Sunday 7 April 2013

Ethics, the opposition and the world around us (updated)


Juan Cristobal rightly discusses the ethics of someone like João Santana, who managed Hugo Chávez's campaign. And yet: he didn't seem to discuss Francisco Toro's conversation with notorious David Frum. In fact, it seems like most English-speaking Venezuelan oppos who commented on the chat were thrilled by listening to Frum, even if the guy just went on and on with platitudes and everything we could know by simply reading US news. Why was it? Because Frum was with the big fish? The thrill of the famous, whatever this famous thing is?

When someone criticized - clumsily, indeed- one of the most notorious media guys of the Bush administration, Toro simply mocked him by suggesting the reader was anti-Semitic...the usual mantra for anyone criticizing the hawkish and highly unethical views of characters like Frum.

Admitedly: it was Francisco Toro who invited Frum, whereas Juan Cristobal wouldn't have done it, but: shouldn't he have expressed his rejection? Or would Toro have classified him also as anti-Semitic?
Apparently the most sophisticated it gets with regards to the Middle East?

It is very unfortunate that the world view of most of the Venezuelan "elite" is formed basically by reading the news of the rather monolingual English-speaking journalist pool. That is why, when it comes to the international arena, they can spot Chavez's apologists' plank in the eye without realising the one they have in their own (yes, we can't speak about specks when it comes to world views here). At the end of the day, I think Juan Cristobal should have critizied publicly Toro's position.
David Frum, Bush's speech writer: better than Santana?

Many discussions seem to be carried out either within the framework of Venezolana de Televisión and Walter Márquez or Caracas Chronicles' Toro and Frum's World. And that's a shame.


Don't read this less you start to think again!

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