LH: Well said. I've already come to my own conclusions that the leaders of Iran who followed the Shah were far worse than he ever dreamed of being. He exerted violence to keep himself in power, but they have exerted more violence not only to keep themselves in power, but to kill and harm people just for being who they are (Bahais, Christians, Homosexuals, inadequately fanatic Muslims). (The fact that the subversion of the democratic government of Iran under Mossadegh was a dirty American job is not to be forgotten).

As for Chavez, you are ignoring the standard demagoguery which subverts the poorly educated and then maintains them in that state. It's a real life case of the Homer Simpson line:

"I'm doing it for the poor crippled boy . . . that I crippled!"