Chavez: Civilian militia should be armed full-time ...

[spin]

Sunday, October 3, 2010; 6:55 PM
CARACAS, Venezuela -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said Sunday that members of the country's civilian militia should be issued weapons to be armed and ready at all times.

The Bolivarian Militia is a force of volunteers ranging from students to retirees formed in recent years by Chavez, who says it is a crucial component of the nation's defenses.

Until now, members of the militia have regularly trained at weekend boot camps, but their guns have usually been locked away in military depots when not in use.

"Who has seen a militia without weapons?" Chavez said during his Sunday television and radio program. He said he was surprised when he met some militiamen standing guard recently and learned they had no guns.

"The militias are the people with weapons in hand," Chavez told an audience including military officers and high-ranking officials in rural Guarico state.

"We need to break old paradigms because we're still seeing the militias as if they were a complementary force, some battalions that get together once a month over there, or go and march somewhere," Chavez said. "No, buddy. The militia is a permanent territorial unit and it should be armed, equipped and trained - campesinos, workers."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/03/AR2010100303313_pf.html

[Arctic Dave]

1. Similar to the Swiss?

Good idea. Handy, but extremely regulated.

[TheWraith]

18. Extremely regulated?

Unless we're using the founding father's definition of "regulated," which meant well trained and functional, I'm not sure the Swiss military would count as "extremely regulated."

[Pavulon]

2. His brownshirts. He is not trustowrthy until he leaves office.(nt)

[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

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[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

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[lawodevolution]

5. gun control is racist...

Gun control has a racist history in the USA. That's a fact. While the USA is moving away from racist and elitist gun control, some people seem to be stuck on it.

Right wingers breath air and so do left wingers. Both sides also can enjoy firearms.

[RZM]

7. 'Terrorize their families and communities?'

What's that all about? Is that your impression of gun owners? Doesn't describe any gun owner I've known. I'm not big on the gun issue -- I don't much care cause it's not really my thing. But your statement seems a bit over the top, IMO. And how does one 'make a buck' advocating for gun owners? Seems to me that unless you're a paid lobbyist, being all about guns is a drain on your finances, since guns are expensive.

[Marengo]

9. Are you saying Pavulon is a hypocritical gun pusher?

Yes, I read the deleted post, so do try and answer honestly.

[lawodevolution]

6. it seems like

Chavez only wants his people to be armed. If republicans pushed a bill that was a gun giveaway for right wingers, I think you'd not like that much.

[Pavulon]

12. Maybe, I wonder if he ever plans onn leaving office..

or if he is doing it castro style. This is not a republican democrat conversation.

[lawodevolution]

17. I don't mean to imply that

Any group is planning to do something like this in the USA. I was just trying to show an example people here can relate to

[Arctic Dave]

8. He's not trustworthy?

Why the fuck should a President give a shit about the trust of some guy in another country? The only people he has to be trustworthy to is his own country.

I seriously doubt there has ever been a sitting President of the US that gave two shits if some guy sitting around in Nowherevilles trusted him.

[Pavulon]

11. He's pulling a castro. Consolidating power to be voted in forever..

lots of deleted posts, guess I pissed on someones demigod.

[Arctic Dave]

13. Would the failed coup be the CIA Bay of Pigs then?

[Pavulon]

14. Which coup did chavez PERSONALLY lead?

[Arctic Dave]

15. Hugo is CIA!? OMG! :o

[Pavulon]

16. He has practice, actually ran a coup. so he is a sr man(nt)

[DissedByBush]

19. The 1992 MBR-200 coup

But he had good reason to do it against the corrupt, non-representative Perez government.

Not all military coups are necessarily bad.

It's the current power-hungry corrupt demagogue Chavez that I have problems with now.

[spin]

10. It's good to be the Dictator with your own private army. (n/t)