Venezuela's Chavez announces plans for 'collective property' under shift toward socialism

The Associated Press ^

[Dan Evans]

CARACAS, Venezuela: President Hugo Chavez announced Sunday that his government's sweeping reforms toward socialism will include the creation of "collective property."

Vowing to undermine capitalism's continued influence in Venezuela during his television and radio program "Hello President," Chavez said state-financed cooperatives would operate under a new concept in which workers would share profits.

"It's property that belongs to everyone and it's going to benefit everyone," said Chavez, a close ally of Cuban leader Fidel Castro whom opponents accuse of leading Venezuela toward Cuba-style communism.

Chavez — a leftist former paratrooper popularly known as "El Comandante" — said his government fully respects private property, but pledged to replace capitalist ideals with socialist principles on cooperatives such as cattle ranches and farms.

"It cannot be production to generate profits for one person or a small group of people that become rich exploiting peons who end up becoming slaves, living in poverty and misery their entire lives," he said.

[popdonnelly]

The communist bastards are back.

[Fiddlstix]

Communism hasn't worked in the past.....
But.........
What the hell........
Try it one more time........
Geeez!

[popdonnelly]

No wonder the American Left likes Chavez. He's a communist.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

its the 1st annual Hugo Chavez Birthday Party and Share the Wealth Kegger !

[machman]

"Surprise, surprise, surprise!"

[KevinDavis]

Which would be a great boon for us.. Also look for more Venezuelan restaurants to pop up real soon..

[M Kehoe]

Over 70 years of socialism and communism failing, and here comes another Wesley Mooch thinking he can do it better than Lenin, Mao, and Castro (among others). And the democRATs love these failed tyrants.

I guess I'll pop some popcorn and watch Venezuela follow Zimbabwe down the road to oblivion...

5.56mm

[Clemenza]

Yes, and even in "Socialist" Sweden, at its peak 70% of the economy was in private hands. The figure must now be at least 85% and growing.

Tito allowed for a mixed economy and foreign investment in the old Yugoslavia only 15 years after taking power.

If only we could get Kim Jong and Fidel to see the light...

[DevNulled]

I think the kibbutzes fizzled naturally rather than failed. They had a good moral foundation grounded in a common desire, rather than a mandated scheme designed to stroke an ego or two.

[Eccl 10:2]

Agreed about the kibbutzes (kibbutzim?). They were something of a necessity "back in the day", but lost their pioneer relevance as Israel developed.

[the anti-liberal]

"It's property that belongs to everyone and it's going to benefit everyone.."

I might go down there to visit (for the weather, of course), I'll go to his place and make myself at home.

You don't think he'll mind, do you?

[dfwgator]

Chavez needs to read up on "The Tragedy of the Commons."

[dfwgator]

"It's property that belongs to everyone and it's going to benefit everyone.."

"That which is common to the greatest number has the least care bestowed upon it." - Aristotle

[BigFinn]

"We don't need no steenking Capitaleesm"

[DesScorp]

Who didn't see this coming?

[Billthedrill]

Lenin tried the exact same thing. It lasted a little over two years. Huey really ought to crack a history book sometime.

[ashtanga]

I know people, some close to me, who think it is a heresy when I decry big government and champion liberty. I would write this off to chemical dependency, but the whole government-entertainment-media complex has sprinkled some pixie dust on the poor fish. The left is making an unsaid alliance with the Mooselimbs...and just how this will come to critical mass is anybody's guess.

[Roy Tucker]

"Chavez, who hosted Sunday's program from a ranch in Venezuela's sun-baked plains, said his government would move to expropriate large ranches and farms spanning more than 300,000 hectares (740,000 acres) and redistribute lands deemed "idle" to the poor under a nationwide agrarian reform.

Since the reform began five years ago, officials have redistributed over 1.9 million hectares (4.6 million acres) of land that had been classified as unproductive or lacked property documents dating back to 1847, according to a recent government census.

Critics say reform has failed to revive Venezuela's agriculture industry, which does not produce enough food to satisfy domestic demand. The government has been forced to import food amid shortages of staples such as meats, milk and sugar."

I predict more shortages to come. What an economic moron this guy is!

[jslade]

Watch for a massive exodus of skilled workers and business owners.

Already happening. Most are going to S. Florida.

[MARTIAL MONK]

Does this mean he's moving in with me?