Venezuela melting down fast

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Largo

Sport climber

The Big Wide Open Face

Topic Author's Original Post - Jan 29, 2010 - 02:27am PT

caracasgringo.wordpress.com

Ghost

climber

A long way from where I started

Jan 29, 2010 - 02:33am PT

The article is not exactly BBC-quality journalism, and it's hard to tell, from thousands of miles away, how representative it is of what's really happening.

What do you make of it?

Largo

Sport climber

The Big Wide Open Face

Topic Author's Reply - Jan 29, 2010 - 03:02am PT

It's not journalism at all - wrong vehicle - rather Caracas Gringo is a blogger, meaning he approaches material with a certain slant. His sources are extremely reliable and he's generally well informed though decidedly anti-Chavez.

This situation in Venezuela is presently grave and the bottom may fall out of the Boliviaran Socialist experiment. The power is already starting to go out along with the water. Airports are largely empty anhd students are marching.

Could get ugly soon, but I hope not.

More later.

JL

gonzo chemist

climber

the Twilight Zone of someone else's intentions

Jan 29, 2010 - 03:05am PT

time to move to Panama...

Wayno

Big Wall climber

Seattle, WA

Jan 29, 2010 - 03:26am PT

The Mexicans that I work with were asking me just today what I knew about what was happening in Venezuela. I told them it is a little strange that our media barely covers it. Or is it strange? It's all over the Hispanic media in this country. I have heard that Chavez recently blamed the earthquake in Haiti on U.S. advanced technology. Who knows. I guess I should set up my short-wave and listen in to the world.

Greg Barnes

climber

Jan 29, 2010 - 03:34am PT

Chavez recently blamed the earthquake in Haiti on U.S. advanced technology.

This would be a perfect time for a photo out of that old Bond film where the bad guys were going to set off the San Andreas fault under San Francisco somehow...or is my memory from middle school days a bit off?

You can tell I'm a hard-core Bond fan, can't you...

PS Hope things get resolved in a reasonable, or at least bloodless, fashion...

JEleazarian

Trad climber

Fresno CA

Jan 29, 2010 - 09:33am PT

Chavez did, in fact, blame the Haiti quake on a U.S. weapons system that he alleges can cause such quakes. I wonder why we chose Haiti?

If you fire up your shortwave receiver (I'm listening to mine [Radio Australia] as I type), I'm afraid you'll find the BBC less than a model of objectivity -- and you certainly won't find out what's going on from official Venezuelan radio. The only easily-received English-language broadcasts from Caribbean countries is Radio Havana Cuba. It serves a useful purpose (to remind us of what Communist propaganda sounds like) but lacks a certain, um, truthfulness. Better to listen to the Spanish-language broadcasts in the U.S. (assuming you understand Spanish).

John

Jingy

Social climber

Nowhere

Jan 29, 2010 - 10:53am PT

not sure the article sells me on the "Blood" they mention...

Seems to me that Chavez is calling for radical mesures..

his precice verds:
“I warn, make no mistake, that the response that I would command would be radical at the hour that these sectors manage to or continue machine gunning guards, sending youths to throw rocks at garrisons, calling for rebellion openly…keep going as you are, and you will see… I come almost from the grave, almost from death (after the coup of 2002) due to weakness and I saw dead persons here in front due to the weakness of a goverbment that I was leading, that will not happen again… If they continue along this path they will force me to make radical decisions.”

Because of the fact that this is a blog right off means its got the slant of one person, and could be total poppycock...

but I don't doubt we're getting some of the story...

I know Chavez is seen as somewhat of a radical... so far in his presidency has he gassed his people?

IDK.. .

maybe I lack all knowledge on Venezuela... but I don't think its at the melting point yet...

Reilly

Mountain climber

Monrovia, CA

Jan 29, 2010 - 11:15am PT

so far in his presidency has he gassed his people?

What, you think he hasn't rounded up more than a few
and thrown away the key?

TGT

Social climber

So Cal

Jan 29, 2010 - 11:27am PT

I told them it is a little strange that our media barely covers it. Or is it strange?

It is strange that there are no news aggregator /translator sites that I know of for Latin America. There are plenty for SW Asia and the Middle East. (does anyone know of any?)

It's easier to find out what's on the police blotter in Bangaladesh or Nepal than Mexico it seems.

dirtbag

climber

Jan 29, 2010 - 11:57am PT

Lex Luthor was also going to nuke the SA Fault in the first Superman movie so he could have more beach front propoerty to sell.

happiegrrrl

Trad climber

New York, NY

Jan 29, 2010 - 12:24pm PT

I admit I am almost completely clueless on the Venezuala situation. What I understand is that the land seems to hold oil fields, and that Chavas has been protective of these fields.

Is there possibility that the breakdown is being fueled intentionally, in order to destabilize and then come in to plunder amongst the chaos?

Since Fats already made this thread tainted with his "will Obama learn" post, I don't feel too bad asking this question. I'm not trying to troll; the concept simply occurred to me and I am wondering(while being a lazy bum and not researching on my own).

At any rate, I don't like hearing that people are rioting anywhere - why must it be that power corrupts so often? (that, no matter who is involved. When people are to the stage of rioting and demonstrating, it's not because they are bored).

Largo

Sport climber

The Big Wide Open Face

Topic Author's Reply - Jan 29, 2010 - 12:25pm PT

What makes Venezuela so interesting is that you have an almost unheard of situation these days (outside of Africa), where military man (El Presidente/Lt. Colonel Hugo Chavez) is running a country; where a charismatic autocrate is trying to impose an economic system (radical socialism) which history has shown has bankrupted every nation who has ever tried it; in a place where the oil revenues are in the billions a month; in a country where many tens of thousands of people were American and European educated, so you have an intelligensia who can report, witha hig degree of insight, what is going on (in blogs and so forth).

And that's not mention the great rift between social classes and spending power, Homeric coruption, a largely self-absorbed and apathetic population, instutions that have been handed over to incompetants, grifters and slackers - and now the power is starting to go out (rolling black outs), the water is on and off, the banking sector is melting down, the military and police (mostly under Chavez' control) are starting to get tough with demonstrators, radio and TV stations are being shut down and on and on and on.

Something's got to give pretty soon.

JL

Reilly

Mountain climber

Monrovia, CA

Jan 29, 2010 - 12:29pm PT

It is like the proverbial burning paper sack of crap on our
doorstep and I just know we're not going to be able to resist
stomping on it.

dirtbag

climber

Jan 29, 2010 - 12:33pm PT

It is like the proverbial burning paper sack of crap on our
doorstep and I just know we're not going to be able to resist
stomping on it.

:-)

ydpl8s

Trad climber

Santa Monica, California

Jan 29, 2010 - 12:36pm PT

If you want to look at another country where an enormous amount of oil money is mispent by the corrupt few, think Nigeria.

bluering

Trad climber

Santa Clara, Ca.

Jan 29, 2010 - 12:59pm PT

As you may know, John, I've (and some others here have) been paying pretty close attention to Chavez and what he's been doing to that country which you call (second?) home.

I'm not gonna say I told you so, either, because you've been watching it too, shoot, you've been living it! It's a damn shame too because his little experiment is ruining that place. And I feel he'll be hard to unseat from power.

At least Honduras and Chile are going in the opposite direction. Some would say Columbia too.

Hang tough, John!

John Moosie

climber

Beautiful California

Jan 29, 2010 - 01:12pm PT

Pure capitalism is a dangerous as pure socialism. You folks with your fears need to get over it. Our military is a socialist structure, and so is our fire and police departments and most of our roads.