gdp's Comments

Caracas Chronicles : Mental Health View From Quico\'s Window

Wed, 9 Dec 2009 19:20:56 +0000

Very funny, Omar. I know people here in Vermont who don't like the snow--poor souls iving in the wrong state. I love like this climate with four distinct seasons: winter with real snow, spring with cheerful baby green and flowers poking out of the ground, a very green and beautiful summer that is not too hot, and a spectacular autumn full of red, yellow and orange.

Caracas Chronicles : Subverting Chavismo\'s Discursive Standard

Wed, 9 Dec 2009 19:05:34 +0000

Lucia, once again, well said. I do take some issue with a sentence in your comment right before this one. You wrote Chavez is "failing spectacularly." In terms of consolidating power (what Chavez really cares about, regardless of what he says) he's actually doing quite well. It reminds me of Mugabe: he ran to the ground a once very promising country, but more than likely Mugabe's main criterion is power and in that regard he surely considers himself a success since he managed to stay in power for so long.

Caracas Chronicles : Subverting Chavismo\'s Discursive Standard

Wed, 9 Dec 2009 15:31:44 +0000

For what is worth, this is from a review by Herbert Gintis of a Cass Sunstein book. /// Going to Extremes is based on evidence that when like-minded people interact, their views become even more extreme. For instance, subjects in one experiment were asked their opinions on such controversial issues as global warming, abortion, and gay marriage. Those who self-identified as `liberal' were then asked to form one group to discuss these issues, while those who self-identified as `conservative' formed a second group. After fifteen minutes of discussion, virtually all the liberals became more liberal and the conservatives became more conservative. Sunstein concludes from this and a mass of other evidence that people tend to seek others with similar ideas, and the process of interaction with the like-minded gives rise to "group polarization." /// Yep, a common problem. And somehow the Internet has not been able to deal with this effectively. At least, not yet.

Caracas Chronicles : Dictatorship means never having to say \"the reason is...\"

Wed, 9 Dec 2009 03:05:33 +0000

Very interesting comment, Quico. To be frank, though, I'm afraid the reality of things is that in most well-established democracies the political discourse falls short of "discursive democracy" as you described it. This, of course, does not imply that we should not strive for it.

Caracas Chronicles : Dictatorship means never having to say \"the reason is...\"

Wed, 9 Dec 2009 02:52:35 +0000

Well said, Lucia. I agree with you 100 percent.

Caracas Chronicles : The real winner of the Honduran crisis

Sun, 1 Nov 2009 01:24:27 +0000

I'm embarrassed to say that I don't remember exactly. I think that at some point I was turned off by the perception that Bill was too involved and influential in Hilary's campaign. Before that I always criticized those who said that they are against Hilary because electing her would be tantamount to reelecting Bill Clinton once again (that Bill is the one really calling the shots), but at some point during the campaign I got the impression that perhaps those malicious critics had a point. Incidentally, I'm by no means a Hilary Clinton hater. As a matter of fact, I always like her more than her husband.

Caracas Chronicles : The real winner of the Honduran crisis

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 19:13:43 +0000

I hope you and Quico and JC are correct about this. I think it's much too early to jump into conclusions. I do wonder what kind of president Hilary would have been. Initially I was for her (I thought Obama was too much of a light-weight), but then the actions of her husband (Bill) made me switch sides and I became an Obama supporter. Bill Clinton was a good president, but I'm not sure whether he could have been a good "First Gentleman," and that's why in my opinion he became a liability to Hilary.

Caracas Chronicles : Just (about to get) married

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 15:16:07 +0000

Quico and Kanako: congrats once again! I know I'm jumping the gun here, since there are no kids yet: As to languages, my advise is to take advantage of the opportunities, be consistent in the use of those languages AND be natural. If your language family rules seem rather forced, it would be hard to follow them in the long run. My wife speaks English, French and Russian and I speak Russian, Spanish and English. We thought that it would be rather natural for my wife to speak to our daughter in English and for me to speak to her in Russian. At the end it didn't really worked out for us because I speak English with my wife and we live in the US. So the default language took over: English. Luckily my parents lived nearby, they saw my daughter every day, and they only spoke in Russian to her. And the times we all got together with my parents it was only Russian. So my daughter, who is now 17, speaks English, Russian (rather narrow vocabulary) and very basic Spanish (which she learned because of a great High School teacher--an enthusiastic woman from Peru.) Under different circumstances it would have been different. Now, to solidify that knowledge, the key is that during the next few years she should spend some time in both Russia AND Spain or Latin America.

Caracas Chronicles : Just (about to get) married

Sat, 15 Aug 2009 15:53:43 +0000

Quico, my congratulation to you and Kanako! As to my advice, as one married man to one who soon will be, Quico keep in mind the meaning of these nine words that women use (they probably do not apply during the first year of marriage, but after that they do): 9 WORDS WOMEN USE: 1. Fine: This is the word women use to end an argument when they are right and you need to shut up. 2. Five Minutes: If she is getting dressed, this means a half an hour. Five minutes is only five minutes if you have just been given five more minutes to watch the game before helping around the house. 3. Nothing: This is the calm before the storm. This means something, and you should be on your toes. Arguments that begin with nothing usually end in fine. 4. Go Ahead: This is a dare, not permission. Don’t Do It! 5. Loud Sigh: This is actually a word, but is a non-verbal statement often misunderstood by men. A loud sigh means she thinks you are an idiot and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you about nothing. Refer back to #3 for the meaning of nothing. 6. That’s Okay: This is one of the most dangerous statements a women can make to a man. That’s okay means she wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake. 7. Thanks: A woman is thanking you, do not question, or Faint. Just say you’re welcome. 8. Whatever: Is a women’s way of saying F@!K YOU! 9. Don’t worry about it, I got it: Another dangerous statement, meaning this is something that a woman has told a man to do several times, but is now doing it herself. This will later result in a man asking “What’s wrong?” For the woman’s response refer to #3.

