The Commonalities Of Michael Bloomberg And Hugo Chavez

It might be hard to imagine the Mayor of New York and the President of Venezuela sharing much in common but if you strip everything away and just consider the trappings of power, the two are one in the same. Yesterday a small majority of Venezuelans (or so the polls say) voted to abolish term limits so that Hugo can run indefinitely. It must have made George Bush cringe and boiled the blood of neo-cons everywhere. Though I doubt they weren't too concerned when Michael Bloomberg decided he wanted to run for a third term despite New Yorkers having had approved of term limits by referenda twice in the 1990s.

A few months ago, the blood was boiling on the left side of New York's political side and in the veins of all people that decry political power plays such as what the Mayor and Council undertook. Yet for as much outrage as his opponents could muster, the Council, with Speaker Quinn's prodding, made sure that everyone was able to run for a third term, get extra benefits and allow the Mayor to drop $80 or $100 million on a campaign that some would call buying victory.

Of course, it isn't exactly the same set of circumstances. Our Mayor has never been the target of a U.S. backed coup, nor bashed President Bush day in, day out, and he doesn't even try to appear in touch or connected with the people he rules over attempts to govern. Bloomberg also has no shame, as he now tries to cajole the Working Families Party into letting him run on their line. Despite their differences, both are clearly obsessed with power, and will do whatever it takes to hold on to that. The means may differ because of where they each are, but the ends are all the same.