Venezuela to nationalize food distribution

[Suzanimal]

Caracas (AFP) - Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has promised to nationalize food distribution in the South American nation beset with record shortages of basic goods, runaway inflation and an escalating economic crisis.

During a rally Friday, on International Workers' Day, the socialist leader allowed a union activist to ask for the nationalization of food and essential-item distribution.

Citing new decree-making powers recently granted by the National Assembly, Maduro said he would carry out such a measure "in the coming days and weeks."

Maduro had pledged earlier in the week to announce economic reforms.

Various estimates suggest the government already controls about half of the country's food distribution, but that hasn't stopped record shortages in shops and markets.

Venezuela is struggling with a recession, 68.5-percent annual inflation and severe shortages of the basic goods that it relies on oil money to import.

On any given day, people in Venezuela can wait hours to get some subsidized milk, cooking oil, milk or flour -- if they can be found at all.

Maduro's government is strapped for cash in the face of a global supply glut that caused oil prices to collapse by more than 50 percent between June and January.

Nonetheless, Maduro also announced a 30-percent increase in public wages on Friday.

...

http://news.yahoo.com/venezuela-nati...191734377.html

[Paul Or Nothing II]

Now, there will be even more shortages......Will socialists ever learn from their past mistakes? Socialist controls always make things worse but they keep doing it over & over & over again........

[torchbearer]

they could pawn some gold

[AngryCanadian]

Now, there will be even more shortages......Will socialists ever learn from their past mistakes? Socialist controls always make things worse but they keep doing it over & over & over again........

Yet in a Capitalist system the food prices keep rising. While the rich and famous eat farm food.

[Paul Or Nothing II]

Yet in a Capitalist system the food prices keep rising. While the rich and famous eat farm food.

Which capitalist system? Where is it? Nearly all the countries in the world have different levels of "mixed economy" whereby it's a mix of capitalism (private ownership) & socialism (government/common ownership).

At least food is available in the countries that have more capitalism while people starve to death under the more socialist countries. The general & perpetual long-term rise in prices has more to do with inflation driven by governments & central-banks than anything to do with capitalism.

[AngryCanadian]

Which capitalist system? Where is it? Nearly all the countries in the world have different levels of "mixed economy" whereby it's a mix of capitalism (private ownership) & socialism (government/common ownership).

At least food is available in the countries that have more capitalism while people starve to death under the more socialist countries. The general & perpetual long-term rise in prices has more to do with inflation driven by governments & central-banks than anything to do with capitalism.

than anything to do with capitalism.
Its all related.

The rich get richer and you got what out of capitalism?

capitalism has done such a fine job in Italy and elsewhere in Europe.

[Paul Or Nothing II]

than anything to do with capitalism.
Its all related.

The rich get richer and you got what out of capitalism?

capitalism has done such a fine job in Italy and elsewhere in Europe.

Governments & central-banks have nothing to do capitalism so imputing the problems created by them on capitalism is extremely disingenuous.

And I don't a have a problem with rich getting richer (so long as they do so through voluntary transactions) because I'm not full of envy & hate for those who may have more than I do.

I believe in voluntaryism, not forced egalitarianism.

[dannno]

than anything to do with capitalism.
Its all related.

The rich get richer and you got what out of capitalism?

capitalism has done such a fine job in Italy and elsewhere in Europe.

Wait, where are you saying this true capitalism thing exists???

If it did exist somewhere, don't you think nearly all of the people on this forum would move there?

[CJLauderdale4]

Actually, President Maduro woke up one day hungry, and realized that he was still "paying" for good food.
So now, with this one move, he (and his family, administration, and government) will get first dibs on the food before anyone else, and probably won't pay for it. C'mon Americans, we know how this works:

- Somali warlords grabbing the aid first before the people get it
- Third-world dictators helping run the food aid programs that come to their countries

...and then don't forget the local example here at home

- THE FEDERAL RESERVE
(remember, the Federal Reserve silently takes value from you everyday by printing FRNs and giving them to the Federal Government to use first...same principle, but in a more discreet and hidden fashion...and we get to use the devalued product they manage...can't re-eat the food)

[Ronin Truth]

Wal*Mart can do it better.

[Pauls' Revere]

Yeah, I'm like fifth in line on my paycheck after all the deductions before I "net" anything.

[Pauls' Revere]

Actually, President Maduro woke up one day hungry, and realized that he was still "paying" for good food.
So now, with this one move, he (and his family, administration, and government) will get first dibs on the food before anyone else, and probably won't pay for it. C'mon Americans, we know how this works:

- Somali warlords grabbing the aid first before the people get it
- Third-world dictators helping run the food aid programs that come to their countries

...and then don't forget the local example here at home

- THE FEDERAL RESERVE
(remember, the Federal Reserve silently takes value from you everyday by printing FRNs and giving them to the Federal Government to use first...same principle, but in a more discreet and hidden fashion...and we get to use the devalued product they manage...can't re-eat the food)

Yeah, I'm like fifth in line on my paycheck after all the deductions before I "net" anything.

[angelatc]

than anything to do with capitalism.
Its all related.

The rich get richer and you got what out of capitalism?

capitalism has done such a fine job in Italy and elsewhere in Europe.

Capitalism has lifted more people out of poverty than all other economic systems combined.

[Ronin Truth]

than anything to do with capitalism.
Its all related.

The rich get richer and you got what out of capitalism?

capitalism has done such a fine job in Italy and elsewhere in Europe.

"Capitalism should not be condemned, since we haven't had capitalism." -- Ron Paul

[idiom]

Wait, where are you saying this true capitalism thing exists???

If it did exist somewhere, don't you think nearly all of the people on this forum would move there?

I don't think anyone on this forum would move to freedom heaven if you paid them.

Its not "fair" to expect them to move to where freedom thrives.

[Natural Citizen]

This is going to be really interesting to watch play out. Of course, much has been mentioned around the board here with regard to economies that are tightly aligned with commodities. And, of course, commodities which are priced in US dollars. I think I had mentioned Venezuela briefly in the BRIC thread with regard to what we are seeing evolve as nations reconfigure partnerships and alliances. There is a lot of stuff going on at the moment. And we'd do well to be careful with our sources since most people who write these pieces have very little knowledge of what is actually going on at the geo-political level. They tend to echo what they are expected to echo. And that just is what it is. Debating isms is just about as useless as tits on a boar hog in the scheme of things, though. And all that does is keep people ignorant to the larger scope of what is happening. We gots 4D chess going on at the moment. Will have to see who else gets in on the Asian Infrastructure Development Bank gig. Agriculture is going to be a huge deal there. And once they start handing out loot for agricultural infrastructure development to nations abroad things are going to get really interesting.

[Paul Or Nothing II]

I don't think anyone on this forum would move to freedom heaven if you paid them.

Its not "fair" to expect them to move to where freedom thrives.

I don't know about others but I'd move to a true "freedom heaven" if someone paid me to do it

So where is it? No, don't say Somalia

Weren't you the one who had said that you have moved to New Zealand? (taxes are high over there I believe!)

[cindy25]

Now, there will be even more shortages......Will socialists ever learn from their past mistakes? Socialist controls always make things worse but they keep doing it over & over & over again........

they don't care about shortages. it's about power, and this gives them more power

[Paul Or Nothing II]

they don't care about shortages. it's about power, and this gives them more power

Of course, it's highly likely that most of those in the government are just looking for more power but I'm talking about the people over there who vote & otherwise support socialism in the hopes of making things better.........if enough people saw socialism for the moral & economic cancer that it is then there wouldn't be so much socialism going around the globe.