Benevolent despotism believed in

The Venezuelan legislature yesterday gave their President Hugo Chavez the power to rule by decree.

As far as can be determined, the Venezuelan people are going with it with their eyes wide open. As suggested by J.F. Beck, such an act of collective faith has rarely been seen since 1933 – in Germany, I believe.

One sincerely wishes the Venezuelan people all the luck in the world. And then some.