Posted on 05/04/2016 8:07:17 AM PDT by detective
It's come to this: The country with the largest oil reserves in the world can't afford to brew its own beer, stay in its own time zone, or even have its own people show up to work more than two times a week.
Venezuela, in other words, is well past the point of worrying that its economy might collapse. It already has. That's the only way to describe an economy that the International Monetary Fund thinks is going to shrink 8 percent and have 720 percent inflation this year. And that's not even the worst of it. No, that's the fact that the state itself is near collapse. Venezuela already has the world's second-highest murder rate, and now the Chavista regime seems to be threatening violence of its own if the opposition succeeds in recalling President Nicolás Maduro. It's a grim race between anarchy and civil war.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Feel the Bern
Exactly!
Socialism is always about helping the poor. I wonder how the poor are doing in Venezuela right now?
Bad things happen when you elect a no-nothing populist strong man (or woman).
The government is autocratic, they will only respect democratic results as long as it is beneficial to them. Otherwise they illegally seek to annul, in fact or in law, their loss. Examples of this is when they lost the mayorship of Caracas, the capital, and immediately created a parallel unelected mayorship directly appointed by the president, while emptying the old mayorship of its constitutional competences and budget. Eventually they ended by putting the elected mayor in jail.
The executive has taken over the rest of the institution of the State. To the point where all other branches of government are under the control of the president. You can see this with the recent clashes between the newly elected opposition held Legislature and the Supreme Court. The Court has even recently ruled that the Legislature must first present bills to the preside for his approval. Something clearly unconstitutional.
This must also be compounded to the encroaching militarism of the State. Venezuela has a long tradition of coup d’etats, so the government has gradually given lucrative companies, contracts and ministries to high ranking military officials. This creates the incentive to protect the government to protect themselves from corruption charges. This also leads to the military having to violently clash with protestors.
The mismanagement, the military encroachment and the autocratic nature of the government have led to high levels of corruption. It has gotten so bad that there have been sever scandals where officials have even been identified as involved in drug trafficking.
The government has also stymied the freedom of the press. Closing down TV and radio stations that do not support the government, buying off or forcing TV and radio stations to sells or close down; threatening, detaining, imprisoning, torturing or even killing journalists; and even using price controls to keep newspapers from buying paper, forcing them to shut down.
I thought it was only because they had the wrong Communists in charge? They just need to change Communists.
ML/NJ
The executive has taken over the rest of the institution of the State. To the point where all other branches of government are under the control of the president. You can see this with the recent clashes between the newly elected opposition held Legislature and the Supreme Court. The Court has even recently ruled that the Legislature must first present bills to the preside for his approval. Something clearly unconstitutional.
This must also be compounded to the encroaching militarism of the State. Venezuela has a long tradition of coup d’etats, so the government has gradually given lucrative companies, contracts and ministries to high ranking military officials. This creates the incentive to protect the government to protect themselves from corruption charges. This also leads to the military having to violently clash with protestors.
The mismanagement, the military encroachment and the autocratic nature of the government have led to high levels of corruption. It has gotten so bad that there have been sever scandals where officials have even been identified as involved in drug trafficking.
The government has also stymied the freedom of the press. Closing down TV and radio stations that do not support the government, buying off or forcing TV and radio stations to sells or close down; threatening, detaining, imprisoning, torturing or even killing journalists; and even using price controls to keep newspapers from buying paper, forcing them to shut down.”
Sounds like the Democrat Party plan for the United States.
Socialism and individual freedom can not coexist. The socialist government must enforce its policies. The result is always a disaster that causes human suffering and human misery.
720% inflation? I have an idea for a business down there. Head down to Caracas and open a wheelbarrow manufacturing plant for Venezuelans to carry their money around in.Perhaps a wheelbarrow rather than the hammer and sickle should have been the symbol for communist socialism
Nowhere in this article did I see a reference to socialism or comparisons to The Bern’s policies. But what else would one expect from the Compost.
This is what happens when socialist run out of other people’s money.
Well with no beer to drink I would say they are more sober than they have been in years.
But they will NEVER learn. Our turn next if Trump fail.
The money is inflating so fast that the government isn’t paying money-printing businesses for newly printed bills.
It’s bad when the company printing your money won’t keep it in lieu of payment.
Lagoven crude from Venezuela was the best source of roofing asphalt for shingles and built up roof coatings.
Idiot Chavez ruined this high dollar export to the US by blending back the product into crude oil sold to China at half the US netback.
Never heard if the FRB pays the US Bureau of Engraving and Printing for the favor.
“720% inflation? I have an idea for a business down there. Head down to Caracas and open a wheelbarrow manufacturing plant for Venezuelans to carry their money around in.Perhaps a wheelbarrow rather than the hammer and sickle should have been the symbol for communist socialism”
I picked up a mint 1,000,000 Deutchmark note at an antique mall recently and now have it framed over my desk as a reminder of how much I should trust politicians.
Socialism rocks!!! Sarc of course...
I'm sure those in power in the government are making out splendidly.
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