A liberal fascist dictatorship is rising to our south–one that has growing military relationships with Iran, China and Russia; and connections to drug cartels and terrorist organizations.

Hugo Chavez first stacked the Venezuelan Parliament with cronies and puppets. Today that parliament voted to vest Chavez with broad, near-dictatorial powers. The powers supposedly come with an expiration date, but if you think Chavez is going to be relinquishing those powers at the appointed time, you don’t know tin-horn, Dear Leader, dictators. It’s fun to be the king.

Not so fun for the peasants, though.