Let's get this party started...

And so Venezuela begins the journey to tyranny:

Venezuela Moves to Create Single Party

CARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuela's ruling party took the first step Monday toward creating a single pro-government party, a move opponents criticized as a push to consolidate more power in the hands of President Hugo Chavez after his landslide re-election.

Ruling party leader Willian Lara said the Fifth Republic Movement was being dismantled in order to merge with other parties in the new Unified Socialist Party of Venezuela. Before he was re-elected Dec. 3, Chavez proposed the new party to consolidate and unify a collection of loosely allied parties as he steers the oil-producing country toward socialism.

"It's a new party that is born out of the revolutionary process," Lara said.

Ah yes. The revolutionary process. It's done so much for the world since 1917. Next they'll be telling us one party rule is demanded by the people. Oh...It looks like Chavez already has:

In a speech Friday, Chavez said Venezuela needs a governing party that is "at the service of the revolution and the people _ not at the service of the political parties." He said parties will be free not to join if they wish.

"Those parties that wish to preserve themselves, they will leave the government,"he said.

Does anyone else besides me get a chill when reading that last sentence? Uncle Fidel must be very proud.