Chavez shutting down 34 privately-owned Venezuelan radio stations in the name of "free speech" and "democracy"

“Political language,” Orwell argued, was “designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind.” Source

George Orwell claimed that there was something more calculated at work when politicians begin to claim for example that “Slavery is Freedom” or that “Hate is Love,” or in Mao Tse Tung’s words, that “Compulsion is Voluntary.” Source

In August 1st article from Reuters we hear that

• Chavez says stations no longer belong to 'bourgeoisie'
  
  
• Calls closures part of effort to democratize airwaves

He says, furthermore, that this is his way of preserving democracy and free speech. Think about this next time the Democrats start talking about the "fairness doctrine" or, what they've cleverly started talking about instead, "localism" and new FCC regulations...

Here's more of what Chavez is doing according to Reuters:

• Another 120 radio stations were being investigated for administrative irregularities
  
  
• Venezuela's attorney general presented this week draft legislation that would establish prison sentences for anyone who provides false information that harms the interests of the state

Mr. President, Keep the Airwaves Free