What can one say about this. Being a good Christian is Robertson loving thy neighbour? What is wrong with being critical of Bush? I know of a lot of European and Canadian people who are critical of Bush, there was even a Canadian federal politician who called Bush a moron. So what, is it time to invade the neighbour to the north?
Perhaps Robertson needs to look into the past and try to figure out how democratic US installed puppet governments typically are. Why doesn’t Robertson just petition his God through prayer and ask Him to take care of the situation?

Satan Speaks

FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. - August 23 2005—Author and Gospel singer Bob Miller (http://www.bobmillerwrites.com), a registered Republican, said today, “Hold it America; let us carefully consider the latest suggestion by Pat Robertson, the leader of the moral majority and President Bush’s hotline to God, that American operatives assassinate Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

“True, I’m a registered Republican and some of you will discount my opinion because of that; I can’t image why, but you do. Anyway, I kind of agree with Pat that when a person is a useless drain on tax dollars, we should consider assassinating them. You take me for instance; I’m a 100% service connected disabled Vietnam veteran. You just can’t be any more of a useless pain in the ass type than that. On second thought, there are those millions of tax dollars that we Republicans have been showering on Robertson and Falwell.

“Now of course it would pain me something awful if President Chavez decided to cut an oil deal with Mr. Bush for the right to do a little assassinating on his own and we lost Pat’s voice forever. But in all honesty, Pat, if I could save a penny on the gallon for gas, I could make do without you. The only thing that would concern me would be if Mr. Bush would pass the savings on to the rest of us.

“I hate to be the one to tell you this, Pat, since you think you know everything, but we Americans have been assassinating people for a long, long time now. And give this some thought: there are a lot of us Americans who have endured about all the hypocrisy and omnipotence we care to endure. Again, take me for instance. I’ve never liked you and consider you to be a useless drain on tax dollars.�

Those who should be assassinated have no problems deciding who else needs to be assassinated.

With any luck, some nut will have misheard Robertson. The man’s a national shame!

I do wish you, or whomever links them, would say more about how you/they feel about the stories, Bachalon. Dare to elaborate. That makes it much more interesting to read about the stories here.

Odd—I really don’t recall Jesus telling his disciples that “taking out” Caesar, or sending “covert operatives” to “get rid of” the Sanhedrin, was the way to the Kingdom of God.

I don’t necessarily mind a discussion of assassination as public policy, etc., but Pat really ought to step away from the pulpit—permanently—before he engages in such.

This situation has been building up in the last few months.  Chavez recently kicked out the US DEA saying that they were spying on his government.  Chavez is a true socialist and seems to have garnered a huge populist following.  Socialism isn’t my cup o’ tea, but it sure beats the hell out of fascism.  Axis of Logic has a whole section devoted to Chavez called the “Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela”.  From what I have read, Chavez’s “sins”, according to the Administration, are that he is friendly to Cuba and refuses to be a bootlick to the US.  Coupled with decent reserves of petroleum, I wouldn’t be surprised to hear ol’ Bushie label him part of the “axle… er, axis of evil”.  There has been quite a bit of vitriol flying back and forth between the countries.  Knowing of the past covert operations of previous Admins and knowing that this Admin is the worst and most secretive in US history, I wouldn’t be amazed to learn that many of Chavez’s accusations are correct.

I think this sets a dangerous precedent. If they feel they can do this to anyone who is unfriendly towards America, why not towards citizens?

However, I realize that he’s not the first person to say that, but consider how large his audience is. There’s a chance that someone will take him seriously enough and attempt kill Chavez.

He’s been given entirely too much free reign. I feel the same way about this proclamation as I do when my mother says “he/she ought to be killed.”

It’s an ugly way of thinking.

My $0.02

oh, pat robertson… when will you realize you’re insane? it’s hurting everyone.

I, personally, would like to thank Pat Robertson for his comments.

I think the world would be a much better place, if terrorist would just admit what they are, and publicly be honest about their goals and intentions.

We don’t want them to hide behind “we need a strong moral country” rhetoric..we need them to admit their desire to send people to kill those who disagree with them. Let us know who you are!

Pat Robertson is a terrorist, no better or worse than the people who cut the heads off of prisoners in Iraq.

Thanks, Pat, for letting us all know exactly where you stand!

