Antony Loewenstein

Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez tells Washington that its time is nearly up:

I am sure that this century will see the end of American imperialism. For every pig the day arrives for slaughter. For the pig of American imperialism, that time has come.

More on Chavez’s London tour here, London mayor Ken Livingstone here and John Pilger here.

Most of the mainstream media prefers to slam Chavez, claiming he’s an autocrat. Of course, the leader of the “free world” is a war criminal whose government tortures “terrorist” detainees and illegally listens into the phone-calls of average Americans. Bush is certainly somebody to be respected.

Chavez is a “threat” because he dares ridicule US arrogance and has the oil-wealth to talk the talk. He brings the collapse of the US empire that one step closer. Expect Washington to order his assassination.