But....But....But Fox News Told Me that Maduro is a Dictator

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But....But....But Fox News Told Me that Maduro is a Dictator
Posted by SMAZ on Mon Dec 7 15:01:25 2015 fiogf49gjkf0d Triumphant Venezuela opposition looks to boost economy, free prisoners CARACAS \| BY ANDREW CAWTHORNE AND EYANIR CHINEA - Reuters Venezuela's opposition vowed on Monday to revive the OPEC nation's troubled economy and free jailed political activists after winning control of the legislature for the first time in 16 years of Socialist rule. By afternoon, some results from Sunday's election were not yet in, but the Democratic Unity coalition had already won a commanding majority in the 167-member National Assembly. Opposition leaders said final tallies showed they reached the crucial bar of two-thirds. There was no confirmation of that from the election board, which still has 22 seats to announce. If they have reached two-thirds, or at least 112 seats, the opposition could flex its muscles far more against President Nicolas Maduro, by shaking up institutions such as the courts and election board widely viewed by Venezuelans as pro-government. The 53-year-old Maduro, handpicked by Chavez but lacking his charisma and political guile, quickly accepted defeat in a speech to the nation in the early hours of Monday that calmed fears of violence in a country long riven by political strife. After securing the assembly from the "Chavismo" movement, named for late former socialist President Hugo Chavez, the opposition quickly set out its priorities. "It's a great opportunity for us, this protest vote," prominent opposition leader Henrique Capriles said following a win attributed largely to voters punishing the Socialists for Venezuela's deep economic and social crisis. Coalition head Jesus Torrealba said the opposition would seek to modify the Central Bank law, in an effort to reduce indiscriminate printing of money that has driven the world's highest rate of inflation. Though it will not have the power to radically overhaul the economy from the legislature, the opposition is also promising new laws to stimulate the private sector and to roll back nationalizations. The opposition also wants to pass an amnesty law for jailed opponents of Maduro when the new assembly begins work on Jan. 5. Venezuela's best-known jailed politician is Leopoldo Lopez, who was sentenced to nearly 14 years on charges of promoting political violence in 2014 that killed 43 people. But the opposition has a list of what it says are more than 70 other political prisoners. BONDS RISE Investors reacted positively to the OPEC nation's swing away from the left, with dollar bonds rising strongly on hopes of business-friendly change. On the official count by the election board, the opposition had 99 seats to the Socialists' 46, with 22 seats yet to be announced. The opposition can now exercise control over the budget, begin investigations that could embarrass the government, and fire ministers. Torrealba has also said the assembly will open an investigation into the arrest last month of two relatives of Maduro, nephews of his wife, caught in a sting in Haiti and indicted in a New York court on charges of cocaine smuggling. The United States, which has had an acrimonious relationship with Venezuela under both Chavez and Maduro, has long accused the Socialists of complicity in the drug trade, as well as human rights abuses. The government dismisses those charges as lies and frequently recalls U.S. support for a short-lived 2002 coup against Chavez. Secretary of State John Kerry said the vote showed Venezuelans' "overwhelming desire" for change and urged dialogue among political parties to resolve the country's problems. A former bus driver and foreign minister who narrowly won election in 2013 after Chavez died from cancer, Maduro may face a backlash in the ruling party and from grassroots supporters who think he has betrayed his predecessor's legacy. Although his term ends in 2019, hardline opposition leaders want to oust him in a recall referendum next year. They would require nearly 4 million signatures to force the recall vote. "I can't see this government finishing its term because it is too weak," said opposition leader Henry Ramos, touted as a possible leader for the new assembly. "Internal frictions are beginning. They're blaming each other for this huge defeat." 