Venezuela: Seizing corn meal an option [price controls and communism]

Business Week/Associated Press ^ | January 17, 2006

[grundle]

Venezuelan authorities are prepared to seize inventories of corn meal if producers protesting price controls hoard their supplies, an official said Tuesday.

The South American country has seen coffee disappear from the shelves in recent weeks as producers refused to sell over price controls that they said eliminated profits. Officials said a 60-percent increase in coffee prices announced Monday would make coffee plentiful again.

But some corn producers also have told Venezuelan media they are dissatisfied with current price controls.

"I don't think it's necessary to go straight to expropriation, but it's an option," Food Minister Rafael Oropeza told reporters during a tour of state-operated grain silos in the southwestern state of Barinas.

He said the government is prepared "to defend the right of access to food."

Corn meal is key to Venezuelans' daily diet of "arepas," corn cakes served steaming with chicken, meat or cheese inside. It is one of many basic food products under price controls in Venezuela, where President Hugo Chavez says he is leading a socialist revolution for the poor.

Scattered sellouts of powdered milk, corn meal and sugar have been reported recently, but officials denied there were shortages at a national level and said they would make sure state-run markets are fully stocked.

The consumer protection agency, Indecu, has seized more than 150 metric tons (165 tons) of powdered milk this month from companies hoarding the products, according to its Web site.

Authorities also have seized inventories of coffee allegedly being hoarded by producers and resold at the official price.

The higher price for coffee should help ease the shortage, Light Industries and Commerce Minister Edmee Betancourt told the state-run news agency.

[george wythe]

When a communist talks about embracing free trade, he does not mean anything at all resembling the usual meaning of the term. It’s completely Orwellian free trade.

Communists had a free trade block in Europe before the communist collapse in 1991. It was called COMECON. It was a system of production quotas and price control, just like Chavez wants. It had nothing to do with free trade except for the communist penchant to use capitalist nomenclature for their losing proposals.

In Cuba, for instance, the communist regime is very fond of democracy. As a matter of fact, Castro has been elected many times with over 95% of the popular vote, just like Saddam Hussein used to win elections. Again, the word democracy used by communists has no relation to the usual meaning in the West. For a communist, democracy means choosing the more communist between two communist candidates for the communist parliament, whose only purpose is to re-elect the communist leader and rubber stamp his edicts.

Chavez is to free trade what Clinton is to marital fidelity. Linking American-style free trade to Chavez's ideology is disingenuous.

[Toddsterpatriot]

Linking American-style free trade to Chavez's ideology is disingenuous.

You've boiled poor hedgetrimmer down to one word. Good job!!!

[hedgetrimmer]

Linking American-style free trade to Chavez's ideology is disingenuous.

Why is that? American style "free trade" is linked to communist countries all over the world. Chavez is no different from any other communist leader.

[george wythe]

Why is that? American style "free trade" is linked to communist countries all over the world. Chavez is no different from any other communist leader.

American-style free trade does not revolve around production quotas and price controls.

You lose your credibility by linking American-style free trade with the proposed "free trade" by Chavez or COMECON.

Chavez complains all the time that the US does not embrace COMECON-style "free trade." That's why Chavez wants to create a new block of socialist free trade in Latin America.

By the way, the only communist countries still clinging to mostly communist economic policy are Cuba and North Korea. I doubt that that you can link American-style free trade to those hell holes.

Red China and Vietnam rejected the main tenet of communist economic theory, the need for banning private property. Therefore, those countries are something other than communist in their economic policies.

Capitalism works. Period. And free trade is a major booster of capitalism.

[hedgetrimmer]

Red China and Vietnam rejected the main tenet of communist economic theory, the need for banning private property.

I think you're trying to put lipstick on a pig here.

While these countries have adjusted their philosophies, in some ways they are more dangerous. Because their governments own all or part of the companies that are reaping the benefits of "free trade", they are being enriched. A rich communist is a lot more dangerous to the world than a poor one.

[Rebelbase]

ROTF!

