Venezuela, The Starving Socialist Dystopia (Part 1)

[nac386]

Holy shit!! 28,000+ murders!?!?!?!?

How bad is it in 2017? Any count on the murder rate this year?

We had 50,000 deaths by drug overdose last year. Think about that, and the fact that people hardly ever even talk about it. It's crazy.

 

[Rod1]

I guess that is true. So you agree not much can be done even if the opposition was to take power?

As i said, if the currency controls and price controls were lifted tons of things could be done.

While the government is broke, foreign investment and Venezuelans holding capital abroad can kickstart the private industry and start producing shit again.

As i said, it would not fix Venezuela overnight but it would be a start.

 

[Thycidides]

As i said, if the currency controls and price controls were lifted tons of things could be done.

While the government is broke, foreign investment and Venezuelans holding capital abroad can kickstart the private industry and start producing shit again.

As i said, it would not fix Venezuela overnight but it would be a start.

What makes you think that is true? Greece for example did what you suggest and is still broke and in debt. There is little foreign investment and mass unemployment.

 

[Rod1]

What makes you think that is true? Greece for example did what you suggest and is still broke and in debt. There is little foreign investment and mass unemployment.

The government of Greece is broke and in debt, Greece as a country still has a functional economy.

Venezuela doesnt.

 

[Thycidides]

The government of Greece is broke and in debt, Greece as a country still has a functional economy.

Venezuela doesnt.

That doesn't answer my question about lack of investment.

 

[Greoric]

That doesn't answer my question about lack of investment.

It reads more like the only answer you're looking for is one of added government involvement. Have you considered that doing nothing is not synonymous with government doing nothing?

 

[Greoric]

At this point, I actually think it will actually take a right wing dictator to restore order in Venezuela. I don't think a civilian government can do the job even if Maduro is out, since he damaged the civil institution and economy to the point of collapse.

Define insanity...

 

[Rozko]

We had 50,000 deaths by drug overdose last year. Think about that, and the fact that people hardly ever even talk about it. It's crazy.

Venezuela also has a 10th of our population

 

[Scerpi]

People would over use petroleum products and drive gas guzzling cars . There would be no incentive to develop other sources of energy. The USA Government already subsidizes the price of gas too much in my opinion. I don't have to imagine what is a reality.

How about you imagine people reacting to 5 dollar gas at the pump after being used to 1 dollar? They burn cars in the street and raise hell. Now imagine that the price of milk goes up too, and your salary is cut.

That is what tends to happen when subsides are cut. If you read the link I posted you would know this.

Of course sometimes this strategy works and prices stabilize, but there is a period of trauma. Even the Right wing understands this.

Cutting subsidies is a possible but risky solution that doesn't address the larger problem of corruption and break down of the rule of law among other things.

Concerning your first comment, you may be right on the demand side, but you're not understanding the supply side. If the Government forces companies to sell a product below cost, then the companies can't/won't supply goods and either go elsewhere or go out of business.

I'm not sure you understand how subsidies work. The US Government subsidies the corn industry to help keep them afloat. However, subsidy money isn't "magic money". It comes from the tax payer, so all of us as a nation are helping to keep corn farmers in the black. Not sure there's enough tax money being generated in Venezuela to sustain any kind of subsidies, therefore they just print more money.. lol. uh oh.

Long term artificial cost controls are a recipe for disaster. I understand it in short term basis, but it's impossible to build an economy around it.

 

[Rod1]

That doesn't answer my question about lack of investment.

It kind of does.

Read about this.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economic_history_of_Mexico#1982_crisis_and_recovery

It was a similar scenario to that of Venezuela.

 

[Arkain2K]

There is little foreign investment and mass unemployment.

That might have something to do with the fact that Chavez straight up nationalized all the private industries, seized all the foreign companies' assets, and promptly ran the economy to the ground with his ridiculous price-control policies that forced domestic producers to sell their products below cost of production, without subsidizing for the losses that he continue to force upon them long after the subsidy money dries up as global oil price plummets.

That's why a powerhouse once known as an exporter of foodstuff now can't even make enough food to feed themselves. The fertilizer makers went broke long ago, along with the manufacturers of farming equipment, and then the farmers themselves.

Now Maduro is actually forcing people to work on the fields, because there's not enough food to go around, thanks to Chavismo.

Then again, that's just commonly-known information, freely available to everyone who have actually read the first 4 pages of this thread before jumping into the discussion.

 

[Rozko]

That might have something to do with the fact that Chavez straight up nationalized all the private industries, seized all the foreign companies' assets, and promptly ran the economy to the ground with his ridiculous price-control policies that forced domestic producers to sell their products below cost of production, without subsidizing for the losses that he forced upon them.

That's why a powerhouse once known as an exporter of foodstuff now can't even make enough food to feed themselves. The fertilizer makers went broke long ago, along with the manufacturers of farming equipment, and then the farmers themselves.

Now Maduro is actually forcing people to work on the field, because there's not enough food to go around, thanks to Chavismo.

Then again, that's just commonly-known information, freely available to everyone who have actually read the first 4 pages of this thread before jumping into the discussion.

Jesus, that was brutal. Nicely done

 

[Arkain2K]

This is fucking insane. Being a soldier makes you a target? I guess their firearm is worth more than the average annual salary.

When society is thoroughly broken down, weapons replaces fishing rods.

 

[Rozko]

This is fucking insane. Being a soldier makes you a target? I guess their firearm is worth more than the average annual salary.

28,000 murders in a county with 31 million people. Unbelievable. The US has a population of almost 330 million and had around 15,000 murders in 2016 I think.

As laughable as it sounds, the citizens of North Korea are better off than Venezuela right now.

Any predictions on when/if Maduro is violently overthrown?

That uniform is a symbol of their on going oppression. easy to hate people when they have food for their families because they keep yours hungry.

 

[MadSquabbles500]

i'm astonished the military hasn't fragged this guy yet

YOu think there be more news coming out of Venezuela too. I imagine rioting, revolts, but nothing. I only hear from Sherdog, and not on mainstream news channels.

 

[Rational Poster]

YOu think there be more news coming out of Venezuela too. I imagine rioting, revolts, but nothing. I only hear from Sherdog, and not on mainstream news channels.

Where do you think @Arkain2K gets this stuff?

Actual news sources. He doesn't actually write it himself.

Like, shit dude, for real?

 

[Greoric]

Where do you think @Arkain2K gets this stuff?

Actual news sources. He doesn't actually write it himself.

Like, shit dude, for real?

I was wondering what kind of shit you would write in here. How many times do you have to see these collapses before those couple of neurons start synapsing?

 

[Rational Poster]

I was wondering what kind of shit you would write in here. How many times do you have to see these collapses before those couple of neurons start synapsing?

 

[Rozko]

YOu think there be more news coming out of Venezuela too. I imagine rioting, revolts, but nothing. I only hear from Sherdog, and not on mainstream news channels.

There is too much crazy shit going on in the US for Fox, ABC, NBC or CNN to cover it. plus they don't want the egg on their face when people start pulling stories they released in 2010

 

[Rational Poster]

There is too much crazy shit going on in the US for Fox, ABC, NBC or CNN to cover it. plus they don't want the egg on their face when people start pulling stories they released in 2010

It's covered fairly regularly by news organizations that focus on international and Latin American news.

Americans would rather hyperventilate about the European immigration crisis as though that has any impact on them while ignoring the humanitarian crisis brewing a few hours away from our border.