Thursday, March 11, 2010

Irony, Thy Name is Sean Penn

"Every day, this elected leader [Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez] is called a dictator here, and we just accept it, and accept it. And this is mainstream media. There should be a bar by which one goes to prison for these kinds of lies."

- Sean Penn, March 11, 2010

"In May 2007, the state took control of the frequency and equipment of the nation’s oldest television station, RCTV. ...Although the constitution provides for freedom of the press, the media climate is permeated by intimidation, sometimes including physical attacks, and strong antimedia rhetoric by the government is common. During 2008, the local nongovernmental organization (NGO) Public Sphere reported 52 cases of aggression and 47 cases of intimidation among the total of 186 violations of free expression it registered during the year. This included several incidents in which armed progovernment groups assaulted the offices of opposition outlets...The 2004 Law on Social Responsibility of Radio and Television gives the government the authority to control the content of radio and television programs."

- Freedom House report on Venezuela, 2009

Freedom of speech?  Sure.  For the proletariat.  And by proletariat, we mean, "those who know what's best for the proletariat."

Why?  Got a problem with that?

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