Why We Should Hope That Hugo Chávez Gets Well
That the ailing Venezuelan tyrant Hugo Chávez could become permanently incapacitated due to severe illness or death seems as though it would be a great boon for both Venezuela and the world. The fewer bad guys the better. But contrary to conventional wisdom, the death of Chávez could actually make Venezuela more repressive, argues Mary Anastasia O'Grady in her latest column in the Wall Street Journal. Better the devil we know than the devil we don't.
...[I]t is worth considering the alternative outcome. Because Mr. Chávez has destroyed institutions in order to foster a cult of personality, his mortality implies sheer chaos—as well as opportunity for the violent and ambitious. The bloodbath for power would not be between democrats and chavistas. It would be between the many armed factions that he has nurtured. Once victorious the winner will try to inherit his power by insisting that the nation worship his memory. Since none of his likely successors shares his charisma, repression is likely to get worse.
Cuba will be ready to help. The Castro brothers have long provided the security and intelligence apparatus that Mr. Chávez uses to stifle dissent. In exchange, Mr. Chávez funnels at least $5 billion annually to the island regime. The survival of that symbiotic relationship would be a top priority for the Cuban military dictatorship.
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Dec '10
Re: Why We Should Hope That Hugo Chávez Gets Well
Such things are inevitable thanks to Chavez. We should hope that he is unable to return to Venezuela, because it will be much much worse if Chavezism is entrenched so that nobody remembers life B.Ch. (before Chavez).
Dec '10
Re: Why We Should Hope That Hugo Chávez Gets Well
The problem with "better the devil we know" is that you are still dealing with the devil. Might as well roll the dice and see if we can't get a winner. Maybe I am just showing my poor grasp of history but how often does "better the devil you know" actually work out in our favor? It seems like BTDYK is just another way of saying "I don't feel like dealing with this problem, lets just kick the can down the road for the next generation to deal with".
May '10
Re: Why We Should Hope That Hugo Chávez Gets Well
The Devil We Know... Sixty-five years of US foreign policy summed up in four words.
May '10
Re: Why We Should Hope That Hugo Chávez Gets Well
I disagree. At some level of depravity, the Chavez, or post-Chavez thugocracy will collapse. We should root for this demon's death, and cheer on a revolution.
Feb '11
Re: Why We Should Hope That Hugo Chávez Gets Well
This is very different from Egypt. Unless there is an Islamist subset of the Chavez clique or a nuke-crazy vice president in the wings, I say "good riddance."
Feb '11
Re: Why We Should Hope That Hugo Chávez Gets Well
Aren't we supposed to hope that his near death experience causes Chavez to realize that he has sinned against his people and that he recovers and returns to right the wrongs he has done?
Jun '10
Re: Why We Should Hope That Hugo Chávez Gets Well
Ah! if only Stalin were still alive. Maybe the WSJ would write "better the devil you know" in celebration of the man of steel.
Jul '10
Re: Why We Should Hope That Hugo Chávez Gets Well
I don't think this qualifies as a NDE.
Feb '11
Re: Why We Should Hope That Hugo Chávez Gets Well
Yeah, the WSJ is a rather humorous publication! Unless they see a chance to invade, they want to keep the devil they know.
Feb '11
Re: Why We Should Hope That Hugo Chávez Gets Well
Chavez is in a Havana hospital? Michael Moore will be gratified. But I'm guessing that Hugo will merit the Spanish doctors that were flown in to treat El Jefe, rather than having to rely on the local sawbones.
Why didn't he come to Hopkins or the Mayo Clinic? Maybe he was afraid that the IPAB wouldn't OK the necessary procedures
Jul '10
Re: Why We Should Hope That Hugo Chávez Gets Well
I disagree. Chavezism doesn't have much appeal without Chavez there to enforce it.
It's hard to maintain a personality cult if the personality is gone.
Aug '10
Re: Why We Should Hope That Hugo Chávez Gets Well
Will Ahmadinejad and Gadaffi get to the funeral? If they do, might they bump into Obama? Remember the latter's attempts to suck up to Chavez, including getting it completely wrong on Honduras? Seems like a long time ago, I know, but what a precursor it was!
Jun '10
Re: Why We Should Hope That Hugo Chávez Gets Well
I have had this morbid fantasy that he stays in Venezuela for years to come so that we can all watch him run the country further and further into the ground. Then we have one more example to show of how his ilk are perennial failures. Maybe people will wake up and finally see that socialism, statism, or whatever the heck he's trying to create there doesn't work. (Like I said, it's a fantasy) Of course, that's not particularly compassionate for those who have to suffer through it, but I thought global opinion wants us to keep our noses out of everyone's business? Well fine. Let 'er rip Hugo.
Mar '11
Re: Why We Should Hope That Hugo Chávez Gets Well
I'm tempted to agree, except for two things: