Is Donald Trump the american version of Hugo Chavez?
The Guardian journalist, Rory Carroll says:
He was a one-man media hurricane dominating the news with insults and provocations, promises and policy pronouncements. He would tweet at all hours, phone TV chat shows, stage rollicking rallies. He hired and fired people live on air. Humiliated and taunted foes and bragged about winning. He could be funny and coarse and buffoonish and broke all the rules about presidential conduct. Over time, it became clear there was genius to it. He sucked up all the oxygen, leaving allies as well as rivals gasping for air. Even if you were sick of him you paid attention.
It may seen that we are describing the now political celebrity Donald Trump, but that quote actually refers to the Venezuelan ex president, and leader of the socialist revolution for over a decade, Hugo Chavez.
I'm not saying that Trump is some sort of socialist, nor the the US is going to become Venezuela, a place going through the worst crisis in its modern history. If you wanna know more about Venezuela, read this post.
What I want to point out is the similarities of the political persona that these two have. Even though Trump comes from the elite of Manhattan, his speech appeals to the low income Average Joe. An unorthodox political attitude with a hateful speech, trying to blame it all in the system and the way of doing things.The plea for a change is needed, an outsider is the hero meant to be. Trumps shows himself as the avenger of that discontent, even though his bullying don't have anything good to offer to the political scenario.
These were the sames qualities that brought Hugo Chavez to power in 1998. A rebel outsider, weaving the flag of the popular discontent towards the political system. A choice to simply wash over everything and bring something new, without thinking much over a worse consequence. And that's how Chavez started to re-write the political history in the region.
Bread and Circuses
Language is key, notably humor, insults and vulgarity to rupture protocol and connect with supporters on a gut level. A media strategist like Chavez and Trump, know how to mislead the attention from problems, and that is a special tool in politics, to keep people busy from thinking about your mistakes. When a problem comes out there is just something to do, seek for a new fight, a new controversy, so the outburst goes in another direction, a source of eternal entertainment. Bread and circuses for Rome.
Both of them brand opponents with insults, play a similar behavior from a playground bully. This behavior seeks controversy, break the frames and ground rules of the scenario, so their irreverent personality can win sympathy from the masses. In a way to break their opponents down, the disrupture of protocolar behaviors shows the lack of respect and necessity of it.
The Donald Trump Show
As it now, we can see how the Trump candidacy went from what almost everyone thought a joke, to a sad reality. Many things can be said about a possible future with President Trump, in this comparison in megalomaniac personalities with Hugo Chavez, Carroll adds:
If the Republican reaches the White House, government through television will turn the US into the Donald Trump show. He will play different parts – the sober statesman, the Rottweiler partisan, the glossy celebrity, blurring the personal and political, the trivial and grave. There will be many crises, real and confected. If Trump is as smart as Chávez – a big if – he will turn each one to his advantage, shoring up his power even as the country unravels into tragicomedy.
Let just change the channel for a bit, please? Thank you.
As I just posted elsewhere:
We are witnessing the classic product of Darwinian natural selection in the clearest example there is of degenerative symbiotic co-evolution of two species. The voting public has been bred to demand politicians like Trump and Clinton and therefore that is the type of candidate that has emerged as the "fittest" specimen in both parties.
I do not know if I would call it retarded... But opinion pieces are usually written in a way to tear someone down vs. uplifting a person and motivating the person that reads it. I usually do not see intellectual conversations stem from them and that is because they stir up emotion and often offer no value...
They are often used to bring about the authors point of view with bias and yours has done that... It offers no critical thought that would spark an interesting debate. It was actually in the comments section that created it for me... See, anyone with a computer, and an emotional point of view can compare two historic people and vilify them. Doesn't make it right, but it is fairly easy.
For example... Anyone with a computer and a search engine with one keyword could produce some content like this:
Obama vs Hugo Chavez... Can You Tell The difference?
The story of Hugo Chavez is one that parallels Barack Hussein Obama’s disastrous but popular rule over the American people. Obama, too, ran as a candidate of the people. Obama, too, announced his intention to “fundamentally transform” the United States.
Both Barack Obama and Hugo Chavez Support Fellow Communist Thugs – Honduran Dictator Manuel Zelaya and the Communist Cuban Castro Brothers
How about their assault on critics?
