On Thursday, June 7, 2007 at 17:36:36 (-0400) Walt Byars writes: >David is actually right about this. Comparing Chavez to Pinochet is just >cherrypicking unless you're trying to make an ad-hom at Friedman.
Gee, I thought we were comparing actually existing freedoms under actually existing systems, led by actually existing people. I could care less about Friedman. He's a dead right-wing ideologue whose brazen dishonesty helped support at least one mass murderer. His arguments are specious, one-sided, sloppy, and full of holes. To repeat them on this list with no hint of awareness of their baselessness deserves rebuke. So, instead of comparing Chavez to Pinochet --- where there is no comparison, evidently --- Chavez, and by extension "socialism", is accused of something the US government has done in the past, in glorious spades. They make his supposed crimes seem like child's play. Read McChesney and for that matter Tocqueville or Zinn if you don't believe me. Bill