It got worse last night as police fired gas and rubber bullets at a mostly peaceful protest in Caracas.  I got caught in one in Maracaibo (by accident, wrong turn) that was peaceful but heated.  Whereas Chavez's governmental majority runs about 65-35, it seems to me that the sentiment about non-renewal of the TV station license was about 70-30 against. 

In the real world, there are of course shades of gray, and one cannot criticize all elements of the Chavez government.  But the blind march toward autocracy during the last six months has been breathtaking and sad.  First, he achieved a temporary rule-by-decree.  Now he's publicly discussing nationalization of the banks.  Think that might politicize the lending process and availability of capital?

The government has unilaterally put price controls on meat and other food products.  The prices wouldn't be out of peoples' reach if he hadn't screwed up the economy so badly.  When I first visited the country in 1996, the exchange rate against the dollar was 270-1, free floating.  Today, the government has fixed the rate 2144-1 with black market exchanges up to 3500 to 4000-1.  This despite the greatest boom in oil prices in since the late 1970's.  Should there be any doubts about the lack of success of an autocratic, "planned" economy?

I think it's time we put him and Bush in a WWF cage match, let them f**k each other up, and make the world a better place for it.