Mayday!

When searching for blog fodder, it would seem that I need look no further then my own email!

Submitted for your consideration: my dear friend DC sent the following (rather alarmist) email regarding a meeting this past January between Hugo Chavez and Cindy Sheehan with the usual admonition that we should all boycott Citgo and all things Venezuelan.

Venezuela Dictator Vows To Bring Down U.S. Government

Venezuela government is sole owner of Citgo gasoline company

Venezuela Dictator Hugo Chavez has vowed to bring down the U.S. government. Chavez, president of Venezuela, told a TV audience: "Enough of imperialist aggression; we must tell the world: down with the U.S. empire. We have to bury imperialism this century."

The guest on his television program, beamed across Venezuela, was Cindy Sheehan, the antiwar activist. Chavez recently had as his guest Harry Belafonte, who called President Bush "the greatest terrorist in the world."

Chavez is pushing a socialist revolution and has a close alliance with Cuban dictator Fidel Castro.

Regardless of your feelings about the war in Iraq, the issue here is that we have a socialist dictator vowing to bring down the government of the U.S. And he is using our money to achieve his goal!

The Venezuela government, run by dictator Chavez, is the sole owner of Citgo gas company. Sales of products at Citgo stations send money back to Chavez to help him in his vow to bring down our government.

Take Action

Please decide that you will not be shopping at a Citgo station. Why should U.S. citizens who love freedom be financing a dictator who has vowed to take down our government?

A link within the email takes us to this report at Ms NBC which includes the following photo accredited to Miraflores Palace via Reuters.

Meanwhile, back at the progressive press we have an opposing viewpoint from Common Dreams, essentially stating that we should support the (ahem) democratically elected president of Venezuela by boycotting everyone else (read Exxon/Mobil, i.e. Middle Eastern oil) and only buying our fuel from Citgo.

As I said to DC, we actually threatened Chavez first because our government didn't like his progressive policies. However, I intensely dislike his macho posturing, almost as much as I dislike it in my own government officials.

So, even though I'm usually a person of strong opinions, I'm really quite torn on this one. It's highly unlikely that tiny Venezuela could make so much as a dent in the US, but threatening us does more harm then good! I wish Chavez would make it easier by taking the high road but I guess he's just a typical male after all. Too bad, I'd like to see the end of US imperialism too.

What do you think? Who should we boycott, if anyone? Do boycotts really do any good? Or do they just make things more inconvenient for the boycotters?

Talk amongst yourselves!

In other news, today is May Day! AKA International Workers Day! The following link will take you to a hot blast of rhetoric from the Anarchist Library describing the history and origins of International Workers Day.

It might be appropriate at this juncture to let everyone know I have deep labor roots. It seems my Italian great-grandfather was a union organizer in the Virginia coal mines back in the day, as the kids say. Unfortunately, as the story goes, he was killed in a motorcycle accident on his way to a violin lesson when my grandma was just 5 years old. A sad story to be sure, but the scary part for me is that nobody knows if it was really an accident or if he was the victim of something more nefarious.

Today, immigrants all over the country will be marching in solidarity, to call attention to immigration reform. A worthy cause, to be sure, especially since I tend to fall on the side of the workers. But…

…what I want to know is, whatever happened to International Outdoor Intercourse Day, aka Beltane? For my money? That’s a much more enjoyable way to spend the day! Thus, I entreat you, if you can’t march today, for whatever reason, (ironically, I have to work, heh…) At least go outside with your favorite scrump buddy, light a bonfire and spread a little joy amongst the flowers of spring.

Disclaimer: If zoning or fire prevention ordinances forbid the lighting of bonfires in your backyard, I’m sure the Goddess will understand if you only light a candle. J