Unfortunately, if you are a leader of a third world country today, you can either do what is good for your own country, or you can do what is good for foreign businesses (usually American) who own investments in your country. But 99% of the time, these 2 paths do not overlap.

Neither Iran or Venezuela are enemies of the US. Neither one would ever attack us, just as there was no chance of Iraq attacking us prior to 2003. In Venezuela, the people re-elected Chavez by a landslide victory, and that means they approve of what he has been doing, and it is his responsibility to continue to do what he promised when running for office as that is why he was elected.

Read the last sentence of your article that you posted:

Most companies have shown a willingness to continue investing despite the tightening terms, which have also included tax and royalty increases.

Even with all his nationalization policies, Venezuela's economy has grown by 16.3% in 2004 (#1 in the world), and 9.3% in 2005. So obviously what he is doing is working. Wages have increased, poverty has declined, and all citizens are now being provided free health care and education -- something that never existed before.

I wish we had a leader who was willing to take on the corporations and do what was good for the masses. The last such leader we had was Teddy Roosevelt -- over 100 years ago. Since then every president, perhaps with the exception of JFK, has been a puppet of big industry.

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