a Spanish-speaking reader enlightens us on PQ no te callas..........

Sorry - if English is your only language, just pass this over. If you understand Spanish and a tiny bit about how Spain's former colonies interact with her (in this day and age) this video CAN make a lot of sense.

Ok if you got lost at "former colonies interact," you're probably American. It's OK, so am I. It took me years to learn this part of history which is explicitly NOT taught in our school. Think of it another way - the US and Canada are former colonies of the UK. Both countries have enhanced ties because of that. It's really not too much different in well, about 80% of the Latino world which used to but no longer Venezuela, Colombia pays lip-service and the Panamanian USA-seal-of-approval (really not sure but this is what i expect) pupped government all ago along and act sort of clique-ish at this meeting the King of Spain attends - annually.

There's more information but it would take more than 3 seconds of video (which I will embed anyway) to fully explain... Watch it with a hispanic friend who keeps up with news from down south - then ask him to explain why he is laughing so hard afterwards.



Listen for the bald dude askng (exasperated) - POR QUE NO TE CALLAS. I *so* agree with the king of Spain.

This was a hot story that did not quite carry over from the Latin Press to the North American. Maybe it got a little coverage out of Ottawa (Canada) and her cable/TV/news nets but CNN and FOX have been pretty silent about the story save to cover it negatively - as in "Venezuelan rebel may nationaize oil company (CITGO) becuase it would distract the American public from feelng scared ...

Scared for whom exactly:?! Their wallets. It's a great way to make this idiot Venezuelan responsible (in the minds of the American populace that he is responsible) 100% for the higher gas/diesel/heating oil costs. And by the time it all filters thru the translation - well everyone knows what the message is expected to be.

Nevermind in the last two years ACTUAL CARS became economically accessible to Indian and Chinese citizens and eight lane (each way) highways of international quality opened between major Chinese cities.

Ever think their global thirst for gasoline might just possibly have an effect?

Point is: Chavez is an idiot but he should not be a scapegoat. Nor should the Indian or Chinese citizens with their new cars.

As the international level of development rises... the USA just might stay slightly ahead and still have that certain je ne sais quois about its economy pushing it along. Or it might not. A 3rd term for Bush (McCain) could well seal our fate.

Yes, WHEN (not IF, I pray) I pray I can vote democrat for Obama. Obama is a washington outsider who will disturb a lot of establised corruption patterns. Hillary will maintain some that are convenient.

McCain? Status fuckin' quo. Your vote for ?McCain in November is sealing the country's fate for the deaths/maimings of thousands of American soldiers who do not deserve to have that happen since the whole premise of entering Iraq is/was a big damn lie. Never was a Saddam Hussein/Al Queda connection!!!!! Saddam never really had weapons of mass destruction.

Bush/Cheney/Rove/Rice are 100% responsible for all the blood. May they get their karmic justice. Do not perpetrate all the blood that will spill from young american servicemen (or has alread spilled). Do not vote 3rd party to be a rebel -dammit get real we are a 2-party system and that changes from the local level UPWARDS and not with these so called "independent" (snorts, my ass... a printout of their stock portfolio would show what flavor of independent they are). It produces 15 second news item on the fear channels when the indpendents give campain speeches.

Please do not vote based on what you see on the fear channels. Vote carefully. Vote an absentee ballot that will not be passed through a Diebold voting machine. Ensure your voice is counted, whatever it is!

We should pull out of the middle east entirely and SEE for ourselves how the billions of dollars poured into propping up the state of Israel really work out in our absence. I bet they do ok - and if not, well, we tried but then changed priorities to make our internal programs like education more important. I pray that that happens.