Sean Penn appeared on "The Late Show with David Letterman" Monday night to promote "Into the Wild," which he directed and opens Friday. He also talked about his recent visit with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. He had good things to say about the controversial leader, adding "He's done incredible things for the 80% of the people who are very poor there." See the full clip below.
From CBS, 10/1
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As a Venezuelan I can certainly speak about this. It is funny that the liberals on this blog are "praising" Chavez. Do you know that he has shut down the free press and television and has instituted government controlled content in all Venezuela?
Where are all the "free speech" roadies now when it come to Chavez? He is slowly going to turn Venezuela into a communist regime.
But I guess all of that is OK since idiots like Sean Pann and Danny Glover (who fight for freedom in the U.S. while taking money to produce movies in Venezuela) say it is OK?
As a Venezuelan I can certainly speak about this. It is funny that the liberals on this blog are "praising" Chavez. Do you know that he has shut down the free press and television and has instituted government controlled content in all Venezuela?
and how does this differ from the bush regime????
Exactly my point! Chavez is no "goody two shoes"..He is a Fascists.
But you all keep praising!
Bullshit. You are a spoiled Miami transplant. Chavez shut down a US funded propaganda machine. Miami cry baby.
As a Venezuelan, I can honestly say that Hugo Chavez is the kindest, most wonderful man I have ever known.
Oh wait. I'm not really a Venezuelan.
But did you know that when I wrote it? Like they say, on the internets, nobody knows you're a dog.
Now, I'm not saying "Miamiman" isn't really Venezuelan. But like so many "exiles" in Miami, how do we know he isn't another disgruntled representative of his nation's moneyed classes, who awaits another patented U.S.-backe
WE DON'T. Is my point.
This is like someone in another country, posting a comment to the effect of: "I am an American, and speaking as an American, I can honestly tell you that George W. Bush is a universall
Just because you hail from a certain country, does not appoint you spokesperson for it.
You obviously did not watch the clip nor have been in "your" country as of late. I recently returned for the beautiful island of Margarita where the windsurfing is phenomenal and the people are very happy and the economy vibrant. Unfortunately, I can attest that Faux News as well as just about every other US station was available on my hotel TV.
If you are actually from Venezuela, you would know that the Venezuelan national who finances this station has called for the assassination of Chavez on a regular basis as well as was involved in failed coop. He operates from his mansion in Miami. Just where he plans to stay if he gets his way which is to take all the oil revenue that is lifting the lives of over 80% of the people out of poverty and instead privatizing the oil industry putting on the open markets. This way a few rich elitists can join him in owning the natural resources of Venezuela bring the country back to abject poverty. Is this what you want?
So the question is what is your beef? Did you or your daddy get stiffed out of getting your piece of the pie? You didn't get a chance to step on the backs of the hard working men and women of Venezuela to get yours? Have you found yourself in Miami selling empenadas on the beach?
Lastly, I think 80% of the Venezuelan people constitute a far greater number than that of Sean and Danny. These 80% of people democratically elected Chavez in an election with oversight from respected and recognized US
based oversight organizations.
as a venezuelan you can speak on this but sorry your wrong, you must be one of the rich that are angry with chavez for doing the right thing
If the government took your property away and gave it to someone else, would you still call it "the right thing?"
I gather you are one of those Gucci Venezuelans like the ones we saw protesting on tv against Chavez. You could hear the male voice in the back saying all the good looking whores should be up front for the cameras.
Last week Jon Stewart had Evo Morales, the President of Bolivia, on his program. He is not flamboyant like Chavez, but he has accomplished the same good things for his country. That's why I don't mind the immigration to the US from south of the border: eventually these ideas will take hold in our country too.
naschkatze--My sentiments exactly. We need the immigrants to balance off the home-grown rednecks.
wars is a fan of EtJ. EtJ posts links to the website of white supremacist neonazi Alex Linder.
wars supports the regime in Teheran and their subjugation of women and killing of gays.
wars can GFH.
My 81 year old mom and I were watching this and he brought us both to tears just for being decent! No one that I can think of in the Dem party measures up to Evo Morales. I'm so tired of the blowhards on both sides of the aisle. When are we going to get a soft spoken, decent and powerful leader?
Exactly! Thats why we need the fence built on the Canadian border that way the rednecks can be held still long enough to be assimilated by their beautiful brown brethren.
Chavez is the anti-christ to neocons : a wildly popular socialist leader who is not afraid of the US at all. The sulfur remark at the UN ranks right up there with Kruschev's shoe pounding. 460 billion for defense. Sure. 4 billion for children's health care. Nope. If you got oil under your ground you are looney...p
Yup! I loved the way Chavez shut down opposition media outlets. And the way he threatened to become president for life is absolutely democratic. Sock it to 'em, Chavez!
Fuji, come clean. Which axe do you grind? Did you support the death squads in Central America because they were politically "right?" Were you a big Ronald Rayguns man?
If you are Christian, you are aware the Bible teaches that, if you want to be in the presence of God, you must be with the poor and not with the rich, for God is with the poor. The meek inherit the earth, Fuji, not the mighty.
So who will you be standing with on judgment day, the rich or the poor?