Ordinarily I’d day that “Let’s ban Halloween” Pat is being his usual whack self, but there’s a chance the Bush crowd might be using him to test-market its latest foreign policy ideas, trying to gauge the level of support for another foreign adventure.

Gee, I was planning to comment that ol’ Pat Robertson has a point about assassination being preferable to a $200bn war - I’ve felt that way for years.  But after reading everyone else’s comments I realize that y’all would think I was crazy so I can’t say that, can I?

Anyone here who’d be against assassinating Osama?  Hitler?  To head off destruction, death, and wars?

Aww, what the hell - he’s right.  Go ahead, call me crazy.  But here’s the hitch; AS WITH ANY OTHER WAR, CONGRESS SHOULD HAVE TO DECLARE IT. 

And as to assassinating Hugo Chavez for being a socialist, that’s ludicrous.  Hopefully enough members of Congress would refuse to go along with it.

Chavez is more popular in South America than Bush is in North America.

Someday Bush will be starring in The Surreal Life, and Chavez will probably still be a democratically-elected leader in Venezuela.

DOF,

The problem with assassinations are that they make martyrs and often act to make a difficult problem even more intractable.  For example, consider the history of the Israeli/Palestinean conflict.  I’m sure the Israelis were thinking along the same lines you were when they assassinated various Hamas leaders.  However, that never led to the quick end of any conflict, it only made the Palestineans more angry.

While I do think people like Hitler and Osama bin Laden are blights upon this Earth.  Killing them would only embolden and further enrage their followers.  Murdering people doesn’t work in terms of killing movements, it only gives the movement a symbol to rally behind.

-Socialist Swine

P.S.  It’s also just wrong in a more fundamental moral level.

While I’m apt to agree on some level with Robertson, I fail to see how any of this is his fucking business to comment on in the first place.

This is yet another example of the problems that arise when religious pontiffs dabble in political strategy.

Given the option of a surgical strike to remove some iron-fisted regime and all out war, I would be apt to attempt the assassination before the war.

Robertson’s flawed religious logic allows him to condemn potential wrong doing and is exactly the reason we have checks and balances in our government system.  Imagine if some of Robertson’s ilk becomes president.

What would be more likely than Robertson being used as ‘leak’ would be him having overheard some high level military/politicos brainstorming and his dementia wouldn’t allow him to keep it in.

if I recall correctly, Robertson did make an unsuccessful run for president in ‘88.

Another scary thought.

The problem with assassinations are that they make martyrs and often act to make a difficult problem even more intractable....
While I do think people like Hitler and Osama bin Laden are blights upon this Earth.  Killing them would only embolden and further enrage their followers.  Murdering people doesn’t work in terms of killing movements, it only gives the movement a symbol to rally behind.

Yep, that is a problem all right.  Movements are part “cult-of-personality”, and part “idea-whose-time-has-come”.  Weighing the possibilities you mention should keep congress busy for a while.  They might decide that the leaders’ personality is a replaceable part in the movement, and to get to work on invalidating the idea behind the movement by changing the conditions on which it rests.

Hardly an endorsement for assassinating anyone we don’t like willy-nilly.  As for Chavez, I don’t know anything at all about him. Robertson probably hates the idea of a popularly elected socialist leader, more than he hates the man.  Democracy, after all, is only a good thing so long as it produces results favorable to US. Right, Pat?  (Yeah, Robertson’s a closet facist.  And he leaves the closet door open all the time, with his stuff hanging out.)

I religiously watch the 700 Club most days from my office, mostly for these little gems from Pat Robertson.  Every day they have a short news segment, usually spoken on the level most Americans can understand with some pretty pictures.  Usually, at the end, Pat Robertson then provides his own comments on the day’s events couched in the theatrical context of a conversation with his co-host.  These are the gems i DVR every day.

While most Americans of opposing politics probably lack the emotional skills to sit through more than a few seconds of the 700Club (yeah, pop another pill, go ahead!), i think it’s important to understand what the Religious Right is thinking—and planning, and to do so in a calm, rational state.

In London i had a boyfriend from Venezuela, just around the time Chavez came to power.  I sat through many a cocktail party conversation, dinner party, and just out at the pub get together where he, his family, and friends went on and on and on about the evils of Chavez.  That said, my boyfriend was decidedly middle-class (which in SAmerica means servants, European cars that accelerate too fast, and lotsa access to low-interest U$D loans for your business interests).  Being middle-class meant he was particularly fearful of Chavez.  Let’s remember this former military thug once tried to take power by force, and thus had made a few enemies, like my boyfriend’s father who worked in the London embassy.  A Chavez Administration, most assuredly populist in nature, meant payback to people like my bf’s dad and lots of other middle-class families.  You can’t take power without prying it away from someone else’s hands.

