The Washington Post says America needs to do "something" about Venezuela. Not sure what we could or should do.

In August, after months of heavy-handed governmental actions to influence the outcome, President Hugo Chavez survived a recall referendum; since then his supporters have gained control of 21 of 23 states, as well as the capital, in local elections. Those triumphs have prompted the erratic former military rebel to accelerate what he calls his "Bolivarian revolution" -- a push toward authoritarian rule at home and a deepening alliance abroad with Cuban leader Fidel Castro and other antidemocratic movements.

In the past Mr. Chavez has been assailed by independent media who sympathize with his opposition; he has responded with a new media law that will allow his government to suspend the licenses of radio and television stations for content deemed "contrary to the security of the nation."

A new penal code will outlaw most forms of public protest and designate some as terrorism.

An expansion of the Supreme Court will allow the president to stack the only judicial body that has retained some independence.

A campaign has been launched against civil society groups, beginning with the election monitoring group Sumate, whose organizers are threatened with charges of treason.

Mr. Chavez is using Venezuela's oil revenue to fund antidemocratic or populist movements in nations such as Bolivia and to subsidize Mr. Castro's bankrupt regime.

Boy, who would possibly have expected this kind of thing from a socialist thug? You could knock me over with a feather.

Yet another People's Republic, that's going to have to learn the facts of life the hard way.