The Venezuela Connection

Dear Leader

The London telegraph has this article about the slump in oil production since Hugo Chavez took power. Though Americans shouldn't need a reminder (but they do) this should remind us of how very bad socialism/ communism really is.

Highlights:

• Chavez uses oil as a weapon / political tool.
• The communist nationalization of the oil company has been a disincentive to motivate work.
• Oil production has dropped from 3.3 million barrels to 2.4 million barrels.
• Half the oil goes to South American buddy states at a discount.
• The only country that pays full price is the USA, who Chavez wants to 'stick it to'.
• The state oil company PDVSA is also busy doing non-oil things like growing food; because Chavez' price controls have led to empty grocery shelves.
• Venezuela is headed for bankruptcy.
  

Bill's Excellent Adventure

From Bill Ayers own website: World Eduction Forum.

Bill Ayers travels to 'USA Friendly' Venezuela to extol the virtues of the 'Bolivarian Revolution' and Venezuela as the model of education reform. It's not hard to see where Ayers would like to take US education. (In fact, much of the re-education of the American student is already taking place (but the full subject deserves it's own coverage separately in another story.) Notable Quote:

"This is my fourth visit to Venezuela, each time at the invitation of my comrade and friend Luis Bonilla, a brilliant educator and inspiring fighter for justice. Luis has taught me a great deal about the Bolivarian Revolution and about the profound educational reforms underway here in Venezuela under the leadership of President Chavez. We share the belief that education is the motor-force of revolution, and I’ve come to appreciate Luis as a major asset in both the Venezuelan and the international struggle—I look forward to seeing how he and all of you continue to overcome the failings of capitalist education as you seek to create something truly new and deeply humane. Thank you, Luis, for everything you’ve done."

This is what Señor Ayers has in mind for the USA.

Comrades or just Acquaintances?

Stanley Kurtz lays out in several detailed pieces at the National Review the nature of Ayer's and Obama's work together for the 'Chicago Annenberg Challenge' (CAC.) The challenge' purported goal was to improve education. Given what has already been shown above - that was certainly not what Ayers had in mind. What about Obama? Obama headed the board, so he is certainly responsible for any outcomes. It is also pretty clear that Ayers himself is responsible for Obama's assent to the chairmanship. The effectivenesses of the CAC is detailed in a CAC generated report:

"There were no statistically significant differences in student achievement between Annenberg schools and demographically similar non-Annenberg schools. This indicates that there was no Annenberg effect on achievement."

So what does all the Annenberg money go for?

CAC funds were re-directed "to groups like ACORN and the Developing Communities Project of the Gamaliel Foundation," so Ayers was supporting his militant activities, projects and organization. Ayers tactics are reminiscent of 'Elsworth Toohey' in 'The Fountainhead'.

From liberally conservative :

"The CAC’s agenda flowed from Mr. Ayers’ educational philosophy, which called for infusing students and their parents with a radical political commitment, and which downplayed achievement tests in favor of activism. In the mid-1960s, Mr. Ayers taught at a radical alternative school, and served as a community organizer in Cleveland’s ghetto.

In works like “City Kids, City Teachers” and “Teaching the Personal and the Political,” Mr. Ayers wrote that teachers should be community organizers dedicated to provoking resistance to American racism and oppression. His preferred alternative? “I’m a radical, Leftist, small ‘c’ communist,” Mr. Ayers said in an interview in Ron Chepesiuk’s, “Sixties Radicals,” at about the same time Mr. Ayers was forming CAC.

CAC translated Mr. Ayers’s radicalism into practice. Instead of funding schools directly, it required schools to affiliate with “external partners,” which actually got the money. Proposals from groups focused on math/science achievement were turned down. Instead CAC disbursed money through various far-left community organizers, such as the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (or ACORN)."

So now when Senator Obama talks about the importance of funding education; you'll know what he's talking about.