Venezuela implements its own Fairness Doctrine.

VERY TRUE. WELL PUT.

God bless and protect you Blaise

They have been very vocal. For example, before coming to work this morning, I was able to watch a programme in which they had a large number of RCTV journalists and editors as well as comics, actors and actresses from various RCTV productions. As well, there were Venezuelan sports stars, including the captain of their Davis Cup team (two nights ago they had the captain of the national football (i.e. soccer) team on). All these people were standing up for freedom of the press and freedom of speech.

Globovision has been doing this despite a lot of pressure from the government and at some risk. They have been discouraged from covering the demonstrations (next week the station head, as well as the main anchorman, have been summoned to an appointment with some of Chavez’ ministers…who knows, maybe the big man himself) but have continued putting out the news. (If you understand Spanish you can check out some of their news coverage on their website).

My point is this: I am not sure if everyone in the US, Canada etc realize it, but there is a real, live fight going on now for freedom of speech. People are standing up, at risk to themselves, in its defence. Today, students from Universidad Central de Venezuela and Universidad Vatolica Andres bello ( a great university that will be very familiar to anyone who knows about the Jessup competition) are planning to march towards the National Assembly. The government has arranged counter-protesters to meet them.

In the US, there are those who want a so-called “Fairness Doctrine”, in which some amorphous entity will somehow decide what is balanced and what is not and which opinions need to be balanced off. Chavez’ Venezuela is living the nightmarish extension of that line of reasoning.

On Globovision this morning they said (in Spanish) that “No one knows what they have until they lose it.”. Americans need to be on guard. I worry that the Venezuelans may have left it too long.

- The Cat

Anyway it’s obvious that this perfect example of technology sticking it to The Man will be top news on Digg and Slashdot any minute now!

CARACAS, Venezuela (CNN) — Radio Caracas Television, the station silenced by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, has found a way to continue its daily broadcasts — on YouTube, the popular video Web site.

Although the station is officially off the air, CNN’s Harris Whitbeck said its news department continues to operate on reduced staffing, and the three daily hour-long installments of the newscast “El Observador” are uploaded onto YouTube by RCTV’s Web department.

I applaud CNN-Venezuela for this, but why does CNN in the USA, along with ABC, CBS and NBC do nothing but give aid and comfort to leftist? I guess they will continue to support Hillary and the Democrats until the Clintonestas seized their stations.

Finally, YouTube becomes useful.

ej_pez on June 1, 2007 at 9:17 AM

How long before YouTube bans deletes it and bans further posts?

Freedom fighters!

enjoy that blood money, danny.

All it does is give Chavez a reason to add government filters to everyones internet connection…can you say China!!!

b4itsover on June 1, 2007 at 9:05 AM

It is for this reason we should be dropping laptops with uncensored satilite internet on ever dic(tator) led country in the world.

The best kind of imperialism is cultural!

amerpundit on June 1, 2007 at 9:08 AM

Seems like it. Thanks!

Btw, Most subscribed this week, and fourth this month…

I believe it’s this one.

amerpundit on June 1, 2007 at 9:08 AM

Yeah, that’s much better.