Great article here about whats going on in Venezuela with the government seizure of the national broadcaster network.
http://www.10zenmonkeys.com/2007/05/31/venezuela-dispatch-from-a-surrealist-autocracy/
"As the world now knows, Chavez shut down Venezuela’s respected 53-year-old TV station RCTV, accusing it of “subversive activities.” Out in the streets of Caracas, and in many other cities, people have been taking to the street".
What was really interesting however was this sentence further down.
"Meanwhile, a YouTube channel, created by the news crew of RCTV, continues to post news content, including footage of protests that no other TV channel here is showing. It has had more than 71,000 views in just two days — an enormous number when you consider that Internet penetration here is below 15%. As of this writing, it is number two on YouTube’s “Channels” listing for new subscribers".
It will be interesting to see how Chavez goes about blocking YouTube at the ISP's which I'm sure is going to follow soon. I guess technology has always been used in 'subversive' ways and this is no different but it will be interesting to see how long this can continue - would it be possible to run a 'cable tv network' just on donations alone (I assume the advertisers/sponsors would have to stop supporting the channel).
How long can you survive via Paypal or similar (hasn't the PLA been run on Western Union payments for the last 15 years?).
Like all dictatorships you can have good and bad effects- just look at Singapore and Malaysia as a text book example - one booming economy with no natural resources, no real land mass and starting from way behind the 8 ball in comparison to it's northern neighbour which is now full of sycophants and cronyism.
Life goes on...right Mr Bush?
Cheers,
Dean
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