Why don't you...

Turn off your television and do something more interesting instead? This was the title of a kids TV programme in the 70s made by people who didn't have a particularly well-developed sense of irony.

Anyway, Chavez has clearly decided closing down the odd TV station is what he'd rather be doing.

People will try to point out to Chavez groupies over here that he's a wee bit too much like Castro for anyone on the left who is serious about democracy and liberty to support but I reckon this is pretty pointless for two reasons:

1) Chavez isn't quite like Castro in that he's sufficiently less authoritarian to leave plenty of wriggle-room for fans of macho ego-driven populist politics.

2) Even if he was like Castro, I'm not sure that would do his reputation much harm amongst a significant proportion of the 'left', as you can see from a number of the comments below Castro's recent 'I'm not dead' contribution to CiF.