JimH wrote:
Not OT as there are Citgo gas stations at marinas across the US.

With every dollar you spend at a Citgo station (owned by Hugo Chavez) you
put money towards the weapons he purchases with an aim to kill you, your
family and your friends in the United States. Those dollars will eventually
buy the nuclear missiles he will station on Cuba.

Doubt me? Just wait. Once Fidel passes away we will see the Cuban missile
crisis relived, this time more volatile and lead by Hugo Chavez.

I think the mutual animosity between Bush and Chavez has to do with
Chavez nationalized their oil industry and Bush tried (and failed) to
engineer a military coup against Chavez.

When someone tries to stage a coup against a country leader (and a
democratically elected leader), that country leader is not going to be
friendly to that person. This is unavoidable that Chavez hates Bush so
much.

When a small country whose only important strategy resource in the
country is oil, that small country will try to gain control over that
strategy resource in their country to maximize their national interest.
Otherwise, that small country would have very little bargaining power
as comparing to gaint mult-national companies (that can be as powerful
as the small country). Therefore, this is probably unavoidable that
Chavez wanted to nationalize their oil industry. Bush, being friendly
to big oil firms in US, of course does all kind of things to hurt
Chavez.

I think Bush should start believing what he has preached (democracy and
all these) and accepts that Chavez is a democratically elected leader
that represents the will of their people, and start talking to him and
repairing the damaged relationship between two countries. And Chavez
should get out from the "garrison state" mentality and stop wasting oil
money to buy friends.

Meanwhile, I will continue getting oil from Citgo or the like as long
as the price is right.

Jay Chan