Close Call in Venezuela

Yes, there is reason to celebrate in Venezuela. But not much. While Hugo Chavez' plan to steer the country into indefinite socialism has gone awry, the margin of victory was very small. And that means that the craftiness with which Chavez and his minions usurped power in the first place will be put to use yet again and soon democracy will, again, be put in jeopardy.

Right now Venezuela finds itself on a very dangerous precipice -- while not everyone is rolling in the cash flow of the country's oil industry, there is an entitlement in the air that makes even the most destitute feel as if they lay claim to the power Chavez pretends to lord over the industrialized world, chiefly the U.S.

The same thing is happening in Iran. In Sudan. In Pakistan. You get these crackpot dictators who "stand up" to the U.S. and Great Britain who, because they mouth off at the U.N. in their own language, are exonerated from having to feed, house and educate their people. And they inspire the freedom a citizenry feels to kill hundreds of civilians in Pakistan because they don't agree with Benazir Bhutto or the massive waste of time and energy spent into killing a school teacher over a teddy bear.

Distractions and hyperbole. It's the stuff of politics and the arsenal of dictators. You better believe Chavez is reloading in his headquarters and planning a bigger assault on democracy - only this time it's going global.