'COUNTER-REVOLUTION' Maduro, whose government has replaced Cuba as Latin America's most vocal adversary of the United States, blamed the election on an "economic war" waged by business leaders and other opponents out to sabotage the economy and bring him down. "In Venezuela, a counter-revolution won, not the opposition," he added in his speech on Monday. Many Venezuelans have not bought that argument, though, blaming him for the runaway inflation, shortages from milk to medicines, and a devalued currency that trades on the black market at nearly 150 times its strongest official rate. Maduro's persistence with complex currency and price controls have contributed to Venezuela's economic distortions but, unlike Chavez, he has also had to contend with a plunge in the price of Venezuela's only significant export, oil. "This is Nicolas Maduro's defeat, not Chavez's," said Humberto Lopez, 57, a diehard Chavista well-known to Venezuelans for walking the streets dressed as Argentine revolutionary Ernesto "Che" Guevara. "I'm not hugely surprised." Underlining the unprecedented mood in Venezuela, videos online showed five prominent socialist politicians - including Chavez's brother Adan - being booed at voting centres on Sunday, with crowds yelling "the government will fall!" or "thief!". The government's defeat was another disappointment for Latin America's bloc of left-wing governments following last month's swing to the centre-right in Argentina's presidential election. But various regional leaders praised Maduro for accepting defeat so quickly. And words of consolation came from the Venezuelan government's closest ally, Communist-run Cuba. "I'm sure new victories for the Bolivarian and Chavista Revolution will come under your leadership," President Raul Castro wrote to Maduro, referring to Venezuelan independence hero Simon Bolivar as well as his late friend Chavez. (Additional reporting by Deisy Buitrago and Corina Pons in Caracas; Daniel Trotta in Havana, Danny Ramos in La Paz,; Sujata Rao in London, Arshad Mohammed in Washington; Editing by Girish Gupta, Kieran Murray and Frances Kerry)
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Re: But....But....But Fox News Told Me that Maduro is a Dictator
Posted by SLRT* on Mon Dec 7 15:03:36 2015, in response to But....But....But Fox News Told Me that Maduro is a Dictator, posted by SMAZ on Mon Dec 7 15:01:25 2015.* fiogf49gjkf0d Doesn't sound to me that Maduro did very well. So much for another revolution. But at least Fidel still lives.
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Re: But....But....But Fox News Told Me that Maduro is a Dictator
Posted by AlM* on Mon Dec 7 15:12:18 2015, in response to But....But....But Fox News Told Me that Maduro is a Dictator, posted by SMAZ on Mon Dec 7 15:01:25 2015.* fiogf49gjkf0d Well, I wouldn't have been surprised if he had tried to declare martial law. very glad if he doesn't.
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Re: But....But....But Fox News Told Me that Maduro is a Dictator
Posted by SLRT* on Mon Dec 7 15:14:55 2015, in response to Re: But....But....But Fox News Told Me that Maduro is a Dictator, posted by AlM on Mon Dec 7 15:12:18 2015.* fiogf49gjkf0d I guess you can't rewarm a Chavez Souffle.
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Re: But....But....But Fox News Told Me that Maduro is a Dictator
Posted by SMAZ* on Mon Dec 7 15:26:59 2015, in response to Re: But....But....But Fox News Told Me that Maduro is a Dictator, posted by SLRT on Mon Dec 7 15:03:36 2015.* fiogf49gjkf0d Doesn't sound to me that Maduro did very well. He got destroyed. But aren't dictators supposed to run sham elections or overturn bad results? Didn't Fox tell us that despite international observers always calling Venezuelan elections among the cleanest and fairest in the world, the past presidential and legislative victories by Chavez, Maduro and their parties were shams anyway?
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Re: But....But....But Fox News Told Me that Maduro is a Dictator
Posted by SLRT* on Mon Dec 7 15:36:24 2015, in response to Re: But....But....But Fox News Told Me that Maduro is a Dictator, posted by SMAZ on Mon Dec 7 15:26:59 2015.* fiogf49gjkf0d Maduro was a play-dictator. He would have wanted to be a Chavez, but hadn't the cojanes.
