Venezuela shut down an opposition television channel on Monday and replaced it with one promoting President Hugo Chavez's self-proclaimed socialist revolution in a move widely criticized as a threat to democracy.

"This has exposed the abusive, arbitrary and autocratic nature of Chavez's government, a government that fears free thought, that fears opinion and fears criticism," said Marcel Granier, chief of RCTV, the country's oldest broadcaster.

Reality check time for leftie contrarians who think Chavez is cool for sticking it to the man, whats going on down there is actually fucked up.

Of course, the rationalizations have already begun. Apparently when thousands of people hit the streets to protest and end up in clashes with police over views we support, its because the people are being denied a voice and the police are involved in a conspiracy with the evil men who control the world, but when thousands of people hit the streets to protest and end up in clashes with police over views we don't support, its because they've been manipulated by millionaires and the police were forced to respond because the protestors were violent.

Venezuela replaces opposition TV with state network| Reuters