ExxonMobile and ConocoPhillips heve pulled their financial backing and resources for the heavy crude refinement programs in Venezuela in the face of the nationalization of the oil industry in that country and ceding majority ownership and control to the government. Hugo said he was taking charge of the fields no matter what happened relative to who stayed where or did what. It looks like the two oil giants see the writing on the wall more clearly than Hugo's supporters here in the states(because the Venezuelans have no say in anything any longer anyway)and have decided to cut their losses now. History has shown that dealing with such tidal government forces is a bad fiancial decision in the long run(another term of which short sighted socialist supporters in America have no concept) even though BP and ChevronTexaco have decided to stick it out. I guess we'll see how that works out for them a few years from now when they have dropped a wad of jack into the Venezuelan economy only to see Hugo take the lions share and leave them with an "It's MY country" deal when he is in total control of their investments.

He has now nationalized the telecommunications, telephone, banking and now, oil refining industy. It won't stop there to be sure. He is just getting started. Sound familiar? Can you say Nazi Germany, Iran under the ayatollahs Castro's Cuba? It's really nothing new in global business and politics. It's the way every dictator in history has started out. They use their charm to aquire leadership, which they use to aquire power which they use to attain their goals at the price of an oppressed people. They look like the hero until the people end up nothing more than inhabitants of a country in great distress and turmoil.

OK..Another minute here for all those who really have no idea of what it means to actually live in an oppressed society as they defend the actions of this madman in their quest to do nothing more than spit venom at Bush, who will leave office in 2008 no matter what happens while the Venezuelans are going to be lashed to Chavez who will remain in power indefinately(mark my words) no matter what the rank and file Venezuelan has to say...OK..All done?..Good

OK..Bush is making terrible decisions. I agree and have no qualms with saying it. He is not representin me at this time, but he isn't even in the same megalomaniac league as Chavez. Bush doesn't have the power to neationalize anything and anyone who understands the way the government knows that no president does. He can put the idea on the table, he can holler and jump up and down in support of it, but he cannot enact any such thing on his own. Even if he could, he is not a socialist and has no items or industries on the table for nationalization(although there is a bill pendidng to re-regulate railroads..a TERRIBLE idea, but Bush has nothing to do with it..that will ultimately be up to the people.

It's time to be realistic about these differences in what is happening in America as opposed to what is happening in Venezuela. I'm not saying we should invade Venezuela or even interfere with their policies, but since they do play a big part in global politics and finance, we should be keeping an eye on a dictator, no matter howpopular he seems to be, who could cause major problems in an already unstable region which would cause problems in an already unstable market(oil) simply to feed the ego of a self proclaimed savior.