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Re: But....But....But Fox News Told Me that Maduro is a Dictator
Posted by R2ChinaTown* on Mon Dec 7 15:38:04 2015, in response to But....But....But Fox News Told Me that Maduro is a Dictator, posted by SMAZ on Mon Dec 7 15:01:25 2015.* fiogf49gjkf0d You shouldn't be watching FOX news. You are not qualified or mature enough.
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Re: But....But....But Fox News Told Me that Maduro is a Dictator
Posted by SMAZ* on Mon Dec 7 15:39:55 2015, in response to Re: But....But....But Fox News Told Me that Maduro is a Dictator, posted by SLRT on Mon Dec 7 15:36:24 2015.* fiogf49gjkf0d Chavez, Maduro and their party won those past elections just as cleanly as their opposition won this one. It's what Venezuelans wanted. American reactionaries could bear that so they made up a "dictator" narrative.
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Re: But....But....But Fox News Told Me that Maduro is a Dictator
Posted by SLRT* on Mon Dec 7 15:43:06 2015, in response to Re: But....But....But Fox News Told Me that Maduro is a Dictator, posted by SMAZ on Mon Dec 7 15:39:55 2015.* fiogf49gjkf0d BTW, what do you think will happen when Cuba runs out of Castros? Seriously.
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Re: But....But....But Fox News Told Me that Maduro is a Dictator
Posted by SMAZ* on Mon Dec 7 15:49:17 2015, in response to Re: But....But....But Fox News Told Me that Maduro is a Dictator, posted by SLRT on Mon Dec 7 15:43:06 2015.* fiogf49gjkf0d It'll be like what happened to China and Vietnam after the deaths of their historic leaders. It's already happening anyway.
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Re: But....But....But Fox News Told Me that Maduro is a Dictator
Posted by AlM* on Mon Dec 7 16:28:53 2015, in response to Re: But....But....But Fox News Told Me that Maduro is a Dictator, posted by SMAZ on Mon Dec 7 15:39:55 2015.* fiogf49gjkf0d Chavez was pretty heavy handed. He shut down newspapers, etc.
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Re: But....But....But Fox News Told Me that Maduro is a Dictator?
Posted by Olog-hai* on Mon Dec 7 17:21:29 2015, in response to But....But....But Fox News Told Me that Maduro is a Dictator, posted by SMAZ on Mon Dec 7 15:01:25 2015.* fiogf49gjkf0d Link?
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Re: But....But....But Fox News Told Me that Maduro is a Dictator?
Posted by SMAZ* on Mon Dec 7 17:27:38 2015, in response to Re: But....But....But Fox News Told Me that Maduro is a Dictator?, posted by Olog-hai on Mon Dec 7 17:21:29 2015.* fiogf49gjkf0d
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Re: But…But…But The Daily Beast Told Me that Maduro is a Dictator
Posted by Olog-hai* on Mon Dec 7 17:50:24 2015, in response to But....But....But Fox News Told Me that Maduro is a Dictator, posted by SMAZ on Mon Dec 7 15:01:25 2015.* fiogf49gjkf0d For realz. Maduro’s Dictator Move Venezuela’s president is so sure the U.S. is ramping up for war with his country that he’s ordering diplomats out of Caracas and giving himself unprecedented, uncheckable power. Romina Ruiz-Goiriena 03.17.155:15 AM ET Venezuelan government is at its wit’s end. After President Obama issued an executive order banning seven Venezuelan officials from traveling to the U.S. and freezing their assets, it wouldn’t be long before the South American nation fired back in what appears to be the region’s newest Cold War-reminiscent row. Venezuela’s National Assembly approved President Nicolas Maduro’s request Sunday to govern by decree for a second time since taking office in 2013. The ruling grants the president special expanded authority outside of executive powers. Maduro called it a push to fight imperialism. He called it his “Anti-Imperialist Law.” Maduro has been accusing Washington of orchestrating a coup and an economic war—something U.S. officials deny in strong terms. To “get back” at America he ordered most U.S. diplomats out of Caracas and has decided that all American travelers will have to request a visa. “What we are seeing