I heard he was going to buy out the rest of Citibank.

Rice Krispies® Squares?

Scary? Why is this scary? I'm not scared for Cargill's profitability.

tonesskin: I heard he was going to buy out the rest of Citibank.

I just cleaned out the change in my couch and with that $2.37 I can buy Citibank and AIG.

NewportBarGuy: tonesskin: I heard he was going to buy out the rest of Citibank.

I just cleaned out the change in my couch and with that $2.37 I can buy Citibank and AIG.

That's about what they are worth, but when the government buys things it tends to overpay in a magnitude of a few billion.

Has Joe Kennedy made a deal yet to provide poor Democrats in Boston with cheap winter rice?

7of7: Scary? Why is this scary? I'm not scared for Cargill's profitability.

If you don't understand the implications of taking businesses and compensating the owners with paper instead of hard cash you're an idiot. Chavez has gone from left to Soviet.

Nice headline.

FTA: "The country's inflation levels are the highest in Latin America and, as a result, there are often shortages of items such as rice and coffee, leading to hoarding and sale on the black market."

Are there long queues as well?

Attention Fark Independents ^TM:

This is what anti-free market socialism/communism really is. Its not someone that basically agrees with you, except they want to raise taxes on the wealthy.

There's a whole lotta that nationalization business goin around.

bartink: Attention Fark Independents TM:

This is what anti-free market socialism/communism really is. Its not someone that basically agrees with you, except they want to raise taxes on the wealthy.

Let's count two things together, you and I:

1. Scum who defend Chavez
2. Idiots who compare Chavez to Obama

We'll compare notes at the end of the thread.

7of7: Scary? Why is this scary? I'm not scared for Cargill's profitability.

Would YOU invest in any business based in Venezuela? I wouldn't.

What he is doing is guaranteeing that the destroyed middle class remains destroyed by actively discouraging anyone from business in that country.

earlm: Let's count two things together, you and I:

1. Scum who defend Chavez
2. Idiots who compare Chavez to Obama

We'll compare notes at the end of the thread.

From a few minutes ago in another thread:

Milkbeer: democrats have just flushed this country down the toilet by electing the most socialist bastard on the planet. I think a little civil disobedience is in order to blow up this entitlement mentallity.

Milkbeer: We have Chavez on crack

TFA title: "Chavez sends army to rice plants"

This is just a case of misunderstanding of British English. What the BBC means is Chavez sent the army to plant rice.

Numbnuts. He's going to really screw that nation up.

7of7: Scary? Why is this scary? I'm not scared for Cargill's profitability.

So it's ok to rob from companies that are large, well run, and turn a profit? Not to tax them, or dictate what their profit margin is, but to outright rob them of everything?

From the article:
"This government is here to protect the people, not the bourgeoisie or the rich."

No... The rich people are the people as well. They're citizens.

Wonder how long till foreign investment starts drying up and the countries wealthy and educated start fleeing the country.

Now THIS is the scary comment.

3_Butt_Cheeks: There's a whole lotta that nationalization business goin around.

Trollin' Trollin' Trollin', 3_Butt_Cheeks keeps a going, raw HIDE!

YEA! Move 'em on out! Yea, 3_Butt_Cheeks yea!

Renowned transvestite sexologist: 7of7: Scary? Why is this scary? I'm not scared for Cargill's profitability.

Would YOU invest in any business based in Venezuela? I wouldn't.

What he is doing is guaranteeing that the destroyed middle class remains destroyed by actively discouraging anyone from business in that country.

No middle class means no resistance to Chavez. He lets the rich live and slowly increases what he takes from them and filters it through a bureaucracy that loves him down to the poor. Everybody loses except Chavez and his minions.

earlm: No middle class means no resistance to Chavez. He lets the rich live and slowly increases what he takes from them and filters it through a bureaucracy that loves him down to the poor. Everybody loses except Chavez and his minions.

