Chavez: Bush a Son of Bolivar?
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In his trip to Latin America, George W. Bush remarked, ‘We are all sons of George Washington and Simon Bolivar.” Venezualan President Hugo Chavez implied different heritage and pointed out a strong difference in the careers of Washington and Bolivar. Democracy Now! had substantial clips from Chavez’ “shadow tour” of Bush. According to Chavez, George Washington was born to a poor family and ended up a wealthy slave owner, while Bolivar was born ‘with a silver spoon in his mouth’ but [after leading the successful struggles for independence in several Latin American countries] died wearing borrowed clothes. Which historiography is more nearly right? Let’s go to the Internets!
But first, a technology note. The live stream of Democracy Now! seems to have stumbled on the early transition to Daylight Savings Time. Normally, the 8 AM broadcast is archived by about noon. If not today, some of the more than 300 radio stations around the world offer streams. In the Boston area, the Boston College radio station WZBC 90.3 FM offers over the air [probably only 1000W] and internet streaming from 12:00 N – 1:00 PM.
Despite the fact that Amy Goodman is a Harvard alum, Harvard’s WHRB 95.3 FM doesn’t carry Democracy Now! In fact, even though there is copious Jazz and Classical music, democracy is nowhere on the schedule. There is more than ample “dead air’ in the schedule. This, by the way is not the first time the Jesuits have proved more enlightened than Harvard Brahmins. Last time I spoke to her, Professor Juliet Schor was teaching at BC.
