Venezuelan lawmakers give Chavez sweeping powers - CNN.com

Venezuelan lawmakers give Chavez sweeping powers - CNN.com "Democracy in Action"

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) -- A congress wholly loyal to President Hugo Chavez approved a law Wednesday granting him authority to enact sweeping measures by decree. The law also allows Chavez to dictate unspecified measures to transform state institutions; reform banking, tax, insurance and financial regulations; decide on security and defense matters such as gun regulations and military organization; and "adapt" legislation to ensure "the equal distribution of wealth" as part of a new "social and economic model."

"Adapt" legislation? I think if I were Venezuelan, I would be somewhat concerned about that phrase!! And there's that "equal distribution of wealth" thing again. Maybe it's just me....Maybe it's just my own recent and ongoing experiences with seeing my own "wealth" distributed "equally" that makes me think this is not the best idea since cordless mice.

Vice President Jorge Rodriguez ridiculed the idea that the law is an abuse of power and argued democracy is flourishing. "What kind of a dictatorship is this?" Rodriguez asked the crowd, saying the law "only serves to sow democracy and peace." "Dictatorship is what there used to be," Rodriguez said. "We want to impose the dictatorship of a true democracy."

Ah, what a highfalutin' phrase-- the "dictatorship of a true democracy". Beyond the fact that that is one of the stupidest things I've ever read, leaving me just speechless.... Anyway, I did wonder what Chavez' best friend Cindy thinks about these sweeping new powers. Maybe she'd like to see some of those powers vested in our President?? We could have a "true democracy", after all!