Venezuela to Import Coffee 1st Time Ever (Socialism at Work)

Reuters ^ | 23/07/2009 | It's Reuters... who cares?

[John123]

Venezuela, a traditional coffee exporter that boasts one of the best cups of java in South America, may have to import coffee for the first time ever this year or face shortages, industry experts said.

[John123]

Anyone who STILL believes that Socialism is the answer needs to pay careful attention to this case study...

Venezuela's government in their all-compassing wisdom, fixed the price of coffee (the goal of course is so EVERYONE can have a very cheap cup of java).

The results? Coffee growers made more money (illegally) exporting the beans which left a HUGE shortage in-country... it is now so bad that VENEZUELA, of all countries, has to IMPORT the darn coffee now.

Greedy speculators are to blame of course...

[ClearCase_guy]

Cuba was a pretty good place too — not perfect, but successful. Then the communists came in and worked their magic.

[C19fan]

Following the same road to hell as Zimbabwe.

[Obadiah]

Venezuela: America’s canary in the coal mine.

[Moonman62]

Obama and Hillary want the same thing for Honduras.

[Cheap_Hessian]

That’s crazy... that would be like Iran needing to import oil. /s

[catbertz]

By all standards Venezuela should very wealthy. So many resources, location and labor pool. They have to work hard to screw up so badly.

[Boiling Pots]

Du’s response will be along the lines of the news of milk and meat shortages.

“Milk and meat are bad for you, so they’re better off anyways.”

“Arrest and imprison the Oligarchs who still control the meat, milk and coffee industries who are illegally exporting.”

[villagerjoel]

But they have $15 cell phones (subsidized by the government), and cheap gas (subsidized by the government)! Life is good!

[Michel12]

It was quite expected...

Next: no Venezuelan coffee produced at all as Chavez seize the plantations!

[Moonman62]

Cuba was a pretty good place too — not perfect, but successful.

Cuba was always screwed up. Castro only had a hundred men, crazy like himself, and a pleasure boat named Granma. Any country that can't hold off something like that is pretty weak.

[C19fan]

Any bets on how long it will take Chavez to seize the coffee plantations?

[ClearCase_guy]

I don't deny that it was always screwed up. My point is that in 1950, Cuba was an above-average Carribean nation. In 2009, Cuba is a below average Carribean nation. I think the communists deserve most of the credit for this decline vis a vis it's neighbors.

From wikipedia:

Cuba had Latin America's highest per capita consumption rates of meat, vegetables, cereals, automobiles, telephones and radios. Gross domestic product per capita had been approximately equal to Italy and significantly higher than that of Japan. Cuban's workers enjoyed some of the highest wages in the world. Cuba attracted more immigrants, primarily from Europe, as a percentage of population than the US. The United Nations noted Cuba for its large middle class.

[John123]

No bet... ;)

[MarineBrat]

[Moonman62]

Cuban's workers enjoyed some of the highest wages in the world. Cuba attracted more immigrants, primarily from Europe, as a percentage of population than the US.

I've known some of these Cubans. Some have light hair and blue eyes. They hate to be called Cubans. The ones who originate from Spain hate to be called Cubans, too.

[painter]

I read somewhere that before the revolution Cubans had one of the highest standards of living in the world. It was the Cuban government that was corrupt (run by the mob)that caused all the problems.

[PGalt]

Venezuela's government in their all-compassing wisdom, fixed the price of coffee (the goal of course is so EVERYONE can have a very cheap cup of java).

Meddling marxists BUMP!

[pieceofthepuzzle]

Chavez is a joke. Maybe they can replace him with Juan Veldez.