Is Ken Livingstone advising Caracas' Mayor?
By Aleksander Boyd
London 23.08.06 | The internet is abuzz this morning; lots of messages in my inbox about the barrage of insults that Great Caracas' Mayor Juan Barreto hurled at Leopoldo Lopez and Henrique Capriles Radonski, mayors of Chacao and Baruta respectively, during some chavista do. My fellow bloggers are also indignant about the issue: Miguel posted "Sorry spectacle as Caracas Metropolitan Mayor insults and threatens to expropriate whole municipalities"; Daniel did not mince words in his "Barreto comes out of the fascist closet" whilst Romulo came out swinging with "Juan Barreto: Tales from a deranged homosexual turned homophobic." Now readers will surely think; what does Barreto's verbal diarrhea has to do with London's Mayor Ken Livingstone? Bear with me...
Just finished talking with Daniel. He is so utterly upset by the spectacle that he couldn't even stop talking, claiming that this is a giant leap towards what it is to come. He tried to convey the point that such things can happen only in Caracas for should such a hatred-filled performance have taken place in the so called "civilised world," heads would roll immediately. Well, as I explained to him, that is not the case, as far as London is concerned. Ken Livingstone has gained quite a reputation for his unhinged remarks. Some examples from his repertoire:
On Saudi Arabia's Royal family: "I just long for the day I wake up and find that the Saudi royal family are swinging from lamp-posts..."
On Jewish property developers Reuben Brothers: "if they’re not happy they can always go back to Iran and see if they can do better under the Ayatollahs".
On Jewish journalist Oliver Finegold: "Ah right, well you might be [Jewish], but actually you are just like a concentration camp guard, you are just doing it because you are paid to, aren't you?"
On my opposition to Hugo Chavez: well, readers can see the pattern here...
Apart from the above he has blatantly disrespected wide sectors of society by inviting to London's City Hall the Islamofundamentalist cleric Yusuf al-Qaradawi, who supports "female genital mutilation, wife-beating, the execution of homosexuals in Islamic states, the destruction of the Jewish people, the use of suicide bombs against innocent civilians and the blaming of rape victims who do not dress with sufficient modesty."
Ergo Daniel's impression that Mayors of civilised cities would not dare to exhibit such irrational behaviour is far off the mark. The fact is Livingstone, as Barreto, has not been made accountable as yet for his debased conduct.
On the positive side of things Barreto's little show is nothing but irrefutable and incontrovertible proof that confirms what all of us Venezuelan opposition bloggers have been denouncing for the last 4 years: chavismo, and by chavismo I refer specifically to Hugo Chavez and the 1500 thugs that form the spine of his regime, is a hatred-based creed formed by degenerated people. They do not believe in dialogue, negotiation and diplomacy nor do they held any respect whatsoever for political opponents or indeed rule of law. It is an error to take offence by whatever they utter, rather they must be treated the same way deranged people are.
As Daniel I feel the urge to congratulate publicly Leopoldo Lopez, Henrique Capriles Radonski, Marino Alvarado and Julio Borges. The first two for having shown poise and the intelligence to ignore Barreto's tart; Alvarado for having stressed upon the wanton disrespect that Barreto has for other human beings; and finally Borges for having driven the point that it is precisely that sort of attitude the reason why Venezuelans should vote massively for Manuel Rosales cum December to rid the country of the chavista pest once and for all.
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