Aren't Leftists Fun?

Hugo Chavez has had his cronies in the Venezuela National Assembly grant him the power to bypass them and rule by decree for 18 months.

Anyone want to bet if one of his decrees will be to extend the 18 months?

The American left loves to point fingers at the right and tell all of us moderates that the danger to the American way of life comes from those fanatics. Yet, time and again, ruthless thugs come to power in other countries riding a wave of leftist populism.

I am not asking the American left to change their views. I am asking them to be just as vigilant about the totalitarians on their side as they fancy themselves as being with totalitarians on the right.

Added- Joe Gandelman snarks, "It’s sort of like watching the old TV show “Bewitched,” as another actor assumed the part of Darrin," as Chavez slips into Castro's role on the world stage. It is a good line, but the implications are more dire than the replacement of one Dick with another. But the real value in Joe's post is the excerpt he posts from Edward Ellis, writing in the Buffalo News:

It is obvious to anyone watching closely that Chavez is not a dictator. He is, however, bombastic and his recent announcement that the government plans to nationalize private companies must be understood within this context. Despite the bluster, history and common sense show there will be no expropriation of private companies in Venezuela without fair remuneration.

With words like these, it is any wonder why so many of us have grown to literally fear the blinders that the left puts on when convenient?