His popularity goes to show how bad things were before this assclown took power.

This really is an argument for making sure that wealth gets shared. It prevents rulers like Chavez from having any appeal. It also keeps the guillotine mothballed.

Renowned transvestite sexologist: Would YOU invest in any business based in Venezuela? I wouldn't.

No, because I don't think Venezuela is running an economy that works that way. If Chavez wants to try to take the ability to produce food from the hands of companies solely interested in profit and give it to someone interested in feeding people I'm all for it. Feeding people who don't have money is not profitable, but in my opinion people should have food whether they have money or not. This is especially the case with staple foods like rice. The same goes for health care and any other industry which is necessary for life. It shouldn't be in the hands of for profit businesses.

bartink: earlm: No middle class means no resistance to Chavez. He lets the rich live and slowly increases what he takes from them and filters it through a bureaucracy that loves him down to the poor. Everybody loses except Chavez and his minions.

His popularity goes to show how bad things were before this assclown took power.

This really is an argument for making sure that wealth gets shared. It prevents rulers like Chavez from having any appeal. It also keeps the guillotine mothballed.

Take the oil wealth and:

Free K-12 for all
Free college for the qualified
Build a world class research university and lure profs from around the world
Build industrial parks and invite in companies from around the world
Profit

earlm: Scum who defend Chavez

Would you call the people who thank Chavez for low rice prices scum?
Do you call people who defend Bush scum too?
How many opinions are there that you won't contemplate because it comes from scum?

earlm: Take the oil wealth and:

Free K-12 for all
Free college for the qualified
Build a world class research university and lure profs from around the world
Build industrial parks and invite in companies from around the world
Profit

Great idea. IF that was being done before Chavez, we would have never heard of the guy.

7of7: Renowned transvestite sexologist: Would YOU invest in any business based in Venezuela? I wouldn't.

No, because I don't think Venezuela is running an economy that works that way. If Chavez wants to try to take the ability to produce food from the hands of companies solely interested in profit and give it to someone interested in feeding people I'm all for it. Feeding people who don't have money is not profitable, but in my opinion people should have food whether they have money or not. This is especially the case with staple foods like rice. The same goes for health care and any other industry which is necessary for life. It shouldn't be in the hands of for profit businesses.



Approves

sacrileg: earlm: Scum who defend Chavez

Would you call the people who thank Chavez for low rice prices scum?
Do you call people who defend Bush scum too?
How many opinions are there that you won't contemplate because it comes from scum?

Chavez is running what should be a rich country into the ground yet he has plenty of defenders in the US and elsewhere. Ideologues are scum because of the damage they do.

Are there any economists who think that price controls work?

badhatharry: Are there any economists who think that price controls work?

None that I know of. The last guy to try it in the US was Nixon. There's only thousands of counter examples to show it's always an utter failure.

Cue the "B, b, but he's just trying to HELP people." morons.

7of7: It shouldn't be in the hands of for profit businesses.

Just how profitable do you think any business trying to stay afloat in a country with, "inflation levels [which] are the highest in Latin America" can be? My prediction is that price of rice will soar, availability will now decline, the poor will have less food to eat, and Chavez will still get re-elected.

earlm: bartink: Attention Fark Independents TM:

This is what anti-free market socialism/communism really is. Its not someone that basically agrees with you, except they want to raise taxes on the wealthy.

Let's count two things together, you and I:

1. Scum who defend Chavez
2. Idiots who compare Chavez to Obama

We'll compare notes at the end of the thread.

Chavez is just like Obama retard. Both are popular politicians with the peoples best interest at heart.

flannelled fool: 7of7: It shouldn't be in the hands of for profit businesses.

Just how profitable do you think any business trying to stay afloat in a country with, "inflation levels [which] are the highest in Latin America" can be? My prediction is that price of rice will soar, availability will now decline, the poor will have less food to eat, and Chavez will still get re-elected.

