Things are not looking good in Venezuela.

Things are not looking good in Venezuela.

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Discussion

davepoth

29,395 posts

200 months

Saturday 21st May 2016
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This isn't Saudi Arabia's fault. Venezuela was teetering on the brink with $100+ oil, what has happened with the oil price was inevitable at some point.

dxg

8,231 posts

261 months

Saturday 21st May 2016
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Apparently Coke are everywhere. In the middle of a war: they'll be there. They consider their omnipresence part of their identity.

So: https://uk.news.yahoo.com/coca-cola-forced-stop-pr...

Craigyp79

589 posts

184 months

Saturday 21st May 2016
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I suggest that everyone who thinks that a socialist system is to blame for Venezuela's ills has a good read of the stories that it's citizens tell of systemic and historic corruption and greed on behalf of the bureaucrats, corporations and politicians that were meant to be running the country.

Any government can style itself how it wants, socialist, communist, capitalist etc but if that government lines their own pockets as well as the pockets of those that support them is not actual operating any system of governance.

The best description of how Venezuela has been run and ruined is as a "Cleptocracy".

r11co

6,244 posts

231 months

Saturday 21st May 2016
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Strocky said:
I'm surprised you wish to debate politics given the comprehensive humiliation your party endured under Dugdale, comrade
rofl

Still trying to pin a lable on my politics Strocky, even though I've told you repeatedly my line is 'anything but SNP'. Patrick Harvie's response to the trolling he got from the CyberSnats because he wasn't going to let the Greens be bullied by the Scottish Nazi Party proves what I've been saying all along - Scottish politics now runs along the line of 'SNP' and 'everyone else'.

Strocky

2,650 posts

114 months

Saturday 21st May 2016
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r11co said:
rofl

Still trying to pin a lable on my politics Strocky, even though I've told you repeatedly my line is 'anything but SNP'. Patrick Harvie's response to the trolling he got from the CyberSnats because he wasn't going to let the Greens be bullied by the Scottish Nazi Party proves what I've been saying all along - Scottish politics now runs along the line of 'SNP' and 'everyone else'.
Or you're acting like a poltroon because your scared your wee Tory cyber pals will abuse you on herelaugh

As long as the rest are divided, the SNP will conquer although SLAB are mulling over the unthinkable, working with the SNP eek

anonymous-user

55 months

Saturday 21st May 2016
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Craigyp79 said:
I suggest that everyone who thinks that a socialist system is to blame...

The best description of how Venezuela has been run and ruined is as a "Cleptocracy".
Russia is also a kleptocracy but it still isn't the basket case it was under socialism. Besides, which Marxist inspired socialist countries are not kleptocratic? Presumably all the successful ones? Oh wait.


r11co

6,244 posts

231 months

Saturday 21st May 2016
quotequote all
Strocky said:
Or you're acting like a poltroon because your scared your wee Tory cyber pals will abuse you on herelaugh

As long as the rest are divided, the SNP will conquer although SLAB are mulling over the unthinkable, working with the SNP eek
SNP versus everyone else. It's called a minority - get used to it.

Oh, and leave this topic to its intended purpose and stop showboating.

spaximus

4,237 posts

254 months

Sunday 22nd May 2016
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fblm said:
Russia is also a kleptocracy but it still isn't the basket case it was under socialism. Besides, which Marxist inspired socialist countries are not kleptocratic? Presumably all the successful ones? Oh wait.
It is funny, but I have friends who know many Russian families. These are ordinary folks, not the new breed of rich individuals and they tell a different tales of life now and as was.

Now people who are poor are desperately poor and get nothing. Before they were all given enough food and health care.

Now the rich get what they need the poor and old do not.

These ordinary people would go back to what they had in a heartbeat.


The ones who have prospered are educated, business people or criminals nor ordinary people which is why Putin has such support as the poorer actually believe he is on their side.

PH XKR

1,761 posts

103 months

Sunday 22nd May 2016
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chris watton said:
http://order-order.com/2016/05/18/hard-left-silent...

Seems like Diane Abbott, Owen Jones and a few other hard lefters have gone quiet on this, after fully supporting President Maduro when he came into power.

Socialism - the trouble with that is they always run out of other people's money..someone once said..

Edited by chris watton on Thursday 19th May 18:37
Dianne Abbott, socialist, supporter of the state, sends kids to private school...

Don

28,377 posts

285 months

Sunday 22nd May 2016
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spaximus said:
The ones who have prospered are educated, business people or criminals nor ordinary people which is why Putin has such support as the poorer actually believe he is on their side.
Separate to this debate: I abhor the idea that somehow being educated or a business-person means you aren't ordinary.

I am educated. Being a British person I couldn't avoid that even if I had wanted to, thank goodness.
I work in business: Like anyone else who is a part of the productive side of the economy. That's at least half of us.

