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-Troika- posted:The current UK government has never met a left-wing dick it didn't like to suck. It's as if tumblr was running a country. Please tell me more about the leftist credentials of a party which modified the welfare system so that disabled people are kicked off of it for being disabled.
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May 23, 2016 18:57
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beer_war posted:This Guardian article seems apropos: I dated a Venezuelan on a diplomatic mission recently and went to an event dedicated to the memory of Chavez. They had a slew of white kids who were obviously there straight from private college with their trust fund rattling on about the glories of Chavismo in helping to stop the empire and neoliberal politics. Which was pretty hilarious given how the country was going to poo poo right at that time. It was really kinda surreal. Because half the people from Venezuela seemed either on the verge of a perpetual mental breakdown (why that relationship failed) or were still huffing the Chavismo crack thinking the world was rigging things against them. But nuttiest people were this upper class white Americans agitating for Chavismo to keep working and... I dunno change the USA by proxy? Leftwing tourism is really loving weird.
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May 23, 2016 20:22
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beer_war posted:This Guardian article seems apropos: If that came from a right wing rag, it would be easy to dismiss as identity politics, but coming from the Guardian hopefully it's a wake-up call to a few people. The better world that so many of these people claim to want is impossible to achieve without clarity of vision, and that means realizing that torture, mismanagement, and corruption is the same under a right or left wing regime.
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May 23, 2016 20:39
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MysteriousStranger posted:I dated a Venezuelan on a diplomatic mission recently and went to an event dedicated to the memory of Chavez. They had a slew of white kids who were obviously there straight from private college with their trust fund rattling on about the glories of Chavismo in helping to stop the empire and neoliberal politics. Which was pretty hilarious given how the country was going to poo poo right at that time. It was really kinda surreal. Because half the people from Venezuela seemed either on the verge of a perpetual mental breakdown (why that relationship failed) or were still huffing the Chavismo crack thinking the world was rigging things against them. thats the new left to a T now. rich self hating white/sometimes minority kids from nice colleges who suck off monsters and get mad or offended at every ant hill. Adventure Pigeon posted:If that came from a right wing rag, it would be easy to dismiss as identity politics, but coming from the Guardian hopefully it's a wake-up call to a few people. The better world that so many of these people claim to want is impossible to achieve without clarity of vision, and that means realizing that torture, mismanagement, and corruption is the same under a right or left wing regime. It won't ever sadly.  this poo poo goes in cycles and i am not sure if we are at the peak of this one yet.
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May 23, 2016 21:15
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El Hefe posted:I'm going to pray for the poor U.S Marines that are gonna have to face this mighty force, I bet Obama is making GBS threads his pants as we speak. Chavez spent a lot of oil money buying modern Russian military equipment. Venezuela has probably the best-equipped military on the continent. Who knows if it's getting the maintenance it needs (Venezuela lost a Su-30 eight months ago for unknown reasons) I'd be less worried about Maduro using it to resist colonialist aggression than him invading Colombia for flour and cooking oil.
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May 23, 2016 21:37
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Colombia has a far more modern military that, importantly (sadly), also knows how to fight a war. From what I've seen first hand of the Venezuelan military, including the GNB, it's mostly kids whose balls have only just dropped being ordered around by big shot rear end in a top hat officers. I've never seen anything more complicated than an AK-74 being handled by these shmoes.
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May 23, 2016 21:50
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JeffersonClay posted:Chavez spent a lot of oil money buying modern Russian military equipment. Venezuela has probably the best-equipped military on the continent. Who knows if it's getting the maintenance it needs (Venezuela lost a Su-30 eight months ago for unknown reasons) I'd be less worried about Maduro using it to resist colonialist aggression than him invading Colombia for flour and cooking oil. If their military is anywhere as competent as the rest of their government I wouldn't worry about Colombia.
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May 23, 2016 21:56
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Vlex posted:Colombia has a far more modern military that, importantly (sadly), also knows how to fight a war. Thing is though that AK47s and other soviet style exports work properly, which is a big deal if you're sabre rattling against people who spend eleventy trillion dollars to accidentally rediscover the lawn dart.