It doesn't matter to Chavez' defenders if the poor end up with less rice. All they care about is that he means well and that he sticks it to rich people and corporations. That's the psychosis that occurs when one morphs from a legitimate democrat to a sane liberal and go off the rails to become a left wing whackjob.

Patience, neocons. Once this whole Islamic terrorist fad passes you will have plenty of time to use Chavez, Morales & Co. as your boogeymen out to destroy the US and our way of life.

Karma Chameleon: Patience, neocons. Once this whole Islamic terrorist fad passes you will have plenty of time to use Chavez, Morales & Co. as your boogeymen out to destroy the US and our way of life.

And don't you worry Karma. There'll be plenty of false science to backup your policies which will destroy our way of life from within.

I'm just waiting for Remove_All_Republican to join us with his special brand of retarded crap.

Last night he was defending Robert Mugabe. According to him, Zimbabwe is in the crapper because of the west.

Karma Chameleon: Once this whole Islamic terrorist fad passes

Fad?

This is your world view?

Ontos: I'm just waiting for Remove_All_Republican to join us with his special brand of retarded crap.

Last night he was defending Robert Mugabe. According to him, Zimbabwe is in the crapper because of the west.

Look you clearly don't know what you're talking about. If it weren't for the west there would have been no imperialism. Without imperialism Mugabe would never have come into power. Clearly it's the wests fault, retard.

ptelg: Karma Chameleon: Patience, neocons. Once this whole Islamic terrorist fad passes you will have plenty of time to use Chavez, Morales & Co. as your boogeymen out to destroy the US and our way of life.

And don't you worry Karma. There'll be plenty of false science to backup your policies which will destroy our way of life from within.

Destroying life from within you say? Sounds like abortion. I'm all for it.

3_Butt_Cheeks: Karma Chameleon: Once this whole Islamic terrorist fad passes

Fad?

This is your world view?

It is. He's a Blame America Firster. In his sick twisted world view the US actively searches for enemies in order to keep the domestic population in line.

3_Butt_Cheeks: Karma Chameleon: Once this whole Islamic terrorist fad passes

Fad?

This is your world view?

I don't think it's a "fad", but I'll agree that the cons have a bit of a boogeyman syndrom.

earlm: 3_Butt_Cheeks: Karma Chameleon: Once this whole Islamic terrorist fad passes

Fad?

This is your world view?

It is. He's a Blame America Firster. In his sick twisted world view the US actively searches for enemies in order to keep the domestic population in line.

Yes, I do blame America for the problems America creates. If holding your government acountable for its actions and having a general understanding of the root causes of problems is a sick, twisted worldview, then lock me up and let me paint all day.

earlm: Ideologues are scum because of the damage they do.

An advocate of a particular ideology, especially an official exponent of that ideology.
1. The body of ideas reflecting the social needs and aspirations of an individual, group, class, or culture.
2. A set of doctrines or beliefs that form the basis of a political, economic, or other system.

Chavez is running what should be a rich country into the ground yet he has plenty of defenders in the US and elsewhere.

What happens in his country is interesting. I get to see what happens to what appears to be a well meaning dictator in the 21st century. Not everybody agrees with your definition of what rich is either.

earlm: It doesn't matter to Chavez' defenders if the poor end up with less rice. All they care about is that he means well and that he sticks it to rich people and corporations. That's the psychosis that occurs when one morphs from a legitimate democrat to a sane liberal and go off the rails to become a left wing whackjob.

Seems about right. But the hyper-inflation is a sign that the Chavez government thinks that by increasing the supply of money (turning on the printing presses) it somehow betters the economic condition of the poor. I've witnessed what happens when inflation hits a business. The entire efforts in the front office revolve around adjusting prices and lowering quality. Not bettering the product, increasing the supply, or planning for more efficient methods of production which will ultimately lower the price.

7of7: Scary? Why is this scary? I'm not scared for Cargill's profitability.

