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Venezuela's "21st Century Socialism": Food Lines For The People, New Cars For The Military
"Food lines are part of our daily existence," exclaims one member of the Venezuelan public, as people line up for hours outside state-owned supermarkets to buy regulated staple goods, or, as Bloomberg reports, pay three times as much from street hawkers. However, on the other side of the fence in Southern Caracas, President Maduro's "21st Century Socialism" looks a little different as Bloomberg notes 100s of brand new (admittedly Chinese) cars await new owners following the Defense Minister's pledge to purchase 20,000 autos for the armed forces. Simply put, in order to maintain the appearance of utopia, Maduro ensures military personnel don't have to contend with the economic chaos in the rest of the country.
Fifteen years after Chavez started his revolution in “21st century socialism,” South America’s largest oil producer is running out of money, the economy is contracting and companies and investors are deserting what was Latin America’s richest nation in 1980.
Inflation has more than doubled and the bolivar slumped 76 percent against the dollar on the black market since Maduro came to office in April 2013 describing himself as the “son of Chavez.” More importantly to his support, the poverty rate has started to rise, climbing to 32 percent at the end of last year from a record low 25 percent in 2012, according to the National Statistics Institute.
Discontent over rising prices, soaring crime and mounting shortages sparked nationwide protests in February that were put down by soldiers and police resulting in 43 deaths, according to the public prosecutor’s office.
So why no riots? Why no violent uprisings? Simple - Military personnel don’t have to contend with the economic chaos in the rest of the country.
Since Maduro came to power 17 months ago, the armed forces have created their own television channel, housing program and bank, the only military-owned one outside Iran and Vietnam.
A third of Venezuela’s 28 ministers and half the state governors are now active or retired officers, mostly companions of former paratroop commander and late President Hugo Chavez.
“The military remains the only element guaranteeing political stability under Maduro’s weak government,” Diego Moya-Ocampos, an analyst at consulting firm IHS Country Risk, said by phone from London. “As an outsider, Maduro had to give the generals a bigger role in managing the country to keep them on-board. He has militarized politics.”
Maduro named a brigadier general as economy vice-president on Sept. 2, the second most important post in the cabinet. He now has eight active or retired officers in the cabinet, up from five in 2012, the year before Chavez died.
And to ensure their continued confidence...
While the Venezuelan people line up for hours outside state-owned supermarkets to buy regulated staple goods, or pay three times as much from street hawkers (with one in four basic goods were unavailable at any given time in January, the last month for which figures are available).
Venezuela’s national parade ground at the Fort Tiuna military base presents a scene that local civilians can only dream of -- stalls laden with goods and no waiting lines.
The 43 trucks and tents at the market in the military base on Aug. 22 were loaded with subsidized milk, cooking oil and detergents -- goods that are out of stock in most shops.
The market with everything from subsidized meat to baby strollers, along with loans, new cars and apartments,
For some context as to what this means... Cars are particularly prized in Venezuela because they don’t lose value amid the world’s highest inflation as their prices tend to track the dollar... and so...
At Fort Tiuna in southern Caracas, hundreds of new Chinese cars glistened in the parking lots, after former Defense Minister Diego Molero pledged in May of last year to purchase 20,000 autos for the armed forces.
That compares with just eight new cars imported into the country of 29 million people in August, according to the Venezuelan Automotive Chamber.
The problem is... the people are starting to get it...
Maduro’s popularity is falling. The president’s approval rating dropped to a record low of 39 percent in August from 60 percent in December, according to Caracas-based polling company Hinterlaces.
“We have always supported this government, mobilizing the people in shantytowns, campaigning for them,” said Jacqueline Zuniga, 39, coordinator of the Women’s Movement and member of the ruling United Socialist Party. “They give us nothing in return.”
“This is a disgrace, not the socialism Chavez had in mind,” Villalonga, 52, said by telephone from Barquisimeto, Lara. “I feel impotent in front of this rigged system that favors the military.”
“There’s a political cost Maduro will pay for prioritizing the soldiers over the poor neighborhoods,” Hugo Perez Hernaiz, sociology professor at Central University of Venezuela in Caracas, said by telephone. “The size of this cost will be seen in the next elections.”