here, is the intent with impunity to attempt against Venezuela’s richness,” exclaimed Tanía Díaz, vice president of the National Assembly, on national TV. “It is Mr. Obama’s intention, along with his secretaries, to commercially restrict Venezuela’s wealth, to wage a commercial blockade, an economic blockade silently with impunity.” Members of the opposition criticized the move, calling it a “distraction to take over what’s left of democracy.” During his first decree, approved in November 2013 just seven months after taking office, Maduro issued 50 executive orders that increased state control of the economy, promoted social welfare programs and strengthened anti-corruption legislation. But Venezuela is at a tipping point. In just less than two years since Maduro took office, the inflation rate has skyrocketed to 63.6 percent—the highest in the world, surpassing even war-torn Ukraine. The economy went into recession even before petroleum prices started plummeting. Two waves of protests around the country left dozens dead and more wounded, and led to the imprisonment of notorious political leaders. And that isn’t even taking into account the rampant scarcity of basic staple foods comparable to countries in the midst of civil wars—let alone that Transparency International ranked it the most corrupt country in the region. Maduro continues to blame it all on the CIA, to no avail. For now, it seems that Washington may be winning the game of isolation and letting Venezuela seal its own fate with a slew of haphazard moves. After all, President Obama’s historic decision to put an end to historic hostilities between Cuba and the U.S. isolated the South American oil giant from Maduro’s biggest crony. President Raul Castro and Co. aren’t too keen on sabotaging an important rapprochement over a little oil—especially when they are so close to getting off the state sponsor of terror list, among other issues currently discussed in talks. It’s also alienated other left-leaning countries in the region, subduing many criticisms against the U.S months before the much-awaited Summit of the Americas next month in Panama. “I’ll add that it’s unfortunate that during a time when we’ve opened up engagement with every other nation in the Americas, Venezuela has opted to go in the opposite direction,” said a White House senior administration official about the president’s executive order on Venezuela. Meanwhile, all Washington has to do is nothing while Venezuela cries foe in the dark.
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Re: But....But....But Fox News Told Me that Maduro is a Dictator
Posted by FYBklyn1959* on Mon Dec 7 20:58:29 2015, in response to Re: But....But....But Fox News Told Me that Maduro is a Dictator, posted by R2ChinaTown on Mon Dec 7 15:38:04 2015.* fiogf49gjkf0d Even if it's only to ogle the hot newsbabes? :)
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Re: But....But....But Fox News Told Me that Maduro is a Dictator
Posted by Dutchrailnut* on Mon Dec 7 21:11:22 2015, in response to Re: But....But....But Fox News Told Me that Maduro is a Dictator, posted by FYBklyn1959 on Mon Dec 7 20:58:29 2015.* fiogf49gjkf0d get a victoria's secret catalog ;-) the Fox girls might be ok but believe me someone out there is sick of their shit and sick of humping them.
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Re: But....But....But Fox News Told Me that Maduro is a Dictator
Posted by SelkirkTMO* on Mon Dec 7 23:19:30 2015, in response to Re: But....But....But Fox News Told Me that Maduro is a Dictator, posted by FYBklyn1959 on Mon Dec 7 20:58:29 2015.* fiogf49gjkf0d I must be getting old ... I remember when they tried harder than that. :)
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Re: But....But....But Fox News Told Me that Maduro is a Dictator
Posted by SLRT* on Tue Dec 8 08:57:02 2015, in response to Re: But....But....But Fox News Told Me that Maduro is a Dictator, posted by AlM on Mon Dec 7 16:28:53 2015.* fiogf49gjkf0d For a dictator, especially a populist dictator, to prosper they need a Cult of Personality. Chavez had that. Maduro has no personality.
