Bad Moon Rising

I see the bad moon arising.
I see trouble on the way.
I see earthquakes and lightnin.
I see bad times today.
(John Fogerty, Bad Moon Rising)

(T)Hugo Chavez had his rubber stamp legislature approve changes to the constitution of Venezuela today. He is now almost ready to seize the presidency for life. The package that his trained lapdogs approved are sweeping consolidations of power directly into his hands. There is a very bad moon rising over Venezuela.

CARACAS (Reuters) - Congress passed President Hugo Chavez's proposal to scrap presidential term limits on Friday in a package of constitutional changes that Venezuelans are likely to approve in a referendum next month.

Pro-Chavez lawmakers, who dominate the legislature, shouted "yes, yes," and chanted the president's political slogan "Fatherland, socialism or death" in approving the measures.

Polls show many Venezuelans oppose centralizing presidential power but favor sweeteners the socialist leader has included in the package, such as reducing the workday to six hours and giving social security benefits to unregistered taxi drivers.

The opposition, the Roman Catholic Church, university students and rights groups have denounced the scores of proposed changes to the constitution as an authoritarian power grab by a man who has vowed to rule for decades.

Protests against the proposal have turned violent.

How bad is is about to get in Venezuela? This bad:

The package also would strip the central bank of its autonomy, give Chavez control over international reserves, empower authorities to detain citizens without charge and open the way to censoring the media in so-called political emergencies……

……The referendum package introduces new legal concepts such as "social property" and "collective property," promoting them above individual interests as part of a constitutional goal of creating a socialist economy.

Chavez will be able to jail opponents without due process - in fact without any charge whatsoever. "Social property" will include whatever Chavez deems to be his. There is a very bad moon rising, indeed.

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