<HTML>In a message dated 12/5/2002 12:06:28 PM Eastern Standard Time, nathanne@nathannewman.org writes: <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">The CTV was forced by Chavez to hold new elections for leadership-- which Chavez forces lost despite great pressure from the government.  There are pro-Chavez parts of the unions, but not a majority.  That's called democracy, just as it's democracy that Chavez has been elected to run the government. US-allied elites in Venezuela should not be seeking to oust democratically elected Presidents like Chavez, but the left should not be advocating ousting democratically-elected union leaders either. When did the left lose all moral credibility in favor of pure opportunism? -- Nathan Newman </BLOCKQUOTE> So supporting the coup against Chávez (then backing out when they so it would fail) is an appropriate response?</HTML>