Job Discussion Forums

anonymous_alaska · Joined: 25 Mar 2004 Posts: 35

Are you guys having the same experience I'm having here? The opposition against Chavez controls almost all the media here. I was also here for the recent riots. Anyway, I saw a video where this woman spits on the National Guard. Then the opposition started showing these commercials over and over again where the woman spits on the Guard and they tackle her. But in the commercial they take out her spitting!!! I can't say I like Chavez either. He seems like a dictator, but the U.S. supports the opposition and they show a commercial like that. This world is getting eerie. Are you having any weird experiences like that? Shocked

khmerhit · Posted: Fri Mar 26, 2004 1:30 am Post subject:

Excuse me-- but George Orwell was not Venezuelan.

waxwing · Joined: 29 Jun 2003 Posts: 719 Location: China

On the wall in the school corridor there is a large poster in bright colours with a grinning cartoon character. Underneath, in big letters it says: "Smile! You are having fun!"
Doesn't get much more Orwellian than that...

lajzar · Joined: 09 Feb 2003 Posts: 647 Location: Saitama-ken, Japan

On the walls at my former elementary schools, there are big posters inviting all the little kids (adults can join too) to join the FAG (complete with caps locked) club. Rolling Eyes

I haven't the heart to tell them what the word means. Especially after I heard that the club sweatshirts had already been produced.

anonymous_alaska · Joined: 25 Mar 2004 Posts: 35

I want to tell you something else that blew my mind here. It seems like 90% of the jobs here are given by multinational corporations. There are no corporations that are Venezuelan, maybe one or two, ok maybe five. Very Happy

Is anyone teaching English in Haiti? Venezuela seems to be a real parallel to Haiti. I never realized what can happen when a few businessmen have a lot of influence in a country. Capital flight!!! If they don't like the leader, all the money just flies from the country into the US or Europe. Then inflation soars. Then people get disgruntled and the media relentlessly rails against the leader. And the media is completely owned by these businessmen. And if the leader wants to start any social programs by the government to help the people, he can't because there's no money. And then the people get angry at the leader and overthrow him.

I guess in Haiti the businessmen ask the US and Europe to come on in and help militarily. And then the whole cycle starts all over again. Disgruntled people, new leader, send in the military, etc., etc. It's a wacky world out here.

Can anyone verify this stuff?

khmerhit · Posted: Fri Mar 26, 2004 2:30 pm Post subject:

Can't verify, but i know a great book called Port Tropique by Barry Gifford.
Same deal. Doubt you will find it in Caracas though.
Have you thought of posting a journal entry about your experiences in Venezula?
kh -Take care Cool

Stephen Jones · Joined: 21 Feb 2003 Posts: 4124

Venezuela has had oil for nearly a hundred years now. You'd think it would have had time to sort itself out.

The Americans have certainly come out with egg on their face this time, but Chavez is round the bend anyway.

lajzar · Joined: 09 Feb 2003 Posts: 647 Location: Saitama-ken, Japan

Steiner · Joined: 21 Apr 2003 Posts: 573 Location: Hunan China

lajzar · Joined: 09 Feb 2003 Posts: 647 Location: Saitama-ken, Japan

Damn, who'd've thought a town club would get censored Razz

It is the F A G club. yep, it is real. I will have to take a photo of one of ther posters just to rove it to you guys.

anonymous_alaska · Joined: 25 Mar 2004 Posts: 35

After living here in Venezuela and seeing what Bush has done to the world, I think all of us need to learn the principles of propaganda.

Please check out Jacques Ellul's book Propaganda or look at it on the internet. If anyone knows other great sources, please tell us.

Aramas · Posted: Sat Mar 27, 2004 7:49 am Post subject:

Stephen Jones · Joined: 21 Feb 2003 Posts: 4124

I'll check up about when Venezuala started to have a significant amount of oil, but I am pretty sure it was before the second world war. V.S. Naipaul mentions how in his childhood, people from Trinidad would go over to Venezuala to make money.

Stephen Jones · Joined: 21 Feb 2003 Posts: 4124

Britannia says that "sowing the oil" has been the slogan of economic policy since the 1940s' so the oil must go back at least that far. They didn't even start looking for oil in Saudi until 1938.

Venezuela was the world's leading producer of oil until 1970.

Britannica also gives this descrption of Venezuela:

"The public-welfare system is generally well developed. Social security was established in 1944. Compensation is also provided for maternity, illness, and disability. Health services are excellent and compare favourably with those of more developed countries, although the numbers of doctors and of hospital beds are still relatively low.

Literacy is at 92 percent and rising. Preschool and nine years of basic education are free and compulsory. Secondary education is less well developed, providing places for less than half of all 13�17 year olds. The country has numerous institutions of higher learning."

If this doesn't fit in with what you're seeing now you might like to wonder hwo much this is because of Chavez's instability.

anonymous_alaska · Joined: 25 Mar 2004 Posts: 35

"The public-welfare system is generally well developed.

I think it's in shambles now. The really poor can't get enough to eat.

Social security was established in 1944.

They aren't getting that now.

Compensation is also provided for maternity, illness, and disability. Health services are excellent and compare favourably with those of more developed countries, although the numbers of doctors and of hospital beds are still relatively low.

This is true. I went to the most advanced eye-doctor I've ever been to. I was really surprised. They've apparently shipped in Cuban doctors to help the poor areas. Has anyone taught in Cuba? I heard their doctors are quite advanced which surprised me.

Literacy is at 92 percent and rising. Preschool and nine years of basic education are free and compulsory. Secondary education is less well developed, providing places for less than half of all 13�17 year olds. The country has numerous institutions of higher learning."

Literacy is extremely advanced, although I don't know about rising. All the poor pro-Chavez people read this tiny little book about the Constitution. The public schools are extremely low quality and low pay, but the private schools seem to be quite good to great. There are some universities and they seem quite good. I was struck by the studies. I realize how practically oriented U.S. studies are. Here you find quite a great mix of humanities and engineering.

If you talk to the rich and the middle-class, things are horrible. If you talk to the poor, things are getting better. I wish I had been here before Chavez to really comprehend this.

From watching his television shows, I get really scared at times because he talks like those stereotypical dictators, loud voice, arms waving, etc, seemingly a real megalomaniac.

Then I ask the rich and middle class if things were different before. They say yes, they were much richer. Then I ask them if there was the same amount of really poor people and they say yes.

I guess you like who supports you which is a bit unnerving. I rarely think about the poor in the U.S. I thought the majority of the U.S. is like the 'Friends' show.