John Pilger's, "The War on Democracy".

[Rogers]

I don't know if anyone else here has heard of the internationally renowned journalist, John Pilger, but his most recent documentary has just been released. The War on Democracy focusses on the decades long undermining of democracies around the World, mostly in Latin America, known as "The Backyard", by (Republican) U.S. governments. Pilgers' new documentary centers on the U.S. involvement in the 2002 coup d'etat in Venezuela, through the funding of anti-Chavez supporters in early 2002 via the deceptively named, "National Endowment for Democracy". This was despite C.I.A. reports strongly predicting an imminent attempt to overthrow Chavez's democratically elected government by these factions.

"The War on Democracy" (2007), by John Pilger:
http://complexsystemofpipes.wordpress.com/2007/08/23/war-on-democracy/
The documentary in parts:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5292100968301727218&q=war+on+democracy&total=2103&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=5

John Pilger:
http://www.johnpilger.com/
http://www.zmag.org/bios/homepage.cfm?authorID=141
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Pilger

Loose Cannon: The National Endowment for Democracy:
http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=1552
National Endowment for Death Squads? The AFL-CIO and the NED:
http://www.iefd.org/articles/for_death_squads.php
Philanthropic imperialism: the National Endowment for Democracy:
http://www.spinwatch.org/content/view/4264/8/
Trojan Horse: The National Endowment for Democracy
http://members.aol.com/superogue/ned.htm

If Pilger is right, and Pilger is never weak on facts, U.S. support for anti-Chavez groups in Venezuela is another example of the Bush administration's contempt for International Law and human rights, issues on which the U.S. is supposed to be the World's foremost leader!

[chrissynw]

Oh he's right, the US has sponsored more coups in Latin American than I care to think of, the body-politic in the states is so intensely paranoid, ignorant and fearful of anything resembling a left of centre marker on the ideological spectrum its surprising there haven't been anymore witch-hunts since the McCarthy (some would say golden) age of anti-commie panic.

[tsmandy]

Before I transistioned I used to enjoy occasional work related correspondence with Pilger, and always thought he was a decent guy. I hope his documentary gets released here in the states, though I highly doubt it will. I'm still waiting to see his films on Cambodia.

It was obvious the US would not stand for any sort of challenge to the Washington Consensus in their own backyard from the get go. Fortunately for the people of Venezuela Bush has been too embroiled in playing emperor of Persia to successfully destroy Venezuelan democracy.

[Rogers]

Thanks for the replies, chrissynw and Mandy. You can buy Pilger's films in the U.S. from Bullfrog films.
http://www.johnpilger.com/page.asp?partid=146
Alternatively you could buy them direct from the U.K. if you have a Region 0 DVD player. Try Amazon.co.uk OR eBay. You can download The War on Democracy just now on UseNext. He also has quite a few clips on YouTube.

Bombing Cambodia - Nixon, Kissinger, and the Khmer Rouge
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccm-QlOxvPg&mode=related&search=
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOcRlEHrGBU&mode=related&search=
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFJF6smKykg&mode=related&search=

Globalization: New Rulers of The World
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdgMlXoQMbY

I've read his New Rulers of the World book. The story of the undermining of the democratically elected government in Indonesia, and the resulting deaths (up to one million), is the most shocking of all. It had nothing to do with the Cold War, only money. May Nixon rot in hell if it exists!

On a much, much lighter note, where's guyone at? I was expecting his usual Bolshevik/commie diatribe.