Chavez did not close media outlets. He refused to renew the license of a TV station because they had broadcast pro coup propaganda during the military coup that the Bush adminstration supported.
If the Pentagon one day decided to overthrow the US government because of political power, and Fox news broadcast pro coup propaganda, then should the FCC renew the license of Fox news because of freedom of the press? Or should they arrest them instead? That's what we're talking about.
You don't know what you are talking about.
So you're an admirer of Kruschev, and of childish rants?
Penn is right as are other posters who want to claim "looney" as "having oil".
That's the main crux of the hatred and smear of Chavez.
Becasue Chavez nationalized his oil-the oil companies (like ours) cannot control the oil or rape the resources of the country by unfair practices of 80/20 oil revenue sharing.
as a result Chavez has been able to bring his countrys' poor base up.
You know i never really believed Mr Sean Penn could act.But as an American who's out showing the WORLD what it's like to be an AMERICAN!!![Freedom to SPEAK OUT against what he as an AMERICAN fill is going wrong with his COUNRTY and the World without being TORTURED or JAILED]Freedom to travel where he please's without being TORTURED or JAILED!!!![Freedom to make film's that our goverment offical's may not like without being TORTURED or JAILED Being an American gives us that right]Freedom in America isn't just for some but for all who lives in Mr Penn's nation.To Mr Penn from another AMERICAN keep up the good work! One day others in their nation's might model their counrties after AMERICA!!!Keep standing on the AMERICA'S soap box SIR!!!!Your forefathers would be PROUD to see how their children has made it work.
Penn is a real mensch.
Damn fine actor too!
Can't act???? You gotta be kidding, Sean Penn is a brilliant actor--and evidently a gutsy, smart guy as well.
The best in his generation.
I really DON'T have TOO much to SAY on this TOPIC, BUT I just WANTED TO point out HOW VERY IRRITATING it is to have CERTAIN words capitalized in A paragraph. IT isn't necessary TO DO so as any intelligent PERSON has THE ability to read INTO YOUR writing THE MEANING and context of WHAT YOU WROTE.
oh, DO you...
Too short, you're too much.
Thank you
Chavez is not a dictator, he was democratically elected, in an election overseen by many watchers including Jimmy Carter's voting organization. Bush on the other hand stole two elections in a row.
More than hit the nail on the head with that one.
HAMAS was democratically elected and see what happened to them. PAX Americana with big guns.
You gotta be kidding.
Chavez is a god-forsaken dictator and a nut-job. If you think otherwise, perhaps you need to move to Venezuela or a third-world country to live under these socialist messiahs.
And by the way, I am not a fan of Dumbya.
The guy sent a huge shipment of low cost heating oil to low income New England families last year - if that's a god forsaken dictator - then let's have more god forsaken dictators like Hugo Chavez and less like the war criminal in our oval office.
That's right, ipitombi. If you have an Unauthorized Opinion of the way your "Representative" government is "representing" the 70+% of us who think this presidency is a fucking abomination against humanity, then "love it or leave it".
That shit grew tiresome when Spiro Agnew did it, in 1968.
Postscript: the respectable Vice-President Agnew wound up IN JAIL, where most Bush-lickers are destined to be, eventually (who totally gives a shit, BTW, that you're "not a fan of Dumbya"... you're energetically promoting his Chavez frame, dutifully, like an idiot!)
Wow. You really sound like you know what your talking about. Do you have any facts or proof to your menial opinion or you just another thoughtless blow-hard? Based on your post, you just seem like another ditto head as far as I can tell. You might as well have told us your favorite food when you strap on the drool bucket is hot dogs. There is the same amount if not more informational value.
ipitombi, how do you know Chavez is "a god-forsaken dictator and a nut-job?" Not backing up your claim, especially when your claim is extreme, makes you appear ignorant and hot-headed.
BTW, I'm not a fan of Shrub either.
why would i do that when i have god-forsaken dictator nut job right here?
Bush on the other hand stole two elections in a row.
just like a 3rd world dictator.
the supreme court appointed him the first time. not quite a stolen election but close.
Whether he is right or wrong about Chavez, I give him immense credit for having and using his huge cahones to say what he thinks despite the likelihood of attacks from the right on him for doing so.
Yeah, it is so hard to hold liberal values in today's Hollywood.
Hold strong Sean, hold strong.
Sean is right. Chavez is porteayed as crazy because he shares the wealth from his country's natural rescources with the masses. How insane. But bush who vetoes the bill guaranteeing our own children health care is considered rational.
Does Chavez understand the sermon on the mount?
Does Bush?
Wake up Sean Chavez is no better than Bush.
rikki52b--That's a lie! Chavez is the polar opposite of Bush. Chavez talks about food production and cooperation among nations while Bush talks threat levels and bombing Iran. The two could not possibly be more different.
wars is a fan of EtJ. EtJ posts links to the white supremacist website run by neonazi Alex Linder.
wars supports the regime in Teheran as the subjugate women and kill gays.
wars can GFH.
There is one difference, Chavez' intelligence agencies never funded and participated in a coup to remove Bush from power. Were that Bush could make such a claim....
