Spain's king tells Chavez to 'shut up' during summit

[one...two...tree 2,762]

The Associated Press

SANTIAGO, Chile - The king of Spain told Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to "shut up" Saturday during a heated exchange that soured the end of a summit of leaders from Latin America, Spain and Portugal.

Chavez, who called President Bush the "devil" on the floor of the United Nations last year, triggered the exchange by repeatedly referring to former Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar as a "fascist."

Aznar, a conservative who was an ally of Bush as prime minister, "is a fascist," Chavez said in a speech at the Ibero-American summit in Santiago, Chile. "Fascists are not human. A snake is more human."

Spain's current socialist prime minister, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, responded during his own allotted time by urging Chavez to be more diplomatic in his words and respect other leaders despite political differences.

"Former President Aznar was democratically elected by the Spanish people and was a legitimate representative of the Spanish people," he said, eliciting applause from the gathered heads of state.

Chavez repeatedly tried to interrupt, but his microphone was off.

Spanish King Juan Carlos, seated next to Zapatero, angrily turned to Chavez and said, "Why don't you shut up?"

The Venezuelan leader did not immediately respond, but later used time ceded to him by his close ally Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega to answer Zapatero's speech.

"I do not offend by telling the truth," he said. "The Venezuelan government reserves the right to respond to any aggression, anywhere, in any space and in any manner."

In his speech to 18 heads of state gathered in Santiago, Chavez claimed that Aznar in 2000 asked him to distance Venezuela from Cuba and join "the club." Chavez, a close ally of Cuban leader Fidel Castro, said he'd refused.

Saturday's exchange between Chavez, Zapatero, and Spain's king overshadowed the conclusion of the three-day summit.

Leaders pledged to fight poverty and increase regional cooperation. They signed a landmark accord that will allow nearly 6 million migrant workers in Latin America, Spain and Portugal to transfer social security benefits between their nations. The leaders also vowed to fight "all forms of terrorism" and called on the U.S. to end its economic embargo against Cuba.

http://www.azcentral.com/offbeat/articles/1111odd5.html

[JODO 2]

That damn Hugo

[Nagishkaw 510]

That Venezuelan shoe needs to STFU.

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

do shut up

[hmm1 0]

do shut up

It's about time someone told him to, I know I have been thinking it for some time now...

[natty bumppo 297]

do shut up

It's about time someone told him to, I know I have been thinking it for some time now...

maybe it's time for others to send the same message

[one...two...tree 2,762]

do shut up

What, no freedom of speech for Chavez? Have you turned PC now?

[natty bumppo 297]

do shut up

What, no freedom of speech for Chavez? Have you turned PC now?

Chavez spoke ... then so did someone else ...

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

do shut up

What, no freedom of speech for Chavez? Have you turned PC now?

he doesn't have to listen. unlike his peasants

[one...two...tree 2,762]

do shut up

What, no freedom of speech for Chavez? Have you turned PC now?

he doesn't have to listen. unlike his peasants

He's a pompous ####### but I'm just saying that you champion free speech and shun people who say others should be mindful of what they say - calling it being PC....so I'm just wondering when is it not PC to tell someone to shut up?

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

do shut up

What, no freedom of speech for Chavez? Have you turned PC now?

he doesn't have to listen. unlike his peasants

He's a pompous ####### but I'm just saying that you champion free speech and shun people who say others should be mindful of what they say - calling it being PC....so I'm just wondering when is it not PC to tell someone to shut up?

Telling someone to shut up is free speech too. I didn't say the guy should be assassinated for running his mouth. I don't follow your PC logic about being PC. woot!

Now CAIR is trying to get Michael Savage off the air... what say you about that?

http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewNation.asp?Page...T20071109b.html

[one...two...tree 2,762]

do shut up

What, no freedom of speech for Chavez? Have you turned PC now?

he doesn't have to listen. unlike his peasants

He's a pompous ####### but I'm just saying that you champion free speech and shun people who say others should be mindful of what they say - calling it being PC....so I'm just wondering when is it not PC to tell someone to shut up?

Telling someone to shut up is free speech too. I didn't say the guy should be assassinated for running his mouth. I don't follow your PC logic about being PC. woot!

Now CAIR is trying to get Michael Savage off the air... what say you about that?

http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewNation.asp?Page...T20071109b.html

I agree it is free speech but I'm just confused on when it's called PC or not.

I just clicked on the link .... it says they're asking his sponsors to withdraw their sponsorship. Wouldn't that be the same thing that Focus On The Family has done to companies such as Ford - threatening to boycott them if they don't withdraw their Ads in gay magazines?

There seems to be a double standard of what is defined as being PC and people just exercising their freedom of speech.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Steven,

If you oppose speech I favor, you're being PC. If you oppose speech I oppose, you da man!

It isn't a difficult concept. We're only human.

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

Steven,

If you oppose speech I favor, you're being PC. If you oppose speech I oppose, you da man!

It isn't a difficult concept. We're only human.

that's pretty much it

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I don't think telling Chavez to shut up is stifling his free-speech, especially when the guy is trying to interrupt others. You could look at it the other way and say that his attempt to hog the floor is preventing everyone else from speaking and therefore infringing upon their freedom of speech.

Now CAIR is trying to get Michael Savage off the air... what say you about that?

http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewNation.asp?Page...T20071109b.html

Well from what I've heard of his show - Savage is one of these ten-a-penny commentators who say clearly offensive things for effect, while in essence saying very little. In other words - he's all bluster and anger, and very little substantive dialog.

Whether or not he believes the stuff he says is another thing - but its problematic either way. I wouldn't want to see his show banned - but I do think its unfortunate that there is a consumer market for that sort of cheap, divisive material. That speaks as much to his regular listeners as to him, though again I'm undecided whether he actually believes the stuff he says, or whether he's cynically telling people what they want to hear. Either way its pretty sad IMO.

What's also a little weird is the way in which people seem to want to take ownership of extreme-commentators like Savage. Are we saying there really no moderate conservatives out there - and that people can't separate an attack on a mad b*stard on the radio with an attack on their entire ideology?

I'd like to think that most people are more reasonable than that.

Edited November 11, 2007 by Number 6