I honestly thought Chavez might have been one of the good guys, but it looks increasingly less likely. Is our race really incapable of keeping a handle on our greed?

BBC News: Venezuela’s National Assembly has given initial approval to a bill granting the president the power to bypass congress and rule by decree for 18 months.

President Hugo Chavez says he wants “revolutionary laws” to enact sweeping political, economic and social changes.

He has said he wants to nationalise key sectors of the economy and scrap limits on the terms a president can serve.