Caracas Chronicles : Chavismo's Idea of Press Freedom

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 17:00:52 +0000

Thank you, Mike Nelson. Once again, I think it's very uncool (and, actually, rather pathetic) for a person to use more than one persona in a blog. I simply wanted to know how you know. You may well be right. I don't know those personas as well as you do--although a while ago I did recognize Tosh from OW (I forgot which moniker he was using) and it was amusing in a sad sort of way.

Caracas Chronicles : Quico hits AM Radio

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 14:03:11 +0000

"Guy has a microphone and an audience; that's good enough for me. " I disagree with the above. I don't know if that's how you meant it, but on its face I disagree with the statement that it should be enough that the guy has a microphone and an audience. There are many other factors to consider. (Having said that, I hope the interview went well.)

Caracas Chronicles : Chavismo's Idea of Press Freedom

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 03:57:23 +0000

Carlos and Mediadrone are, of course, ridiculous, but, out of curiosity, how do you know they are the same person? There is something obviously dishonest and manipulative about the same person using two personas in the same discussions, but I want to know how you guys know with total confidence that it is indeed the same person.

Caracas Chronicles : Quico hits AM Radio

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 03:41:30 +0000

I'm happy for you when you gain more exposure. Here, though, I have to say that it's too bad that it's Santorum (or even Bennett.)

Caracas Chronicles : Three Farewell Parties in a Week

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 22:52:41 +0000

The believe that before Chavez Venezuela was governed by a small "white" (i.e., folks with no Indian or African blood) minority is very common.

Caracas Chronicles : Caracas Chronicles 2.0: Where We Are

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 16:16:15 +0000

I've been accused of being too uncritical of a fan of this blog. Unfairly so, in my opinion, but here I'll provide more ammo for those who think that: I applaud your goals. Go for it! This does not mean that success is guaranteed. Far from it. You guys will be pilloried by the Chavistas and the PSFs. And I would not be surprised if a good number of anti-Chavistas will ridicule or cast suspicion on your efforts. If you are ready for that, then go for it! (IMO, though, you are overdoing it with the window pictures. They are fun if they consist of a small proportion of your posts, but all has its measure. And if they are being posted, too bad there are so few from Venezuela.)

Caracas Chronicles : Caracas Chronicles 2.0: Where We Are

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 20:09:50 +0000

Commendable plans and I wish you guys success! Out of curiosity, does that mean you chose Drupal for your CMS? (Not that I'm qualified, but a few years ago I sort of pushed (unsuccessfully) a nonprofit I worked for to pick Drupal.)

Caracas Chronicles : The Other Media Crisis

Thu, 6 Aug 2009 23:32:38 +0000

Speaking of Twitter and similar technologies, folks should be aware of its vulnerabilities. A interesting post by Evgeny Morozov regarding the distributed denial of service attacks. A quote and then the link: "... most DDOS attacks get fixed in a few hours... True, but that's also how exactly long most windows of opportunities for protest-based democratic change in authoritarian states last for. Twitter is most useful after specific (and well-timed) geopolitical events, like elections, where it could help propel a given political force to much larger audiences, particularly in the West. However, the more time passes after the elections, the less successful any ensuing protests would be. Thus, all incumbents need to do is to make sure that Twitter, Facebook, etc are unavaible for a few hours after the elections have been announced - and this is where DDOS attacks could be really useful." http://neteffect.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2009/08/...

Caracas Chronicles : The Other Media Crisis

Thu, 6 Aug 2009 16:20:15 +0000

Very good post about newspapers in Venezuela. Somehow I didn't think of the fact that they are money losing enterprises, but then, as you wrote, if that is the case with newspapers in the US, it is not surprising that this is also happening in Venezuela. The truly frustrating part is that in a perverse way it dovetails nicely with Chavez's goals. Lucky bastard: he came to power at the start of the oil boom and he's at the helm when old print media is in crisis. And yet, and yet.... I don't know what model you guys are thinking of, but may the new Caracas Chronicles be successful!

Caracas Chronicles : The Other Media Crisis

Thu, 6 Aug 2009 16:06:34 +0000

Cool blog. Hey, about four years ago we (my family) had a gfreat time in New Mexico, including Santa Fe and Jemez. But that was hiking, not biking. Venezuela must be great for mountain biking.

Caracas Chronicles : Lingering questions from Chávez’s press conference

Thu, 6 Aug 2009 15:41:46 +0000

[apologies... I misfired the first time, here is the complete comment....] Somewhat irrelevant to the substance of the post: we should keep in mind that although these stolen weapons are very easy to fire, to be effective they require a cool-headed and steady person willing to expose himself (or herself) at a fairly short range. That's why in real combat the vast the majority of times they miss their targets. I am dating myself, but when I was in the US infantry I had the opportunity to fire some LAWs (not nearly as good as the AT4s.) I was surprised at how easy it was to hit the target, but then remembered that one thing is to fire such weapons during training and quite another to fire them during combat. If the FARC does not have many AT4s (or whatever rocket launchers they have) , their personnel may not have the training opportunities to become effective in their use.