I don't exactly follow you about the "suffering of the Iranian and Venezuelan populations", robomatic. Chavez has been democratically elected twice by his "suffering" population, who seem to have a majority who like his policies...that majority being among the lower income elements of the Venezuelan population who ARE the vast majority in that country. His opponents appear to be primarily among the wealthier people...the business community, friends of the American business community. NO surprise there. ;-)

As for Iran, its population suffered under the previous government too...under the Shah's regime. They suffered grievously enough that the Shah ended up being overthrown in a locally-based revolution, not in a foreign-backed coup like the one which established the Shah's abosolute rule over that country.

So does "suffering" not count when it is inflicted by an American-backed absolute monarch...like the Shah, or the Emir of Kuwait or the Saudi Royal family?

As far as I can see there have been many Iranians who suffered under both the former Iranian government (which I presume you approve of?) and the present government which you definitely don't approve of...but you don't seem to care about such suffering unless the USA decides that an Iranian government is its enemy. Then the suffering becomes official!

So it's all just partisanship in the end that counts then, not who or how many are suffering, evidently.

I don't like Islamic extremism either, robomatic. I don't like it one bit, but I don't LIVE in an Islamic society. Neither do I like neocon extremism...and I DO live in a North American society which being damaged and misled and dominated in recent years by neocon policy. Therefore, the neocons concern me far more directly. They are right here in my own home, not on the other side of the world. If I have to deal with evil, I will confront it on my own home ground FIRST, okay?

As for politicians who harangue audiences...they will always twist the record of the past in order to somehow justify the present. Their people do it. Our people do it. Why be surprised? The hypocrisy you see them engaging in is no worse than the hyprocrisy you find here on the home turf.