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Re: But....But....But Fox News Told Me that Maduro is a Dictator
Posted by Edwards!* on Tue Dec 8 10:10:48 2015, in response to Re: But....But....But Fox News Told Me that Maduro is a Dictator, posted by R2ChinaTown on Mon Dec 7 15:38:04 2015.* fiogf49gjkf0d Not even to see the hot chicks with the low cut dresses on?
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Re: But....But....But Fox News Told Me that Maduro is a Dictator
Posted by R2ChinaTown* on Tue Dec 8 10:35:52 2015, in response to Re: But....But....But Fox News Told Me that Maduro is a Dictator, posted by Edwards! on Tue Dec 8 10:10:48 2015.* fiogf49gjkf0d I find many of the ladies on FOX to be extremely attractive. My favorite is Heather Nauert who happened to live not far from my previous residence. Who is your favorite?
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Re: But....But....But Fox News Told Me that Maduro is a Dictator
Posted by SMAZ* on Tue Dec 8 11:44:17 2015, in response to Re: But....But....But Fox News Told Me that Maduro is a Dictator, posted by SLRT on Tue Dec 8 08:57:02 2015.* fiogf49gjkf0d Chavez got his consensus at the ballot box through regularly scheduled free and fair elections just like in any other democracy. Maduro doesn't. His opposition does. It's called democracy, not dictatorship.
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Re: But…But…But The Daily Beast Told Me that Maduro is a Dictator
Posted by Olog-hai* on Tue Dec 8 21:14:25 2015, in response to Re: But…But…But The Daily Beast Told Me that Maduro is a Dictator, posted by Olog-hai on Mon Dec 7 17:50:24 2015.* fiogf49gjkf0d Of course the libs ignore this.
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Re: But…But…But The Daily Beast Told Me that Maduro is a Dictator
Posted by SelkirkTMO* on Tue Dec 8 21:19:34 2015, in response to Re: But…But…But The Daily Beast Told Me that Maduro is a Dictator, posted by Olog-hai on Tue Dec 8 21:14:25 2015.* fiogf49gjkf0d Well yeah ... it's the Daily Beast. Why not just post directly from Stormfront when you swing by?
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Re: But....But....But Fox News Told Me that Maduro is a Dictator
Posted by FYBklyn1959* on Tue Dec 8 22:17:58 2015, in response to Re: But....But....But Fox News Told Me that Maduro is a Dictator, posted by SelkirkTMO on Mon Dec 7 23:19:30 2015.* fiogf49gjkf0d Ah, Ms Guilfoyle. She's got a set of gams on her! :) And she usually wears pantyhose, unlike most of the other FoxBabes.
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Re: But....But....But Fox News Told Me that Maduro is a Dictator
Posted by LuchAAA* on Tue Dec 8 22:43:54 2015, in response to Re: But....But....But Fox News Told Me that Maduro is a Dictator, posted by FYBklyn1959 on Tue Dec 8 22:17:58 2015.* fiogf49gjkf0d Lesser attractive women for liberal network. Hot women on male skweing conservative network. That's how it works!
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Re: But....But....But Fox News Told Me that Maduro is a Dictator
Posted by SelkirkTMO* on Tue Dec 8 22:59:12 2015, in response to Re: But....But....But Fox News Told Me that Maduro is a Dictator, posted by FYBklyn1959 on Tue Dec 8 22:17:58 2015.* fiogf49gjkf0d Rupert could make a killing on a calendar. :)
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Re: But....But....But Fox News Told Me that Maduro is a Dictator
Posted by LuchAAA* on Tue Dec 8 23:13:40 2015, in response to Re: But....But....But Fox News Told Me that Maduro is a Dictator, posted by SelkirkTMO on Tue Dec 8 22:59:12 2015.* fiogf49gjkf0d Calendar with hot women? That's a bias crime today.