While i am a Communist, and even support armed struggle for economic and civil liberties, i do not support Chavez.  His intentions are sane and good, but his methods?  Wash repeatedly after examining.  Take some time to examine some of the legislative no-no’s, judicial over-steps, never mind his “military past”, and you might think a tad differently about the man that calls Bush “Mr Danger-1” and Rummy “Mr Danger-2.”

Pat Robertson is an actor, but Chavez is better.

This is just a step toward Christian Conservative leaders becoming as ‘active’ in violence for their cause as other political/religious leaders in other countries. Being zealous is passionate.

Everyone is considering this as if it is okay for anyone who claims to be practitioner of peace, love, or whatever to suggest killing anyone. They love that culture of life shit unless they are talking about someone who disagrees with their worldview. Save the fetus, kill the politicians.

This is just a step toward Christian Conservative leaders becoming as ‘active’ in violence for their cause as other political/religious leaders in other countries.

Well, we wouldn’t want a “mine-shaft gap” to develop between us and our enemies.  We need to be leaders! 

As for ‘save the fetus, kill the pols,’ you may be on to something with that second half…

BTW Rob Adams, thanks for that comment - very interesting.  And I listen to James Dobson on the radio for the same reason.

that calls Bush “Mr Danger-1� and Rummy “Mr Danger-2.�

That pretty much sums it all.
Venezuela ain’t conquering any countries and screwing rest of the world.

But actually he forgot one Dubya’s buddy, or should I say agent of military industrial complex…

But even Bush hits sometimes right…
“See, free nations are peaceful nations. Free nations don’t attack each other. Free nations don’t develop weapons of mass destruction.” —Milwaukee, Wis., Oct. 3, 2003

Reobertson know how to hate, but he certainly does not know how to wiggle his way out of his statement:  http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/08/24/robertson.chavez/index.html

BTW:  Where is the “make a link” button on the comments screen?

And on another note:

But even Bush hits sometimes right…
“See, free nations are peaceful nations. Free nations don’t attack each other. Free nations don’t develop weapons of mass destruction.â€? —Milwaukee, Wis., Oct. 3, 2003

That’s why we don’t have WMDs....like nukes...oops…

“See, free nations are peaceful nations. Free nations don’t attack each other. Free nations don’t develop weapons of mass destruction.â€?

...They already got them, hur-hur…

Well thanks DOF for stating what is pretty much my take on the situation. Assasinating the leader of some country or movement isn’t that much worse (in fact, maybe even a lot less) morally than going to war against it. Yet it is likely to backfire a lot (like wars, natch!), and its hard to distinguish from true terrorism.

Let’s remember this former military thug once tried to take power by force, and thus had made a few enemies, like my boyfriend’s father who worked in the London embassy.  A Chavez Administration, most assuredly populist in nature, meant payback to people like my bf’s dad and lots of other middle-class families.  You can’t take power without prying it away from someone else’s hands.

Anyone who plays fast and loose with election laws and insurrection to stay on top is pretty bad in my book. But - sorry if I engage in another round of US-bashing here - the USA hasn’t exactly been conductive to democratic handovers or a climate of democratic government change in Southern and Latin America during the last few decades. Allende anyone?

If you want democracy, you have to support the democrats in other countries (with money and diplomatic support, preferrably, not with guns) and stand fast behind those gov’s that really are democratic (or more so than their neighbors).

If on the other side, all you want is power (and to get your various agendas, from the war against communism to the war on drugs), then supporting or opposing anyone you want is pretty much par for he course. For anyone in the worlds history.

Reobertson know how to hate, but he certainly does not know how to wiggle his way out of his statement…

That’s really funny, I wonder if Chavez would prefer being kidnapped instead of being assasinated. He is brobaply thinking right now “If you think you can get me alive cabrone...”

BTW:  Where is the “make a linkâ€? button on the comments screen?

It’s the anchor button. The one that looks like this: .

Does Pat Robertson qualify as an instigator of terrorism or hate according to the British government’s new guidelines on hate preachers? http://www.HankFox.com