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Coming to America soon?
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Been there, done that
Note that Maduro is paying the Military first, not bankers., (you know, those pooooooooooooooooowerful bankers behind the scenes)
Everybody knows, including suicidal bank lobby: If you pissed off the military, you end up losing. And bank lobby is about to lose
This is the Mugabe playbook in Zimbabwe. Maduro must have been given a copy.
Also: White House sure has a funny guest policy http://tinyurl.com/l5g4zj7
romans, byzantines, british, anybody.
Praetorian guard killed emperors because they wouldn't pay and chose emperors who promised pay.
Guns and butter faces.
Hugo Chávez's daughters refused to move out of Venezuela's presidential palace after their father's death, leaving president Nicolas Maduro to continue inhabiting his private residence, much to the chagrin of his wife. In addition to their stay inconveniencing the president of the country, their tenancy at the palace has been marked by exceedingly loud and disturbing parties, of which neighbors have complained. One of Chávez's daughters, socialite María Gabriela Chávez, was appointed to be an ambassador to the United Nations. Her job, according to Foreign Minister Elías Jaua, will be to "spread the profound message of solidarity and fraternity of the Commander, Hugo Chávez." The youngest Chávez daughter caused a stir in 2012 by posting photos of herself on social media fanning herself with U.S. dollar bills, and has been photographed with such nefarious imperialist stooges as Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2564825/Hugo-Chavezs-daughters-r...
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Peace/2014/08/14/Venzuelan-President-Nomina...
It's the same everywhere.
In Australia the Labor Party leaders were once drawn from the rank and file and were often tradesmen and real people. Fast forward and the party has been hijacked by university trained lawyers and the like. People who never dirtied their hands with work but only with back room deals.
In Greece much the same happened according to a friend when a socialist government first emerged in the 80's. They all came to power driving bombs and wearing polo neck skivvies. Within six months they were wearing tailored suits and driving Mercs.
In China, is anybody in the governing body of the party worth less than a few million dollars if not a lot more?
No; usually it's a lot, lot more.
In the US, to get into office you pretty much have to be a millionaire; in China, you get into office and soon you're a billionaire. "People's Republic", indeed.
Authoritative socialism at its very finest!
Sooo, I wonder if Chelsea did the whole ObamaCare website thingy after losing her job at the cushy NBC gig and finding herself pregnant.
Oh, thats right, she CAN KEEP HER DOCTOR, her baby daddy is a millionaire ;-)
She sits on the board of the Clinton foundation, money is not a problem.
If obama had a grandson he would look like Maduro
I love a good joke:
Bahahahaha!! Tell another one Jack!
University Professor . Bet you dinner this motherfucker was all in for Chavez in the beginning.
The military complex is alive and well everywhere.
The population of Venezuela should suffer greatly for falling for the bait of socialism.
Just like the USA.
I'd rather light a candle than curse their darkness, but, yeah, basically that.
8 new cars in august for a population of 29 million? Imagine the waiting lines for that.
Coming soon to a socialist paradise near you.
Are we learning yet? No? OK.
In the latest sign of dissatisfaction from private businesses with Maduro's running of the South American OPEC nation's economy, Clorox announced its exit on Monday, saying its business was not viable and that it would sell its assets. The company said operating restrictions imposed by the government, economic uncertainty and supply disruptions would have led to considerable operating losses. Its share price rose on the announcement, despite the company saying it expected to incur after-tax exit costs of $60 million to $65 million, or 46 cents to 50 cents per share, in its fiscal 2015. Various multinationals, from Colgate-Palmolive Co to Avon Products Inc., have been warning of hits to their balance sheets and scaling back operations in Venezuela, citing Byzantine currency controls and a slowing economy. Though official GDP data for 2014 is not available, economists say Venezuela is in recession. Annual inflation is more than 60 percent and the complicated multi-layered currency controls make it difficult for importers to access dollars.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/27/us-clorox-venezuela-idUSKCN0HL...
I hope they wire the plant before they roll. Get CDI in there. Dressed like maintenance techs, and wire that fucking joint. Set up a remote detonator, and take a pic as you clear the airspace. Leave these fucking clowns nothing.