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Re: But....But....But Fox News Told Me that Maduro is a Dictator
Posted by SelkirkTMO* on Tue Dec 8 23:34:26 2015, in response to Re: But....But....But Fox News Told Me that Maduro is a Dictator, posted by LuchAAA on Tue Dec 8 23:13:40 2015.* fiogf49gjkf0d I'd say let's go for it. Strike a blow for feminism! :)
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Young Socialist hardliner appointed to run Venezuela's economy (Maduro is a Dictator)
Posted by Olog-hai* on Thu Jan 7 12:31:44 2016, in response to But....But....But Fox News Told Me that Maduro is a Dictator, posted by SMAZ on Mon Dec 7 15:01:25 2015.* fiogf49gjkf0d Associated Press Young socialist hardliner will lead Venezuela's economy By Hannah Dreier Jan. 7, 2016 12:19 PM EST President Nicolas Maduro is doubling down on his existing economic policies with the appointment of a young leftist hardliner to head the country's cratering economy, setting up a potential confrontation between the ruling socialist party and the newly powerful opposition. Luis Salas, the new 39-year-old vice president for the economy, has scant administrative experience, but champions the same theories of price and currency controls that have defined Venezuela's leftist economic policy for 17 years. Like Maduro, Salas says the country is suffering from the world's worst recession and triple-digit inflation because business interests are colluding with the U.S. to sabotage the economy. He even goes further than Maduro in arguing that many of the country's problems are the result of being too capitalist. A professor at the Bolivarian University, an institution created by the late president Hugo Chavez, Salas was relatively unknown before this week. But he has outlined his economic philosophy in a large collection of open letters and pamphlets. "Inflation doesn't exist in real life," he wrote last year. He added that prices go up not because of scarcity, but because of "capitalist economies that are driven by the desire for personal gain through the exploitation of others; by selfishness." Along with shortages, inflation has become the No. 1 concern among Venezuelan voters, many of whom spend hours each week waiting in line for goods that are increasingly impossible to afford. After the opposition swept Dec. 6 legislative elections, Salas wrote an open letter in which he attacked as "pragmatists" those people within the socialist camp who were floating the possibility of devaluation, a move that outside economists agree is a necessary first step for righting the economy. Disbelief at the president's choice for a new economic czar echoed in opposition circles Wednesday night, with some speculating Maduro might be trying to drive the economy into the ground. Since its landmark victory, the opposition coalition has been split between those who favor negotiation with the government and those who want to start to remove Maduro from office. The new appointment and the socialists' combative rhetoric since the new congress was seated Tuesday could silence opposition voices favoring dialogue. Socialist supporters have supported appointment of the new economic czar. Some pro-government people rallied in downtown Thursday morning to protest the opposition leadership's removal of portraits of Chavez from the gold-domed capitol building. Maduro named other hardliners to top spots Wednesday as part of a larger cabinet reshuffle he says is intended to protect the revolution during a new political era. He also created a new urban agriculture ministry and announced that he and first lady Cilia Flores had taken up urban farming themselves. "Cilia and I keep 50 chickens at our home. It's time to start building a new culture of production," he said.
