THIS POST from earlier today about “prank calls to dictators” has produced a few emails from people outraged that I would call Hugo Chavez a dictator. Oh, the humanity! Hesiod Theogeny emails:

Does this mean we can now call Dubyah a “Dictator?”

Cool!

Thanks for breaking the ice, Glenn!

Sadly, Hesiod is behind the curve as usual. (I emailed back “What do you mean ‘now?'”). After all Spinsanity was chiding assorted lefties like Maureen Dowd, Paul Krugman, and the ubiquitous Michael Moore for doing just that, months ago.

Anyway, we’ve already been over all this — Hesiod must have been playing hooky that day. Here’s an earlier post pointing out that, yes indeedy, you can be elected and still be a dictator. Am I the only one besides Dr. Weevil who studied this stuff?

UPDATE: Tim Cavanaugh doesn’t feel sorry for Chavez.

ANOTHER UPDATE: Randy Paul, sadly, may have the last word on Venezuela: “At the end of the day it doesn’t seem like there will be any winners here.”