If we don't keep quite about Chavez appointing himself dictator for life, we don't get any oil.

Personally, I say let him try. Oil revenues make up a big chunk of where Chavez's government gets its revenues. While on one hand this means that we Americans are funding this cruel thug by buying his oil, it also means that should he refuse to sell us oil he'd be shooting himself in the foot.

America is the biggest consumer of oil on the planet. Chavez may be able to sell the oil he was selling us to other nations, but who else is going to buy as much as we do?

So it's an idle threat, I think. If he did it, it'd hurt him more than it would hurt us. But even if it did hurt us more we should still oppose his power grab, because as the Americans we should support the aspirations of all free people. And Hugo Chavez's regime has little to do with freedom.