others to follow. While are origins and coalitions are comparable in some ways to other coalitions that have emerged in Latin America, he does not retain the political stability to ensure that his platform will be passed. Furthermore Venezuela has shown the peril that a country goes through when radical rhetoric enters politics: business leaves. The reason that Chavez has not already faced sever economic challenges is reliance on the oil industry. This reliance can only occur in Venezuela other Latin American countries will realize that they do not have the same economic assurance. In the end, this will only demonstrate to other countries that they should keep reforms closer to neo liberalism rather than socialism. Already, it seems that populist and other leftist policies are being rejected most notably in Argentina and Colombia (“Losing”). While he received a majority in his first election, there is little chance that Chavez in the current situation or politics can be followed with much success.

Eye of the Needle by Ken Follet

I read it. It was good. The bad part was its a spy novel about a Nazi. So there is a swastika on the cover. AND IT SUCKED READING IT ON THE BUS; I THOUGHT SOMEONE WAS GOING TO ACCUSE ME OF READING NAZI PROPAGANDA. Recommendation: Read privately.

The No Boys Allowed Post (aka Twlight Series Review)

This maybe the only time I ever say these words "No Boys Allowed." You will ruin this. Stop reading if you are a boy. (Straight boys only)

You will gush.

You will gush and you will like it. Its like chewing gum and sucking on ice so the gum gets hard. You will gush.

I have not posted in some time. I mainly blame two things: 1) My recent posts have not been as funny as my first 2 posts deterring me from posting again 2) Taxes and financial year end closes. The latter could be said to lead to the former, but whatever. All I know is its not the auditors problem, the accountant likes me and to boot IRS form 8743 isn't due for our organization. Check it out http://www.irs.gov/charities/charitable/article/0,,id=185602,00.html. Great right?

Anyway, I also glad that I had some time away from these books. Ken will attest that after buying the book (at a Wal-Mart while in a 3 hour line for Sonic with Eric and him) I then bought the other three books and read them in five days. I read the books everywhere all the time. Rabid like a vampire. O did I say vampire, that’s a coincidence because these books are about vampires and polymorphs (wait for the dorky meter to rise) not werewolves. Apparently there is a difference but somebody who becomes a big wolf is a werewolf to me and Michael Jackson and that is good enough for me. This book will not answer any of the pressing questions you have about vampires. For example what domain does count Chocula rule? Is it in Pennsylvania because that is where Hershey's is based? Or back in the old country Europe where people speak with accents, wear pointy hats and soccer teams that Americans route for during the World Cup. Does the Count from Sesame street still kill people? Like why did all the people on Sesame Street keep changing? Where are they now? I want photographs.

This book is just a gushy romance novel. As simple as Danielle Steel (I plan on reading one of those for this blog at some point) and as melodramatic as High School was. This book reminds me of an LCD Soundsystem song called Sound of Silver. One of the lyrics are as follows: Sound of silver talk to me makes you want to feel like a teenager until you remember the feelings of a real life emotion of teenager then you think again. That is the entire song. This book is just a longer version of those six lines. High School is so big. Too big. Our bodies are pumped full of hormones. Emotions are big. They are just as big in this book. And for some moments very brief you want to experience all that again. Then you think again. But its fun. Its fun to have big emotions racing through us. The books plot is blah blah blah. It doesn't matter. People want the romance. That is why you would read this book. The last book suffers from fatigue. Like all series. So like the millions of teenage girls, I have to recommend this book. No boys allowed though. You will ruin it.

Response to Friend's Post (I am not trying to be mean)

Link to Colin's post:

http://robotindisguiseblog.blogspot.com/2008/07/is-batmans-middle-initial-w.html

No offense but some comments on your recent post.

The idea that Batman, in the movie Dark Night, more fully reflects our society than other superhero movies like Superman and is consequently more successful is a bit shortsighted. There are a couple parts to your argument:

A) Batman is not a purely heroic, good figure.
B) This reflects current society’s values that there is no longer a “good,” “bad” or capital T “truth.”
C) Society in the past had a more binary view of morality. Things were either good or bad.
D) Superheroes, who reflect society, are more popular.
E) Therefore, Batman, which reflects society more accurately, is more popular.

First Superheroes evolve. Superman and Batman were a reflection of binary characters in the 30s. Now, they are both conflicted about their roles.

Second, society has never had a completely binary view about anything. To say society viewed a certain thing in this way or that way always leaves out particular views. Remember the 1920s “peak” of the binary view of morality, was when T.S. Elliot was the Wasteland and upending all thoughts about binary view. He and others were pushing a “non-binary” view of morality.

Third, the idea that society today has more “gray” in it seems logical, but in the middle of your post you describe the Joker as a prototypical terrorist. A terrorist, in your view, is one who tries to create chaos. It seems that your “gray” view of our current society does not really match the “prototypical” terrorist you describe. Society then seems to idealize a completely non gray terrorist who is pure evil. So the pitfall of binaries is something that you use in your blog.

A note about the prototypical terrorist: Terrorists usually want to create a society more structured than less. They perform acts of terrorism to try and make society into a structure that in their view has the rules and regulations they want. If you are thinking Muslim terrorists, then they would like to have a society dictated by the Sharia. Environmental terrorists, a very different kind of terrorist, who destroy new homes etc., want a society where production and land is highly regulated. The better term is the fantasized, imagined terrorist. Not prototypical.

Fourth, superheroes who reflect society are more popular than those that don’t. I don’t have a real argument here other than The Dark Night is more popular because it has some appeal because of Heath Ledger’s death, the special effects, better script writing, acting, etc. Also Christian Bale is Batman. Who is Superman? Some dude? More popular actors also help The Dark Night. It may have nothing to do with the characters themselves.

Also, the Joker does not want to revert to a “Hobbesian” universe where the strongest wins. Hobbes actually wanted a strong state or king to prevent the strong from hurting the weak. In other words, somebody super strong to beat down mean people.

I am not trying to be an ass.