Of course not. But do I think that Venezuela is better of because of Chavez then they would be without him? Yes absolutely. That's called pragmatism.

Of course, him spending billions of dollars on "his ego" as you put it pales in comparison to plenty of other wasteful spending I can think of, that actually affects me much more directly.

I was hoping against hope that this referendum would fail. And now it has. Step in the right direction.

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"Jesus said: I have cast fire upon the world, and behold I guard it until it is ablaze."
Gospel of Thomas