See the documentary "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised".
uh, Sorry rikki52b..
LOL - how true.....m
I beg to differ. Chavez, unlike Bush, doesn't wage illegal wars based on false pretense and invade sovereign countries. Chavez is not responsible for the deaths on a million Iraqi people. Chavez has in fact enrichened his country, rather than saddle them with billions maybe a trillion in debt like Bush has you me, our children, grand children, etc. . Chavez is building hospitals and importing physicians to help improve hte health of his people. Bush is denying health care to babies and children to the point that his own Rethuglican party can bear to be as ruthless as Bush. I can go on, and on, and on and on.
It is interesting that the vast majority if the negative posts against Chavez is jut all empty headed, hollow rhetoric. Ditto-head sound bites. This is why your party is politically bankrupt.
Chavez is not yet a war criminal.
w knows he is a war criminal.
He slipped words into a bill in 2004 to exempt his WH and himself from being prosecuted for violating the Geneva Conventions and to legilsate that lawmakers and the US military cannot escort him to The Hague if demanded by international courts.
.
Sean and I part company over his opinion of Chavez. Chavez is a petty dictator grabbing complete control over the nation of Venezuela, the economy of Venezuela, and the people of Venezuela. I live much of the year in Costa Rica that gets gas from Venezuela - the cost of gasoline in Costa Rica is MUCH higher than in the USA. SORRY SEAN, you are out to lunch on this one.
ZenCrusader--What a lie! Chavez is extremely popular in Venezuela and throughout Latin America. He has proven this by winning three elections by landslides. He draws huge crowds of admirers everywhere he goes. As for oil, surely you know that most of Venezuela's oil goes directly to the USA.
By the way, we need to take a tip from Argentina. Instead of raining bombs on oil-rich Venezuela, Argentina sends pregnant cows to Venezuela in exchange for oil.
.
Wars4profit - Chavez is NOT popular throughout Central America. I spend much time in Costa Rica, Panama & Nicaragua. Even Nicaragua is past their Sadinasta phase and realize that grass roots capitalism will raise the standard of living of their people - much better than the 1,500,000 Nicaraguan economic refugges currently living in Costa Rica. The peoples of Central America do not understand WHY Venezuela needs fighter jets and millions of machine guns. The peoples of Central America know a tyrant when they see one. Wars4Profit - you learn more from real experience than you do from petty slogans and news that makes YOU feel good - get a grip on reality.
I suspect that gaz in Costa Rica is so expensive because of taxes, not because of anything to do with Chavez...
Chavez is not a petty dictator; his record is somewhat better than Bush's in terms of human rights and simple respect for democracy. What he isn't is a great man, or a man worthy of respect, since he has gone for the raw power grab a few too many times.
As for grabbing "complete control", ZenCrusader, you clearly don't know squat. He's taken over a TV station which was being used by U.S. interests to try to foment a revolution. Not what I would call democratic, but not a total takeover either. He's nationalized the oil; that's really what the U.S. is complaining about. You, and the rest of America's critics of Chavez, don't really give a damn about anything else.
As for the TV Station, if Bush didn't already own Fox, he would probably do the same; except he'd do it in secret...
Dtrobert : You should move to Venezuela so you luxuriate in the utopia that is Caracas. Chavez is in power until he chooses not to be - what do YOU call him if not a dictator ? and I suppose Castro is an elected representative of the people ? You guys get hard over any left wing lunatic who expresses the same old tired leftist slogans - BORING. If you really cared about the quality of peoples lives you'd have a better understanding of how the middle class in Venezuela is afraid of Chavez. But why bother you with facts when you can hurl slogans for the left and against the USA = predictable.
And the corporate media here carried the neocon propaganda that they were fed.
Chavez is in power until he chooses not to be. He has stifled dissent and the middle class is increasingly worried about the future of their nation. BUT THE LEFTISTS IN CANADA AND THE USA THINK CHAVEZ IS GREAT - SO WHY BOTHER WITH WHAT THE PEOPLE OF VENEZUELA AND CENTRAL AMERICA THINK ABOUT CHAVEZ ?
a "petty dictator" who was elected twice?
Yeah.
Yeah, like Putin kept getting elected.
Hey idiot,
Who's refining the crude from Venezuela into gas for you in Costa Rica, huh? Could it be a friendly American or Mexican oil company? And do you have any idea how much tax Costa Rica puts on its motor fuel? These are great reasons for hating Hugo Chavez...y
I've been to Costa Rica. Most of the Americans I've met who live there are ex-military and spooks.
most of the Americans living in Costa Rica are retired. The corporation I work for has an office there. I have spent most of the past 3 years there. There are some ex military and some spooks but they are far from the majority of gringos in CR.
Sean looks terrible. Look how he has aged. Because hes a chain smoker. He looks like a washed out Kirk Douglas.
yea that's all that matters is looks. You wear your moniker well!
You must be an "American.
Pearls of wisdom Lunkhead. Now go take your medication.
i think we'd all take a washed out sean to a pristine lunkhead anyday.
hip dibler--Beautifully stated. Thank you!
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First Posted: 10- 2-07 11:23 AM | Updated: 03-28-08 02:45 AM