So I am ordinary. Am I not?


Halb

53,012 posts

184 months

Sunday 22nd May 2016
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spaximus said:
The ones who have prospered are educated, business people or criminals nor ordinary people which is why Putin has such support as the poorer actually believe he is on their side.
SOunds like the working poor who vote for the Gop.

chris watton

22,477 posts

261 months

Sunday 22nd May 2016
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PH XKR said:
Dianne Abbott, socialist, supporter of the state, sends kids to private school...
Yeah, but didn't she once say something along the lines of 'black/Jamaican woman care more for their kids than white woman'?

So that's OK, then....

PH XKR

1,761 posts

103 months

Sunday 22nd May 2016
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But my white mum gave me cartons of um bongo, so even

alock

4,232 posts

212 months

Sunday 22nd May 2016
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TwigtheWonderkid said:
I do think the system in Venezuela now is better than what went on in Argentina and Chile. And better than the USSR and North Korea.
It could become the new socialism slogan...
"Venezuela... better than Argentina, Chile, the USSR and North Korea."

spaximus

4,237 posts

254 months

Sunday 22nd May 2016
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Don said:
spaximus said:
The ones who have prospered are educated, business people or criminals nor ordinary people which is why Putin has such support as the poorer actually believe he is on their side.
Separate to this debate: I abhor the idea that somehow being educated or a business-person means you aren't ordinary.

I am educated. Being a British person I couldn't avoid that even if I had wanted to, thank goodness.
I work in business: Like anyone else who is a part of the productive side of the economy. That's at least half of us.

So I am ordinary. Am I not?
Yes you are, but you were brought up in a country free of communism. For many the state provided their every need, food, medicine they even thought for them as well. Once that was removed, those at the bottom were not able to function in the same way as those who were part of the higher echelons in a communist state, be that via those who were higher educated or well connected.

If you were good at sport, science etc. you were well rewarded for success and whilst competing were in the top tiers.

We have every opportunity to do what we want, within the law. No one stops us succeeding if we want to, we encourage that. For many "ordinary" Russians, they were there to fill factories regardless that no one actually wanted what you made.
When the free market came about those who made tractors and the like had no work, no hope. They are the people who would like the old ways back and somehow think Putin can deliver that, even though he has no intention of doing it.

Sometimes what we see as good, others do not. Free speech, no discrimination on gender or orientation, equal rights. We have a history of trying to in still our virtues and views on others who do not get it.

Was Iraq, better for the majority under Sadam? If you were from his tribe yes, from others no, but by trying to level the field most would say we made it worse for all.

anonymous-user

55 months

Monday 23rd May 2016
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alock said:
TwigtheWonderkid said:
I do think the system in Venezuela now is better than what went on in Argentina and Chile. And better than the USSR and North Korea.
It could become the new socialism slogan...
"Venezuela... better than Argentina, Chile, the USSR and North Korea."
hehe

pc.iow

1,879 posts

204 months

Monday 23rd May 2016
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TwigtheWonderkid said:
Godwin strikes. rofl

What evidence do you have of a murderous campaign by the Venezuelan govt against their own people?
I have no evidence, but its happening now.
My wife's family are still there(the poor ones that cannot get to the States) and there's been no electricity for 3 or 4 days a week in some areas and the government solders are shooting people on the streets after dark.

XM5ER

5,091 posts

249 months

Monday 23rd May 2016
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pc.iow said:
TwigtheWonderkid said:
Godwin strikes. rofl

What evidence do you have of a murderous campaign by the Venezuelan govt against their own people?
I have no evidence, but its happening now.
My wife's family are still there(the poor ones that cannot get to the States) and there's been no electricity for 3 or 4 days a week in some areas and the government solders are shooting people on the streets after dark.
Mahatma Gandhi said:
"Poverty is the worst form of violence."

anonymous-user

55 months

Monday 23rd May 2016
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pc.iow said:
TwigtheWonderkid said:
Godwin strikes. rofl

What evidence do you have of a murderous campaign by the Venezuelan govt against their own people?
I have no evidence, but its happening now.
My wife's family are still there(the poor ones that cannot get to the States) and there's been no electricity for 3 or 4 days a week in some areas and the government solders are shooting people on the streets after dark.
It's always interesting to note that those still espousing how great socialism is (Cuba is the usual one) do so from the comfort of the west while those who live under it risk life and limb to escape.

Ayahuasca

27,427 posts

280 months

Monday 23rd May 2016
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I have done a lot of business with Venezuelans over the years. The country was a basket case long before the oil price collapse.

One of its major problems is crime - I don't know anybody in Venezuela who has not had a family member murdered, shot, kidnapped, etc. People have been kidnapped inside the airport terminal, and from the lobby of the Marriott hotel!

On the positive side it does have some scorching hot women.