Congressman Jose Serrano – who represents the South
Bronx – is one of the most Progressive members of Congress. Upon
the death of Venezuelan strongman Hugo Chavez, Congressman Serrano tweeted:
“Hugo Chavez was a leader that understood the needs of the poor. He was
committed to empowering the powerless. R.I.P. Mr. President.” Congressman
Serrano later released a formal statement about Chavez’s death.
Describing his meeting with Hugo Chavez in 2005, Congressman
Serrano says:
His focus on the issues faced by
the poor and disenfranchised in his country made him a truly revolutionary
leader in the history of Latin America. He understood
that after 400 years on the outside of the established power structure looking
in, it was time that the poor had a chance at seeing their problems and issues
addressed. His core belief was in the dignity and common humanity of all people
in Venezuela
and in the world.
Congressman Serrano goes on to stress that Hugo Chavez was
democratically elected:
Though President Chavez was
accused of many things, it is important to remember that he was
democratically-elected many times in elections that were declared free and fair
by international monitors. Even today, people in North America
seem unable to accept that Venezuelans had taken our admonitions to have
democracy to heart and elected the leader of their choice. President Chavez
carried out the programs that his constituents wanted enacted, and won
reelection.
Here, Congressman Serrano is highlighting the common belief
of many progressive collectivists. Democracy is all that matters. Like many
supporters of President Obama, Congressman Serrano believes that winning an
election gives a President a mandate to do whatever he wants. Natural rights be
damned! President Chavez was democratically elected, so according to
Congressman Serrano, there is no problem with Chavez violating the natural
right to property by nationalizing industries. There is no problem with Chavez
violating the right to liberty by shutting down the privately controlled
opposition media.
According to Human Rights Watch, Hugo Chavez’s weakening of
the system of checks and balances in Venezuelan government contributed to “a precarious human rights situation.” Chavez purged opponents from Venezuelan
courts and oversaw a legislature which passed enabling legislation that allowed
him to determine what actions would be criminalized and what the penalties for
those crimes would be. In addition, Chavez often targeted his opponents by
targeting them with criminal prosecution. No friend of human rights, Chavez
also attacked many human rights organizations in Venezuela
by filing charges against them for treason for receiving funding by foreign
donors. Chavez also proved to be no friend to organized labor, not allowing
unions not certified by the government to engage in collective bargaining.
According to Congressman Serrano, Hugo Chavez was a man of
the people who dedicated this life to uplifting the poor and providing them
with dignity:
President Chavez was a
controversial leader. But at his core he was a man who came from very little
and used his unique talents and gifts to try to lift up the people and the
communities that reflected his impoverished roots. He believed that the
government of the country should be used to empower the masses, not the few. He
understood democracy and basic human desires for a dignified life.
In other words, being a dictator is fine as long as one is a
benevolent dictator when it comes to the downtrodden. Might makes right. This
underscores the tension between democratic ideals and Constitutional principles
in the United States
and around the world. For those like Congressman Serrano, there is no problem
when it comes to tyranny of the majority. If the majority of the electorate
supports a leader who wishes to violate the natural rights of the people, then
so much the better.
It is perhaps no coincidence that Congressman Serrano
supports the notion of the American President becoming a dictator like Chavez.
In January, he introduced H.J. Res 15 – a bill that proposes to abolish the
Twenty-Second Amendment and allow American Presidents to potentially be
Commander-in-Chief for life. At least provided that they are continually
re-elected like Chavez was.
Democracy can be a blessing, but without a Constitution to
defend natural rights against the tyranny of the majority, democracy becomes a
curse.
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