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Venezuela very near complete economic collapse
Posted by Olog-hai* on Sun Jan 31 17:49:02 2016, in response to But....But....But Fox News Told Me that Maduro is a Dictator, posted by SMAZ on Mon Dec 7 15:01:25 2015.* fiogf49gjkf0d WaPo Wonkablog Venezuela is on the brink of a complete economic collapse By Matt O'Brien January 29, 2016 The only question now is whether Venezuela's government or economy will completely collapse first. The key word there is "completely." Both are well into their death throes. Indeed, Venezuela's ruling party just lost congressional elections that gave the opposition a veto-proof majority, and it's hard to see that getting any better for them any time soon — or ever. Incumbents, after all, don't tend to do too well when, according to the International Monetary Fund, their economy shrinks 10 percent one year, an additional 6 percent the next, and inflation explodes to 720 percent. It's no wonder, then, that markets expect Venezuela to default on its debt in the very near future. The country is basically bankrupt. That's not an easy thing to do when you have the largest oil reserves in the world, but Venezuela has managed it. How? Well, a combination of bad luck and worse policies. The first step was when Hugo Chávez's socialist government started spending more money on the poor, with everything from two-cent gasoline to free housing. Now, there's nothing wrong with that — in fact, it's a good idea in general — but only as long as you actually, well, have the money to spend. And by 2005 or so, Venezuela didn't. Why not? The answer is that Chávez turned the state-owned oil company from being professionally run to being barely run. People who knew what they were doing were replaced with people who were loyal to the regime, and profits came out but new investment didn't go in. That last part was particularly bad, because Venezuela's extra-heavy crude needs to be blended or refined — neither of which is cheap — before it can be sold. So Venezuela just hasn't been able to churn out as much oil as it used to without upgraded or even maintained infrastructure. Specifically, oil production fell 25 percent between 1999 and 2013. The rest is a familiar tale of fiscal woe. Even triple-digit oil prices, as Justin Fox points out, weren't enough to keep Venezuela out of the red when it was spending more on its people but producing less crude. So it did what all poorly run states do when the money runs out: It printed some more. And by "some," I mean a lot, a lot more. That, in turn, became more "a lots" than you can count once oil started collapsing in mid-2014. The result of all this money-printing, as you can see below, is that Venezuela's currency has, by black market rates, lost 93 percent of its value in the past two years. It turns out Lenin was wrong. Debauching the currency is actually the best way to destroy the socialist, not the capitalist, system. Now you might have noticed that I talked about Venezuela's black market exchange rate. There's a good reason for that. Venezuela's government has tried to deny economic reality with price and currency controls. The idea was that it could stop inflation without having to stop printing money by telling businesses what they were allowed to charge, and then giving them dollars on cheap enough terms that they could actually afford to sell at those prices. The problem with that idea is that it's not profitable for unsubsidized companies to stock their shelves, and not profitable enough for subsidized ones to do so either when they can just sell their dollars in the black market instead of using them to import things. That's left Venezuela's supermarkets without enough food, its breweries without enough hops to make beer, and its factories without enough pulp to produce toilet paper. The only thing Venezuela is well-supplied with are lines. Although the government has even started rationing those, kicking people out of line based on the last digit of their national ID card. And it's only going to get worse. That's because Socialist president Nicolás Maduro has changed the law so the opposition-controlled National Assembly can't remove the central bank governor or appoint a new one. Not only that, but Maduro has picked someone who doesn't even believe there's such a thing as inflation to be the country's economic czar. "When a person goes to a shop and finds that prices have gone up," the new minister wrote, "they are not in the presence of 'inflation,' " but rather "parasitic" businesses that are trying to push up profits as much as possible. According to this — let me be clear — "theory," printing too much money never causes inflation. And so Venezuela will continue to do so. If past hyperinflations are any guide, this will keep going until Venezuela can't even afford to run its printing presses anymore — unless Maduro gets kicked out first. But for now, at least, a specter is haunting Venezuela — the specter of failed economic policies. Love the reference to the opening words of the Manifesto at the end, there.
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Re: Venezuela very near complete economic collapse
Posted by WillD* on Sun Jan 31 19:50:07 2016, in response to Venezuela very near complete economic collapse, posted by Olog-hai on Sun Jan 31 17:49:02 2016.* fiogf49gjkf0d So the dip the Dow took last week which everyone chalked up to flagging energy sector stocks didn't happen? For all its overwrought ideological hand-wringing the one thing that should be clear is that this has absolutely nothing to do with socialist or capitalist economies. European, US and Asian oil companies have been hurt right along with Venezuela's state run oil company without anyone making claims that they're being mismanaged. The rest of the world just happen to be lucky that for the most part the energy sector does not entirely dominate their respective economies as it does in Venezuela. Venezuela has built their economy around the sort of energy scarcity required to make their oil economically viable. Unfortunately, that's precisely what the 'drill baby drill' crowd here in the US is pushing us toward and we've already felt its ill effects. Give us a few years and I'm sure we'll have our own economy built entirely upon energy scarcity to follow Venezuela into economic disarray. But unlike Venezuela, by then we'll be completely tapped out. We'll be like France, circa 1973.
