Middle East Focus-Arabia Deserta: Hugo Chaves of Arabia: On Charisma, Corruption, and Popular Adages

Arabia Deserta

Hugo Chaves of Arabia: On Charisma, Corruption, and Popular Adages

“Post-Iran thoughts: I can’t imagine how some dictators thrive. Take someone like Hugo Chavez, a man with no charisma…a declared dictator, who playing with the people’s money as if it is his own personal fortune. A man who expects the people to sing his praises as if they are his own private music band…How can such dictators thrive in countries with a good number educated and intellectuals?...”
This was not written by someone who believes in democracy and free speech. Not by someone who serves an elected democratic government. It was written by a common, and unfortunately dominant, strain in Arab media these days: someone with non-discriminating lips (a k a kissers...). It was not published in a media outlet of a free country with an elected government. It was a column in a media outlet of the most absolute of absolute monarchies in the world.

BTW: Chavez was elected president of Venezuela, with or without charisma, unlike almost any president in the Middle East. And speaking of charisma…..do you know the Arabic saying from the (Persian) Gulf: (La wajhin fil maga’d, wala dibrin fil mafrag)? If you don’t, ask your employers about it. They will certainly fire you for it, because as you know the 'shoe fits' (that is American equivalent of the Arabic: illi ala rasa batha……).
Cheers
mhg
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