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May 23, 2016 21:59
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HorseLord posted:Thing is though that AK47s and other soviet style exports work properly, which is a big deal if you're sabre rattling against people who spend eleventy trillion dollars to accidentally rediscover the lawn dart. Nah, Soviet weapons are awful. You really need to stop worshipping everything Stalin ever did or you'll end up Madurized.
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May 23, 2016 22:03
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fishmech posted:Nah, Soviet weapons are awful. You really need to stop worshipping everything Stalin ever did or you'll end up Madurized. I'm excited to hear the fishmech reason the AK47 is bad.
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May 23, 2016 22:12
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The AK47 is fine if you're fighting untrained or unorganized forces, otherwise not so much (this is particularly true in 7.62). Just because something is iconic doesn't mean it's effective, especially since we're not living in 1967 anymore. What is this Tom Clancy horseshit I'm contributing to. Sorry.
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May 23, 2016 22:14
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Bridgestone just announced they are leaving too so we can't even burn tires to protest anymore, not that we could anyway since Maduro says its now illegal to protest his government. What a pathetic loving country, it's so depressing living here.
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May 23, 2016 22:18
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^ Sounds like there's going to be a new worker owned tyre factory. God bless.Pryor on Fire posted:The AK47 is fine if you're fighting untrained or unorganized forces, otherwise not so much (this is particularly true in 7.62). Just because something is iconic doesn't mean it's effective, especially since we're not living in 1967 anymore. Don't worry, fishmech will probably tell you all about how they're not AK47s, they're AK-whatever variants and therefore everyone was wrong for talking about them.
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May 23, 2016 22:27
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loving CS playing nerds seizing on the AK-47 comment rather than the substantial and real point that the Venezuelan armed forces are poorly trained, ill-disciplined, corrupt, as well as composed of and run by idiots. The last thing the country needs is any 'intervention' from them.
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May 23, 2016 22:28
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HorseLord posted:^ Sounds like there's going to be a new worker owned tyre factory. God bless. Actually the Madurite practice is to confiscate factories to demolish them for half complete housing. The AK is bad and we all know the only reason you love them is your pressing need to fellate Stalin, dude.
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May 23, 2016 22:30
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The Centro de Documentacion y Analisis Social de la Federacion Venezolana de Maestros (CENDAS) announced today that so far in 2016, food prices in the country have been increasing at an average rate of 2% per day. On average, food was 718% more expensive last month than it was in April of 2015. CENDAS said that in April, a family of five had to spend Bs. 184,906.35 to buy all of the food needed to maintain a healthy and balanced diet. The figure means that a Venezuelan family of five must earn 16 times the minimum monthly salary to meet its dietary requirements. The same report found that the difference between basic food products in supermarkets – where they are sold at government-set prices, which makes them very difficult to find – and on the black market averages 2,681.70%. HorseLord posted:^ Sounds like there's going to be a new worker owned tyre factory. God bless.
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May 23, 2016 22:37
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Vlex posted:Colombia has a far more modern military that, importantly (sadly), also knows how to fight a war. Colombia has 0 tanks. Colombia's most heavily armored fighting vehicle is the LAV III. Venezuela has nearly 200 modern MBTs (T-72BV1), and hundreds more of older, light tanks. Colombia has 0 jet aircraft or heavy SAM sites. Venezuela has 23 Su-30s (with laser-guided bombs and anti-ship missiles), 12 f-16's, and significant numbers of Russian heavy SAMs. Venezuela also has a bunch of russian MLRS systems and modern self-propelled artillery. Colombia doesn't have any of either. At least on paper, Venezuela has the more advanced military of the two, and that comparison holds for every other country in South America. MysteriousStranger posted:If their military is anywhere as competent as the rest of their government I wouldn't worry about Colombia. I don't think they could actually invade and conquer Colombia, but they could sure gently caress some poo poo up.
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May 23, 2016 22:40
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HorseLord posted:^ Sounds like there's going to be a new worker owned tyre factory. God bless.
