Personally, I read &#x27;acqq&#x27; as showing that Hirst&#x27;s credentials <i>do</i> match his claims, and that instead of being a typical armchair pundit, he is someone who could be considered intimately familiar with the situation in Venezuela.<p>In retrospect, I suppose it could have been intended to be just a neutral statement of fact, but it doesn&#x27;t look at all to me like an &#x27;ad hominem&#x27; attack.  Unless you have outside knowledge of &#x27;acqq&#x27; and are interpreting this in a context not visible to others, I think you are projecting a prejudice that does not exist.