The Editor, Sir:

Based on Ian Boyne's article on Chávez last Sunday, I would like to state that, in my opinion, any leader, in whatever country and by whatever means, succeeds in significantly reducing poverty in their country deserves to be lauded and Mr. Chávez has done just that. Long live Chávez, I say.

America appointed themselves world superpower by feeding the world years of propaganda against the USSR until they were successfully brought down. Following this there was a burgeoning of Russian millionaires and billionaires with increasing poverty in the lower echelons who, if under socialism had one meal, it was sure, but now have none and unrest has increased elsewhere under Russia's new- found democracy. This is a simplification, I will avow, but the point I'm making is that no one method of governing is superior to another. Why should any one nation be top dog and cow everyone else?

With the inevitable demise of Castro, America's thorn in the flesh, Cuba, will no doubt become destabilised by forces which are probably already in place pending the death of a charismatic leader. This would leave no political balance in the region.

Thankfully, oil has given the needed power that Chávez and Venezuela need to improve the quality of life for the poor of that country but also to maintain a structure of socialism in the Caribbean region. As pointed out by Mr. Boyne, there are issues with Mr. Chávez's style of leadership but let him that is without fault, throw the first stone.

Emancipation, rhetoric of the moment, followed by democracy, so-called, as practised in Jamaica, even in 2007, find a significant percentage of poor black Jamaicans illiterate, disenfranchised, desensitised to decency, leading parasitic lifestyles and finding no way out, are self-destructing taking the whole nation with them while our current political masters and mistresses sit aside and watch. Mr Manley with his vision of democratic socialism, tried to enlighten that section of the populace that there was another way of freeing themselves from the shackles of mental slavery to which (we) are still permanently fettered but alas, he neither had the economic power nor support of the 'resourceful' Jamaicans to survive the buffeting he encountered from the enemy within and without, who it pleased to maintain the status quo. I hope one day with God's help, we will strike oil.

I am, etc.,

MARCIA WILLIAMS

marwilla@aol.com

Yallahs, St. Thomas

Via Go-Jamaica