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May 23, 2016 22:45
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Colombia would be backed by the US military in any conceivable conflict initiated by Venezuela, so if there's a dick waving contest I think Uncle Sam wins that one pretty easily. Venezuela's military has to know that though, so Maduro would probably be overthrown before it came to that.
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May 23, 2016 22:48
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You don't even have to get into dick-waving contests. You can have the most impervious tanks, the fastest attack aircraft, the biggest guns, but none of it matters one bit if you lack the ability to logistically support your men and materiel in the field. If Venezuela's almost broke now, a war would instantly break their economy.
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May 23, 2016 22:50
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Colombia is trying to join NATO(!)
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May 23, 2016 22:55
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Farmer Crack-rear end posted:You don't even have to get into dick-waving contests. You can have the most impervious tanks, the fastest attack aircraft, the biggest guns, but none of it matters one bit if you lack the ability to logistically support your men and materiel in the field. If Venezuela's almost broke now, a war would instantly break their economy. An invading Venezuelan army would have to pillage towns as they march along like some kind of medieval poo poo because there ain't a single Arepa coming from Caracas to feed the troop.s
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May 23, 2016 23:00
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Maduro signed a gas deal with Trinidad today, they are buying OEA votes like crazy. Anyone who votes in favor of Maduro in OEA must be tried in The Hague.
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May 23, 2016 23:00
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Where are the best english language sites for getting economic data about Venezuela from? I'm aware there's been a serious decline on any being published in the last few years but there must be enough out there to give a serious analysis (and I would guess rejection) to any idea of there being intentional economic warfare against Venezuela rather than a tragic case of a state utterly failing to adapt to the collapse in price of its major export.
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May 23, 2016 23:31
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namesake posted:Where are the best english language sites for getting economic data about Venezuela from? I'm aware there's been a serious decline on any being published in the last few years but there must be enough out there to give a serious analysis (and I would guess rejection) to any idea of there being intentional economic warfare against Venezuela rather than a tragic case of a state utterly failing to adapt to the collapse in price of its major export. Unfortunately, the Banco Central de Venezuela does not usually publish any kind of economic information, so the best we've got is inferences from economic performance markers that can be measured in ways that do not rely on official statistics. I get all economic data from Spanish various media sources, who report on the work of foreign and domestic firms. I'm not aware of any website (English or otherwise) that regularly publishes economic data about Venezuela. There are a couple of analysis and commentary blogs that do sometimes translate Spanish sources into English. You could try:
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May 24, 2016 01:16
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Chuck Boone posted:Unfortunately, the Banco Central de Venezuela does not usually publish any kind of economic information, so the best we've got is inferences from economic performance markers that can be measured in ways that do not rely on official statistics. I get all economic data from Spanish various media sources, who report on the work of foreign and domestic firms. I would add The Devil's Excrement (http://devilsexcrement.com/) to this list, it's a blog run by an expat Venezuelan economist who usually is pretty good about backing up his articles using data, although he doesn't publish new posts that often. Adding to that, the government decreed a while ago that there are certain economic data they cannot publish for national security reasons, which was a response to the National Assembly passing a law that requested the Central Bank be more forthcoming with their economic markers. So the little information we get is an extrapolation from the level of Venezuelan foreign reserves correlated with their historic data and other markers such as importation levels.
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May 24, 2016 01:27
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Bridgestone abandons crisis-wracked Venezuela after 62 years Tire maker Bridgestone is selling its business in Venezuela after six decades in the country, the latest blue chip company to abandon the country as a result of runaway inflation and strict currency controls. Bridgestone Americas says in a statement Monday that it is selling its Venezuela assets to Grupo Corimon, a local industrialist. It says the company will be called Alice Neumaticos de Venezuela. Bridgestone says the sale will have no financial impact because it already has written off its investments in the crisis-wracked country. The Nashville-based company joins other foreign multinationals including Halliburton, Ford Motor and Procter & Gamble who have either slowed or abandoned their investments in Venezuela. http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/bridgestone-abandons-crisis-wracked-venezuela-after-62-years-380545871.html There is going to be no companies left.
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May 24, 2016 03:54
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That has little immediate impact, the long term effects are however catastrophic. That is capital that is escaping Venezuela for good, hurting generations to come.
