Monday, October 08, 2007

Chávez and the Anthropologist


During one of Hugo Chávez' lecture sessions to his followers as well as the general Venezuelan television viewers the subject of the period of human existence on the planet came up. Hugo asserted that the period is 2000 years and asks Francois, a hapless anthropology scholar in the audience to confirm this nonsense. The intimidated scholar politely avers the the period is "Un poco mas." [a bit longer] whereupon Hugo estimates that the time frame is 2500 years and asks that to be confirmed. Fearing to anger the "caudillo" the man answers: "Sí, como no." [Sure, why not.] Hugo replies: "Gracias hermano." [Thank you brother.] "Statesmen" like Chávez can assert that the earth is flat and if you are a Venezuelan, you had better agree. Is it any wonder that Hugo's hero and mentor is Fidel Castro?

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