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Re: Venezuela very near complete economic collapse
Posted by italianstallion* on Sun Jan 31 20:00:32 2016, in response to Venezuela very near complete economic collapse, posted by Olog-hai on Sun Jan 31 17:49:02 2016.* fiogf49gjkf0d Sad for the people, good for the future return of democracy.
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Re: Venezuela very near complete economic collapse
Posted by SelkirkTMO* on Sun Jan 31 20:22:41 2016, in response to Re: Venezuela very near complete economic collapse, posted by italianstallion on Sun Jan 31 20:00:32 2016.* fiogf49gjkf0d Exxon-Mobil over the years has made that a difficult path amongst Venezuelans. If anything, they'll modify their form of government a bit, but American influence there is deceased.
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But…But…But Fox News and AP agree that Maduro is a Dictator!
Posted by Olog-hai* on Fri Feb 12 10:47:43 2016, in response to But....But....But Fox News Told Me that Maduro is a Dictator, posted by SMAZ on Mon Dec 7 15:01:25 2015.* fiogf49gjkf0d Link Venezuela top court overrules Congress, grants decree powers Feb 11, 2016 8:44 PM EST Venezuela's Supreme Court overruled the opposition-controlled congress on Thursday and granted broad decree powers to President Nicolas Maduro. Congress last month had refused to approve Maduro's declaration of an economic emergency. In a decision made public Thursday night, the high court ruled that Maduro did not need congressional approval after all. It said the declaration of emergency is now in effect, granting Maduro greatly expanded authority over the economy for 60 days. Critics of Venezuela's socialist administration immediately denounced the move as unconstitutional and tantamount to a coup. The opposition took control of congress in January for the first time since the late President Hugo Chavez initiated Venezuela's socialist revolution 17 years ago. The court has not ruled against the executive branch in that time. Maduro hailed the decision during a televised address, promising to start flexing his expanded powers immediately. "Now that the emergency decree is in place, I'm going to put in place a set of measures in the coming days that I was already working on," he said. In recent weeks, Maduro has proposed increasing tax revenue, raising the price of gasoline and ramping up Venezuela's already strict economic controls. Among other things, the decree could allow him to decree how state funds are used, and take over private warehouses and distribution trucks. Congress rejected the proposal on Jan. 22. Venezuela's flailing economy is suffering from chronic shortages and the world's highest inflation.
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Re: But…But…But Fox News and AP agree that Maduro is a Dictator!
Posted by SLRT* on Fri Feb 12 11:51:36 2016, in response to But…But…But Fox News and AP agree that Maduro is a Dictator!, posted by Olog-hai on Fri Feb 12 10:47:43 2016.* fiogf49gjkf0d So Congress wouldn't give him the powers he said he needed so of course he was FORCED to bypass them. Sounds like someone else.
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Re: But…But…But Fox News and AP agree that Maduro is a Dictator!
Posted by Olog-hai* on Fri Feb 12 12:45:59 2016, in response to Re: But…But…But Fox News and AP agree that Maduro is a Dictator!, posted by SLRT on Fri Feb 12 11:51:36 2016.* fiogf49gjkf0d Very much like.
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Re: But…But…But Fox News and AP agree that Maduro is a Dictator!
Posted by Olog-hai* on Mon Mar 28 11:19:06 2016, in response to But…But…But Fox News and AP agree that Maduro is a Dictator!, posted by Olog-hai on Fri Feb 12 10:47:43 2016.* fiogf49gjkf0d pmub
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