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May 24, 2016 04:14
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Lime Tonics posted:There is going to be no companies left. Are you sure that's not a feature instead of a bug?
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May 24, 2016 04:15
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Gorau posted:Are you sure that's not a feature instead of a bug? If you think Venezuela can bootstrap itself out of the stone age it's going to end up at without foreign capital, then sure, it's a feature
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May 24, 2016 13:56
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gobbagool posted:If you think Venezuela can bootstrap itself out of the stone age it's going to end up at without foreign capital, then sure, it's a feature I think it depends on the viewpoint of the person you talk to. When I was dating someone on a diplomatic mission a lot of them seemed utterly convinced that any and all foreign multi national firms were part of the empire and simply there to exploit them and were actively hostile and seeking to overthrow the government they were a part of. It was pretty crazy and almost the sort of thing you expect from places like North Korea. Even the ones who didn't buy into this sort of logic were scared out of their minds of what would happen if the opposition took over, as it would likely result in them all having to go home and lose their jobs in Washington DC/NYC with all the extra pay and perks, and none of them thought they would have a seat in an opposition government. While there was a difference between the true believers and the people scared out of their minds (in private, in public they all said the same poo poo) in terms of their words an driving logic, the outcome was pretty much the same. A sort of crazy resistance to any sort of change despite the facts on the ground that could reach abject terror at the thought of the opposition in government. So you end up with a bunch of people who are not thinking clearly, and instead are just bouncing around like rats on acid reacting to any sort of immediate threat, or perceived threat that would land them or the government out of power. So while landing their own asses in the stone age long term may not be their actual goal, short term driving out anything that might challenge the government in a manic frenzy seems plausible.
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May 24, 2016 14:43
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That military display that the PSUV hosted over the weekend allegedly cost somewhere around the $20-26 million mark, according to some military sources. The figure is based on the fact that soldiers are apparently paid $40 per day, and Minister of Defense Vladimir Padrino Lopez said that 520,000 soldiers took part in the activities over the weekend. National Assembly MUD deputy Elias Matta pointed out how absurdly wasteful spending that kind of money on military parades is given the crisis in the country. He said that the government could have taken that money and instead used it to import 4,000 tonnes of beef (at $4 per kilogram), or invested in health care. A general (I think he's retired) called Aparicio Ramirez told El Nacional why he things Maduro held these military activities this past weekend: quote:It was a smoke screen to show that Nicolas Maduro has the support of the Armed Forces [and to] intimidate the people. The exercises included elderly militiamen without any training, and police officers who are only allowed to safeguard the citizenry according to the constitution [that is to say, they are very different from soldiers].
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May 24, 2016 17:11
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MysteriousStranger posted:I think it depends on the viewpoint of the person you talk to. When I was dating someone on a diplomatic mission a lot of them seemed utterly convinced that any and all foreign multi national firms were part of the empire and simply there to exploit them and were actively hostile and seeking to overthrow the government they were a part of. It was pretty crazy and almost the sort of thing you expect from places like North Korea. Even the ones who didn't buy into this sort of logic were scared out of their minds of what would happen if the opposition took over, as it would likely result in them all having to go home and lose their jobs in Washington DC/NYC with all the extra pay and perks, and none of them thought they would have a seat in an opposition government. It doesn't depend on a viewpoint. That's relativistic nonsense. The Chavistas are driving all foreign capital out of Venezuela. VZ doesn't have the native industry, knowledge, or capital to recreate it. Oil prices aren't going back to $100/bbl any time soon, if at all. Foreign entities are going to be very careful about coming back, even after the Chavistas are all swinging from lampposts, whenever that is. VZ will continue to sell Oil, assuming that industry doesn't collapse due to government ineptitude, which will provide a bare minimum income, though again, the Chavistas are skimming most of that from the sounds of it. VZ will end up being the absolute worst basket case in the Western Hemisphere in the next 10 years.