The promises made to entice the population into this. It's like the casting couch videos. I keep wondering where they find new ones who don't look at the puter. I know what's going to happen, and I assume they must also. But nope.....another one bites the pillow..
The D'Anconia Copper Company, in real life.
If anyone's thinking, "Clorox, so what?", consider what happens when you run short of cleaning products and disinfectants, especially in hospitals and clinics, and food-preparation facilities. Wait for the stories about food poisoning, then epidemics...
They should grab their guns, and revolt.....oh wait.
Tell me TPTB in the US don't despise the 2nd. It's in the back of their pea brains. It least it slows them a little.
I've always thought that Chavez was very lucky to kick the bucket when he did. Now his grand plans come to fruition under the leadership of his former bus driver/dauphin who gets all the blame (not that I pity him though - there's no excuse for having your brain replaced with a big lump of Emmental cheese).
Just like Steve Jobs!
Oh, no. I pre-apologize for that comment. That was totally uncalled for. Totally. Totally.
Not to worry, you're replying to a guy who doesn't even own a cell phone right now. Just wash your mouth with soap and we'll forget all about it.
No --
People still vote for outspoken socialists, because, they lack the intellectual ability to ask "who pays for it?"
If you think about it, it's not that much different than the current US. Substitute military for bankers, and foodlines with foodstamps.
Local car seller commercial:
Government employee????? You're Approved!!!
Where is the shitmop who was defending this socialist prick the other day, come tell us we are all wrong...
Sean Penn? He should be required to live there. And not on a military base.
If he takes Danny Glover with him.....
And Barbra Streisand.
"food lines for citizens, new cars for the military."
Their 21st Century Socialism sounds a lot like our 21st Century Democracy.
Touché, my friend. Very astute indeed.
why don't these nit wit spics just kill the upper 10%. prroblem solved.
Deja Vue for me I grew up in Socialism ala Russia!
Fuck that shit!
Do you honestly think this is just Communists' faults? I grew up in Comminism too and I can tell you Communism had some good points: no homeless beggars on the street, very little crime, everyone worked and we were spared "entertainers" such as the pedo Michael Jackson, ABBA and a lot of crappy TV ansd movies.
Instead of just using vulgar language maybe you should really look up this 2 words: "economic sanctions". Or ask th Cubans and North Koreans and they will explain some simple facts to you.
Maybe this is not just a matter of blind anticommunism, you know. It just seems to me that the majority of this crowd takes offence at any form of malicious and/or institutionalised stupidity, wherever it comes from and whatever political or ideological form it takes. You want to hear us bashing US or EU policies? Stick around.
But in all fairness, communism is listed pretty high on my "bad ideas"-list.
Its a culture thing man.
There are many homeless and beggars in communist countries like Cuba that have corrupt dictators:
http://www.therealcuba.com/Poverty.htm
http://www.demotix.com/news/25241/homeless-and-beggars-havana-cuba#media...
Castro and his communist party cronies control the wealth of the country while 11 million Cubans have to suffer the exploitation of the omnipotent state, rationed food, lack of housing and the indignity of being second class citizens in their own country.
Wheres the dumbass twinkletoes who has E. Warren as his hero?? Well here is your hero supporting the crony capitalist ex-im bank.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2014/09/29/export-import-bank-eliz...
We have a dozen 40's in Houston of asswipe for Cabello but the importer can't grease the wheels for the import permits - it ain't just dollar access - it is Breshnez era type corruption as well.
Making bum wad is about as low on the production scale as Bic lighters. It is unbelievable what this country has been reduced to.
The military has families off base. Mr Merde's days are numbered.
Instead of putting down Venetzuela, ZH shoulod write articles about what is happening downtown in any major USA city. Major food lines every single day and tons of homeless people.
petkovplamen must have been a privileged communist party member who lived very well?
ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS--from George Orwell's "Animal Farm" (1945)
Buying cars for the military won't stop them from overthrowing this government because now they can drive to Maduro's offices.
Socialism has benefits as well as costs, especially for the very poor. What liberals fail to see (or choose not to see) is that the benefits are temporary, while the costs are permanent.