Chávez publicly called for the imprisonment of a judge for 30 years after she granted conditional liberty to a prominent government critic who had spent almost three years in prison awaiting trial, according to Human Rights Watch. The judge, María Lourdes Afiuni, was arrested and spent more than a year in prison in pretrial detention, in deplorable conditions. She’s still under house arrest.
Obama’s Justice Department raided Sheriff Joe’s Arizona office in July 2014. Sheriff Joe has been outspoken about Obama including holding a press conference to announce the birth certificate provided by Obama to the public was a computer generated forgery. Obama’s IRS targeted Tea Party and other groups critical of Obama. Obama's Homeland Security also classified veterans returning from overseas as a possible terrorist threat? His Justice Department would not rule out the use of Drones on American soil on Americans without DUE PROCESS that is afforded them by the constitution.
Now, these are just small comparisons, but when written with a bit more thought and then placed in an opinion article could be shown as comparisons... You could also even add in that ACA "Obama Care" has socialized a significant amount of the US economy. I believe Chavez socialized much of the economy too.
To finish up, your article compares style of two people and then goes on to quote what the original writer thinks COULD HAPPEN based on these two peoples style... At least in the examples I shown from Obama... They actually have happened and are fact... Your article is full of conjecture and attempts to change an opinion based on nothing but a WHAT IF...
Plus, there is always the chance you will run into someone that may be able to see past the conjecture and see no comparison... Hugo Chavez nationalized much of the countries economy and media, ignored human rights, and often defended countries like North Korea, Iran, and Syria when UN resolutions condemned these countries for their abusiveness to its people. None of this fits into the mold of Trump. Not even close...
So what is the purpose of the article? You are from Venezuela right? You should be able to see past the conjecture too... Or, you just see an opportunity to tear someone down because you don't like them??? See, your post is based on nothing but mere opinion, you try to give it credibility because of who originally wrote it, offer no context, and then try and pass it off as valuable writing? It would have been better if it was written in a way that was entertaining... I found nothing entertaining here... @limitless is entertaining and more!!! Go read some of those articles...
Thanks for reading, the opinion and the critic.
I know I have to improve my writing, perks of speaking 4 languages, I don't really get too deep into the grammar.
Anyways, is good to read the arguments from other side, creativity is always something nice to appreciate.
I'm sorry my opinion wasn't enough entertainment for you, and yes, this post is my mere opinion, because that's what my blog is about: my opinion.
I hope to get better and more enjoyable to read.
Thank you for the time it took you write that, I can imagine the research.
Not much research... I studied economics in college... I keep up on what I think threatens capitalism in the US... So I was able to reference Obama quickly... Plus being an SEO guy, I know what to type to get info a little faster than the average bear... Just happen to be familiar with Chavez because I had to recently explain to my college nephew what Socialism was... Figured he would be the easiest to use as an example quickly...
3.5 years into college and he could not tell me the difference between capitalism, socialism, and communism last weekend... Not sure what kind of business degree he is going to graduate with. I know it isn't enough to get a job running my company...
Plus, I type really fast... LOL!!!
Oh Frank...
#Underwood2016
😜
I am from Venezuela, and that is exacly my take. Sadly, Populisim is alive and well in the USA!
Que loco ver el mismo loco en el lado opuesto. Abrazos Camarada! jaja
same same)
Trump looks more like Joe Biden
But Joe is such a nice guy, haha.
I know @albertogm. What concerns me is the way he deals with anyone speaking out against him at the rallies - very aggressive. I can see him creating his own private police, to 'sort out' any who cross him.
Really enjoyed reading ! What a circus !!
Retarded post..stop comparing trump to these people when you have no idea who trump really is. That just makes you a fake just like the media.
Hi @stephencurry
I'm from Venezuela, graduate from political science if that helps. I think I'm a well backed argument of a comparison in political characters, the type of language and attitude to the political game. Quoting words from an awarded journalist. Could you tell me what would be the biggest contra argument to my post? Or any other comment that justifies you calling my opinion "retarded". Still, thank you for reading.
Maybe he doesn't like Mexicans 😂
I really like your thoughts !
Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream
Merrily merrily merrily merrily life is but a dream
Curious why I bolded "life is but a dream"?
Then you might want to read about how a powerful psychedelic trip made me conclude that Trump is a manifestation of universal love: https://steemit.com/politics/@limitless/how-peter-thiel-zen-meditation-and-the-dmt-psychedelic-experience-led-me-to-endorse-trump