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May 24, 2016 19:40
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gobbagool posted:It doesn't depend on a viewpoint. That's relativistic nonsense. The Chavistas are driving all foreign capital out of Venezuela. VZ doesn't have the native industry, knowledge, or capital to recreate it. Oil prices aren't going back to $100/bbl any time soon, if at all. Foreign entities are going to be very careful about coming back, even after the Chavistas are all swinging from lampposts, whenever that is. VZ will continue to sell Oil, assuming that industry doesn't collapse due to government ineptitude, which will provide a bare minimum income, though again, the Chavistas are skimming most of that from the sounds of it. VZ will end up being the absolute worst basket case in the Western Hemisphere in the next 10 years. I'm not saying it's not nationally stupid, I'm talking about the people making the decisions. It may seem batshit crazy from a "will this country go to poo poo perspective", but the flailing probably makes complete sense to them on a daily basis.
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May 24, 2016 20:17
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Venezuelans on Tuesday woke up to discover that the government-controlled price of corn flour -- used to make corn patty arepas, a staple of local cuisine -- has risen 900 percent. The socialist government of President Nicolas Maduro had kept the price of corn flour frozen for 15 months at 19 bolivares a kilogram (two pounds). But late Monday the government's Superintendent of Fair Prices increased the price to 190 bolivares a kilo, or $19 at the government rate used for imports such as medicine and scarce food. Flour is one of the most scarce food basics, and the Venezuelan Association of Corn Flour Industrialists has been asking for a price increase, arguing that the low government-set price does not cover the cost of production. The Superintendent also said that the price of chicken would rise, up 13 times from 65 bolivares a kilo to 850 bolivares. The price of chicken had also been frozen since February 2015. Venezuela is enduring the world's highest inflation rate: 180 percent in 2015, and a projected 700 percent for 2016. Officials said in early May that the price of controlled products would be updated to better reflect the cost incurred by producers. A "Law of Just Prices" sets a maximum profit margin of 30 percent for all goods and services. But in the case of food and medicine, a senior official said that profits are "compressed" to between 14 and 20 percent. Venezuela's oil-dependent economy has been crippled by the plunge in price of petroleum on global markets. https://www.yahoo.com/news/price-corn-flour-venezuela-soars-900-percent-115846076.html?ref=gs
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May 24, 2016 20:57
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Lime Tonics posted:Venezuelans on Tuesday woke up to discover that the government-controlled price of corn flour -- used to make corn patty arepas, a staple of local cuisine -- has risen 900 percent. This doesn't add up for poo poo. If businesses could operate and STILL pull at 14% margin, they would be just fine, and they wouldnt have to hyperinflate the currency.
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May 24, 2016 21:00
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gobbagool posted:This doesn't add up for poo poo. If businesses could operate and STILL pull at 14% margin, they would be just fine, and they wouldnt have to hyperinflate the currency. The reason that doesn't add up is because those calculations are based on government math, which at this point operates on a completely different plane than the reality on the ground. Also, this is how the government gets away with selling the "economic war" theory, because according to their numbers everyone should be making awesome profits. Didn't someone say a few pages ago that the average cost of an arepa is now Bs. 1,500? And the price of the corn flour to make arepas was Bs. 19 per kilo until yesterday. I linked an article earlier talking about how the average price of goods sold on the street in the black market is around 2,500% higher than the price that the government sets. This is why I get a headache reading articles about the price of stuff in Venezuela sometimes, because they all have a paragraph saying something like, "Diapers cost either $1 or $180, depending on which exchange rate you're using, because the one set by the government is...". The economy is deeply, deeply distorted. The government's using one set of numbers and the country is operating under another.
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May 24, 2016 21:10
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The government were already selling corn flour at Bs. 160 since months ago, it was only Polar who were forced to sell at Bs 19.
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May 24, 2016 21:10
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gobbagool posted:Oil prices aren't going back to $100/bbl any time soon, if at all. Do you think there is literally infinite oil out there to be extracted? 
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May 24, 2016 22:14
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Fuschia tude posted:Do you think there is literally infinite oil out there to be extracted? It's very unlikely we'll ever reach the end of our oil reserves, at least, before oil becomes completely worthless.
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May 24, 2016 22:41
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