I'll bet you have a nice computer. I'm taking it.

sacrileg: earlm: Ideologues are scum because of the damage they do.

An advocate of a particular ideology, especially an official exponent of that ideology.
1. The body of ideas reflecting the social needs and aspirations of an individual, group, class, or culture.
2. A set of doctrines or beliefs that form the basis of a political, economic, or other system.

Chavez is running what should be a rich country into the ground yet he has plenty of defenders in the US and elsewhere.

What happens in his country is interesting. I get to see what happens to what appears to be a well meaning dictator in the 21st century. Not everybody agrees with your definition of what rich is either.

Well I hope you find the suffering and turmoil entertaining because it's all about it being interesting for you to see.

Good for him and his socialist revolution. I'm still waiting for Obama's hope and change revolution to kick in.

flannelled fool: Just how profitable do you think any business trying to stay afloat in a country with, "inflation levels [which] are the highest in Latin America" can be? My prediction is that price of rice will soar, availability will now decline, the poor will have less food to eat, and Chavez will still get re-elected.

Cargill is making lots of money . A quick Google search indicates that their profit is up 86% on strong demand for grains.

How can the price of rice soar when the production of rice is done for non profit purposes? Maybe Chavez will screw it up somehow but if the government is producing the rice I see no reason why the price would soar.

The only situation I see ruining this is if foreign interests try to destroy Venezuela's economy like they typically do when a government tries to take the production from the businesses interested only profit.

This is why we need to be out of Iraq by 2010. We may have to send our people south of border just to help keep the peace if a revolution happens. Chavez is basically making his country a giant pile of shiat ready to blow. There is many that can plainly see that if all goes well its fine, but just a few major things goes wrong the whole place will fall. So far oil prices being low has been really bad, all it takes now is a natural disaster and the whole place is going to be farked. Now he is farking with the farming industry. Taking lands from the farmers worked well for Zimbabwe too.

earlm: Well I hope you find the suffering and turmoil entertaining because it's all about it being interesting for you to see.

Do you know what happened in Latin America during the 19th and 20th centuries? All the wealth funneled up to a very select few individuals. That doesn't go away overnight. Until he starts killing people, he's just another person who has no idea how to deal with what the past has wrought.

Why do you think you can do anything but watch? If you care that much, go buy a protest sign and march in front of his office. Make sure you wear a Canadian flag or something though.

7of7: flannelled fool: Just how profitable do you think any business trying to stay afloat in a country with, "inflation levels [which] are the highest in Latin America" can be? My prediction is that price of rice will soar, availability will now decline, the poor will have less food to eat, and Chavez will still get re-elected.

Cargill is making lots of money . A quick Google search indicates that their profit is up 86% on strong demand for grains.

How can the price of rice soar when the production of rice is done for non profit purposes? Maybe Chavez will screw it up somehow but if the government is producing the rice I see no reason why the price would soar.

The only situation I see ruining this is if foreign interests try to destroy Venezuela's economy like they typically do when a government tries to take the production from the businesses interested only profit.

How can the price of rice soar when the production of rice is done for non profit purposes? Maybe Chavez will screw it up somehow but if the government is producing the rice I see no reason why the price would soar. How can rice be produced if done for non-profit purposes?

The real world. I invite you to join it.

sacrileg: earlm: Well I hope you find the suffering and turmoil entertaining because it's all about it being interesting for you to see.

Do you know what happened in Latin America during the 19th and 20th centuries? All the wealth funneled up to a very select few individuals. That doesn't go away overnight. Until he starts killing people, he's just another person who has no idea how to deal with what the past has wrought.

Why do you think you can do anything but watch? If you care that much, go buy a protest sign and march in front of his office. Make sure you wear a Canadian flag or something though.

His policies are a joke. His country has one chance and one chance only. Use the oil wealth to build the basis of a middle class and long term sustainable economy. Nothing he has done is geared towards that. Subsidies and price controls? A joke, absolute joke.