Chavez Reinvents 'Socialism' in Venezuela

Associated Press ^ | July 6, 2006 | Natalie Obiko Pearson

[poobear]

Interesting how the article starts off gleefully explaining the benefits to these poor downtrodden Venezualen's down on their luck. How Uncle Hugo is there to pick them up. Only until the end of the article do real econmists doubt any of this can work in the long run.

Seems his 'Socialism for the 21st Century' will turn out like all other experiments in socialism.

[facedown]

Sort of like "reinventing" dog poo.

[nopardons]

LOL....good one.

[OSHA]

Sort of like "reinventing" dog poo.

LOL No further comments necessary.

[Cinnamon]

why does he need to reinvent it in the first place? this looks like a hat trick to me

[GSlob]

Like everything else, socialism was invented by AlGore. Chavez better pony up with royalties.

[jazusamo]

Sort of like "reinventing" dog poo.

Well said and absolutely true.

Crazy Huey ping.

[pghkevin]

1200 pairs of shoes a month by 14 employees calculates to a little over 4 pairs a day per employee. Those must be some pretty expensive shoes, or else the government is also paying part of their wages.

[Lancey Howard]

How long before this socialist utopia becomes so great that Venezuela will be forced to build fences and ring the borders with armed guards - - to keep the lucky Venezuelans in?

[bmwcyle]

Now it is a Cultural Marxist National Socialist State.

[Onelifetogive]

A landslide all but wiped out Wilfredo Rodriguez's small shoemaking business last year, entitling him to a loan from President Hugo Chavez's government - money he says he never would've found elsewhere.

Apparently, under the capitalist system, there is no such thing as a "business loan". I'm sure if the AP had done a bit more research, they would have uncovered this little fact.

[dead]

The capitalistic wealth he trades his oil for will allow Chavez to prop up these kind of socialist money losers longer than most nations can afford to.

Plus the capitalistic underpinnings of his economy won't impede his ability to enjoy all the ancillary joys that socialism always provides, such as confiscating the wealth of the producers, locking up dissidents and executing the loudmouths.

[poobear]

"How long before this socialist utopia becomes so great that Venezuela will be forced to build fences and ring the borders with armed guards - - to keep the lucky Venezuelans in?"

Well Castro wrote the book on that. Seems Uncle Hugo is working Vidal's play-book to the letter.

[Proud_USA_Republican]

and when alternative fuels come on line, Chavez's socialist utopia will be bankrupt overnight because every part of the economy is subsidized via petro dollars.

[poobear]

"The capitalistic wealth he trades his oil for will allow Chavez to prop up these kind of socialist money losers longer than most nations can afford to.

Plus the capitalistic underpinnings of his economy won't impede his ability to enjoy all the ancillary joys that socialism always provides, such as confiscating the wealth of the producers, locking up dissidents and executing the loudmouths."

'Dead' on as usual! The opinions of some of the economists used in this article argue the same. Guess this is the AP's way of being 'fair and balanced'. /s

[Ben Mugged]

If you want to barf, read this article by Kim Scipes http://www.vheadline.com/readnews.asp?id=62828. Scipes is a union promoter embracing socialist ideology and attempting to implement it here in the U.S. by using unions as social engineering soldiers. Scipes recently visited Venezuela and is reporting it as a workers paradise. I have been having an ongoing argument via email with this "useful idiot". His arguments do not live up to his education.

[the anti-liberal]

"Those who are really with me must be with me in their spirits - they must be ready to die with me ... they must be able to forget material goods and rid themselves of all," - Hugo Chavez

"Supreme love is the love for the collective." - Hugo Chavez

Sorry Chavez, but I'm not ready to die with you.

[dljordan]

"It came with strings attached - his workers get limited co-ownership and he must make mandatory donations to community projects."

Sounds like he went into business with Tony Soprano.

[poobear]

I remember when Libya's leader in the 80's liked to think of himself as 'significant'. We can only hope Hugo's fate is the same in less than 20 years. You should see the prominent Venezuelans that have migrated to Central Florida. They are the lucky ones.

[timm22]

If I was a Venezuelan, and I heard my Supreme Leader starting to talk about giving up such extravagant luxuries as shampoo, I'd start to worry about the bubble bursting.

If I heard him start talking about supreme love for the collective and willingness to die, I'd think about getting the hell out of there...

...Even if I was pumping out those shoes like nobody's business.