[hedgetrimmer]

From the Chinese constitution, BTW

Article 6 [Socialist Public Ownership] (1) The basis of the socialist economic system of the People's Republic of China is socialist public ownership of the means of production, namely, ownership by the whole people and collective ownership by the working people. The system of socialist public ownership supersedes the system of exploitation of man by man; it applies the principle of "from each according to his ability, to each according to his work".

(2) During the primary stage of socialism, the State adheres to the basic economic system with the public ownership remaining dominant and diverse sectors of the economy developing side by side, and to the distribution system with the distribution according to work remaining dominant and the coexistence of a variety of modes of distribution.

Article 7 [State Economy] The State-owned economy, that is, the socialist economy under ownership by the whole people, is the leading force in the national economy. The State ensures the consolidation and growth of the State-owned economy.
***
Public ownership of production? State owned economy? From each according to his ability? Sure doesn't look like the Chinese have rejected the main tenet of communist economic theory, rejected the main tenet of communist economic theory does it? How does this set the Chinese communists apart from Chavez? It doesn't. It shows they are exactly like him.

"Free traders" frequently say they are for "free trade" yet when you look at the "free trade" system they have imposed on the world, it isn't "free" at all. It is bureaucratic, anti-individual, anti-American.

[hedgetrimmer]

The disingenuous are the "free traders".

From the Chinese constitution.

Article 6 [Socialist Public Ownership] (1) The basis of the socialist economic system of the People's Republic of China is socialist public ownership of the means of production, namely, ownership by the whole people and collective ownership by the working people. The system of socialist public ownership supersedes the system of exploitation of man by man; it applies the principle of "from each according to his ability, to each according to his work".

[Toddsterpatriot]

I don't remember the US Congress making the Chinese "constitution" into US law. Maybe you have a CISPES press release?

[hedgetrimmer]

Your posts never have anything to do with the topic.

[Toddsterpatriot]

Your posts never have anything to do with the topic.

Your posts usually include made up "facts".

[hedgetrimmer]

Yes, made up from the WTO, the USTR and all you other "free traders".

[Toddsterpatriot]

No, made up all by yourself, like this.

State economies would lose at least $10 billion, which is a chunk of change if you are a small state like Montana or North Dakota. That is a net loss to the economy.

Hedgetrimmer fiction

[hedgetrimmer]

In some states, sugar is the most important cash crop, or among the most important. Sugar accounts for 44% of crop receipts in Louisiana, 37% in Wyoming, 24% in Hawaii, and 10-20% in Idaho, Minnesota, Florida, North Dakota, Montana, and Michigan.

[hedgetrimmer]

Currently, 27,000 people are employed by the sugar cane industry in Louisiana. Sugar cane is produced in 40 percent of the state´s parishes on nearly 600,000 acres of land. The economic impact of CAFTA and other bi-lateral trade agreements on the state will be disastrous. Louisiana stands to lose $750 million in direct sugar sales, as well as $2 billion in industry-related revenue each year.

[Clemenza]

Corn meal is key to Venezuelans' daily diet of "arepas," corn cakes served steaming with chicken, meat or cheese inside.

Ummmm Arepas. Available at every supermarket in South Florida:

It is one of many basic food products under price controls in Venezuela, where President Hugo Chavez says he is leading a socialist revolution for the poor.

No wonder half of Caracas is now in South Florida. Why we never followed through on the coup attempt is beyond me.

[FormerACLUmember]

The commies are getting REAL popular in Venezuela.

Commie scum in Venezuela opening a monument to Che Guevara:

The next day the locals chop of the head! LOL!:

[hedgetrimmer]

$2 billion in one state, there are at least 5 more to impact.

[Toddsterpatriot]

In some states, sugar is the most important cash crop, or among the most important. Sugar accounts for 44% of crop receipts in Louisiana, 37% in Wyoming, 24% in Hawaii, and 10-20% in Idaho, Minnesota, Florida, North Dakota, Montana, and Michigan.

Great. What's the total value of all US sugar crops?

[hedgetrimmer]

Why don't you look it up, lazybones. Its been posted before.

You are wasting everyone's time.