When Zombies Speak To Lucifer

Apparently, the up and coming dictator of Venezuela, (T)Hugo hosted a voice-only appearance of the (hopefully) future former dictator of Cuba, Fidel Castro. The joking included references to the devil.

Castro took part in an earlier broadcast of Chavez's weekly program by telephone in February, but that show aired live only in Venezuela.

This time, however, he went to great lengths to persuade fellow Cubans and other viewers his appearance was genuine.

"I can see you are moving your left hand, and I know you are left-handed. And now I can see you laughing," Castro said to Chavez, in an obvious attempt to persuade skeptics that the broadcast was indeed live.

Apparently to the same end, the two discussed the most recent oil prices and joked, at one point targeting US President George W. Bush.

"This gentleman crosses to the other side of the street when he sees me," Castro said of Bush. "He is too powerful to speak with the devil, with an axis of evil. And you, Hugo, and I represent an axis of evil."

"Don't even think of mentioning to anybody, not even as a joke, that I speak to Lucifer," the Cuban leader concluded.

But switching to a more serious tone, he argued with satisfaction that "the tyrannical power," a metaphor usually reserved to the United States, "is now facing new multiple Vietnams."

The Venezuelan president, for his part, underscored ever closer ties between his country and Cuba, insisting they were heading toward "a confederation of Bolivarian republics."

"Deep down, we are one government," Chavez pointed out.

The "multiple Vietnams" quote should be something that might bear looking at seriously, as is the "one government". line. The Western left is almost completely silent on the dictatorial ambitions of the red-shirted thug from Venezuela. Why is that? They profess to be the champions of democracy, but they have no interest in a budding totalitarian - and virulently anti-democratic - state? Well, not no interest exactly. They flock over for money and attention, don't they? Regardless of where the money comes from.