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ls650
Joined: 10 May 2003
Posts: 3484
Location: British Columbia
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 Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2005 1:18 pm Post subject: Re: 16.8% |
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| Luder wrote: |
| let me say that hearing that mantra about 16.8% growth, 16.8% growth, 16.8% growth makes me want to puke. |
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Alitas
Joined: 19 May 2003
Posts: 187
Location: Maine
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| Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2005 5:27 pm Post subject: |
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| I heard a great analysis of Chavez' popularity the other day. It's not whether he's a good or bad president. It's whether or not the income from oil is good or bad during his presidency. As long as the dough from the devil's excrement is coming in...he's considered "good". |
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Guy Courchesne
Joined: 10 Mar 2003
Posts: 9650
Location: Mexico City
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| Posted: Tue Nov 15, 2005 5:13 am Post subject: |
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Hey somebody check what's in Chavez's water...his fighting words with Fox in Mexico made for a withdrawal of ambassadors today. Should I be on the lookout here for an invading Venzuelan army soon?  |
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Justin Trullinger
Joined: 28 Jan 2005
Posts: 3110
Location: Seoul, South Korea and Myanmar for a bit
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| Posted: Tue Nov 15, 2005 5:18 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| It's whether or not the income from oil is good or bad during his presidency. As long as the dough from the devil's excrement is coming in...he's considered "good". |
Valid point, but a long way from being the whole story. I'm in Ecuador, where oil represents close to 80% of the economy. And as oil prices are at an all time high, the overall state of the economy looks pretty rosy here. But it hasn't made any presidents any more popular. (We keep kicking them out every 6 to 18 months, same as always.)
THere are many countries that, due to the ridiculous price of oil in the last few years, have seen record economic growth. But we don't tend use that to explain the popularity of their leaders, because often, their leaders aren't popular. The question might be, what makes Chavez different?
For me, it's social programs. More hospitals have been built in Chavez's presidency that in the 50 years before. A higher percentage of children are in school than EVER before. And in school, they eat lunch. That seems to be where all the popularity comes from. And obviously, the cash for all these programs comes from the oil. So good oil income is an important part of what's happening in Venezuela. But the income wouldn't do it by itself. It's the fact that more money is being spent to benefit the people than ever before.
Regards,
Justin |
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Guy Courchesne
Joined: 10 Mar 2003
Posts: 9650
Location: Mexico City
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| Posted: Tue Nov 15, 2005 8:05 pm Post subject: |
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Mexico is the interesting contrast to Venezuela along the same lines. State-run oil company Pemex has also been taking it in hand-over-fist with high oil prices. Pemex and the feds here have set up a national emergency fund, put money into large public works projects, and re-invested back into the oil sector...little has gone off into social services, as far as I know. That would fit with the right-wing style of governing that is the party of Fox.
BTW, the joke around the Mexican airwaves today is about what to say to people who are acting like a macho, drunken, agressive, sot...'no te pones Chavez, caballero'. Mexicans do like to joke around. |
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