31–40 of 186 posts
The wonders of socialism.
When you compare Venezuela to those of its neighbors who are completely submitted to international capital and empire, capitalism doesn't seem so glamorous either.
> Early this year, the United States began shipping more than 50,000 barrels a day of the light crude that Venezuela needs to prepare its own oil for export What does this mean? How does this work? Why do you need oil to make oil?
This is addressed in the article: the oil industry in Venezuela is in disarray, so the country can't rely on its own supply. They have enormous reserves, but they can't reliably draw from it or refine it.
Venezuela is a failed state at this point. I'm more than happy to personally take them as an example of why spending big on social programs doesn't produce long-lasting social benefits. I understand many people will find a point of disagreement here. This is especially true when corruption is rife. In countries with high corruption, it seems the very best thing to do is to limit as much as possible how much money flo…
This is like throwing out a carton of eggs because one of them broke.
Why can't they just ask other more friendly countries (Russia, Norway, maybe China) for the expertise in exchange for oil? Should be an easy solution, or am I missing something in my oversimplification? (And, please, don't blame it on communism/socialism; people have interests and I believe so do people in Venezuela - including those working in the government.)
It's not that they don't know how to produce oil. It's that the oil company has been so heavily mismanaged and used for political purposes that it has become extremely inefficient.
http://www.economist.com/news/americas/21607824-venezuelas-l...
> IN 2003 Venezuela’s then president, Hugo Chávez, fired more than 18,000 employees, almost half the workforce, of the state-run oil corporation, Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA). Their offence was to have taken part in a strike (pictured) called in protest at the politicisation of the company. Their punishment was to be barred from jobs not only in PDVSA itself but also in any company doing business with the oil firm. The axe fell heavily on managers and technicians: around 80% of the staff at Intevep, PDVSA’s research arm, are thought to have joined the strike. At the stroke of a pen, Venezuela lost its oil intelligentsia.
Obviously, this wouldn't have happened in a free market. But even other state-run oil companies haven't made this kind of blunder.
Venezuela is a failed state at this point. I'm more than happy to personally take them as an example of why spending big on social programs doesn't produce long-lasting social benefits. I understand many people will find a point of disagreement here. This is especially true when corruption is rife. In countries with high corruption, it seems the very best thing to do is to limit as much as possible how much money flo…
Yeah, but what about the other states that spend on social programs and ended up successful? This is like throwing out a carton of eggs because one of them broke.
Why can't they just ask other more friendly countries (Russia, Norway, maybe China) for the expertise in exchange for oil? Should be an easy solution, or am I missing something in my oversimplification? (And, please, don't blame it on communism/socialism; people have interests and I believe so do people in Venezuela - including those working in the government.)
I suspect the US has a strong interest in Venezuela not going belly-up and is selling oil just for cash, perhaps turning the wheels on Maduro a bit by having your "enemy" take care of you in a time of need. I imagine Maduro is getting a good price as well. Suddenly all that Socialist talk doesn't make sense when your once wealthy country is dirt poor and the "evil" capitalist neighbor is the guy getting you out of trouble. We don't need anything political or strategic from them, but China and Russia certainly do. Venezuela would be in no position negotiate with these powers and history has shown them how getting into bed with Russia in the Americas tends to end badly.
I imagine more civilized and less expansionist countries like Norway want none of the hot mess that is Venezuela and have no problems finding buyers of their oil. It would also be incredibly controversial to Norwegians who believe in human rights and Norway, being a democracy, would bow to the pressure of its people. I don't know why you think Norway would automatically approve such a sale. Just because both countries are 'not the USA' doesn't mean they are bosom buddies or somesuch.
The wonders of socialism.
WTF they are doing so wrong?! Are they under intense internal or external sabotage? Corruption is so bad?
I mean, this is not some mid-African country with >50% of the population illiterate, bunch of horrible tropical diseases, plus children running around with guns and AIDS...
A country like Venezuela should "kind of work" even with corruption and inefficient socialism! What the heck is going on there?
> Oil accounts for half of the Venezuelan government’s revenues ...Who thought that was a good idea?
Socialists. I really was getting tired of hearing from the usual anti-US types on how wonderful Venezuela was back in the early 2000s and how Chavez stands up to the US and such, meanwhile it was led by what was pretty much a strongman with socialist policies and industry nationalization that quickly destroyed their wealthy oil-rich country. Now we're selling them oil so they don't starve in the streets. Curious to s…
Why can't they just ask other more friendly countries (Russia, Norway, maybe China) for the expertise in exchange for oil? Should be an easy solution, or am I missing something in my oversimplification? (And, please, don't blame it on communism/socialism; people have interests and I believe so do people in Venezuela - including those working in the government.)