|
Korean Job Discussion Forums
"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Teachers from Around the World!"
|
| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
thepeel
Joined: 08 Aug 2004
|
 Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2007 5:38 am Post subject: Chavez Policies Fuel Venezuelan Shortages, Driving Up Inflat |
 |
|
Leftist nonsense at it again.
| Quote: |
Jan. 3 (Bloomberg) -- Alfredo Cohen, who built and owns Venezuela's largest shopping center, is trying to complete a $150 million Caracas office complex. Trouble is, he keeps running out of bricks, pipe and shingles.
``In my 25 years in this business, I've never seen shortages like this,'' Cohen, 46, said in an interview in Caracas. ``There's a scramble for materials that's jacking up prices and adding at least 10 percent to my costs.''
Some of the shortages are the result of the very price controls that President Hugo Chavez has imposed to combat inflation, local businesspeople say. ``All price controls, after a few years, become perverse for production,'' said Gustavo Moreno, president of the Venezuelan Agriculture Association. ``If there isn't a periodic price increase to take inflation into account, controls create more problems than they solve.''
Since then, he's capped phone and electricity rates, and most recently, set prices for 45 construction materials after the cost of some products, such as drywall, doubled in 2006, Irwin Perret, president of the Venezuelan Construction Association, said in an interview.
``Chavez favors price and capital controls to keep a lid on prices rather than spend less or raise interest rates,'' said Alberto Ramos, a senior Latin American economist with Goldman Sachs Group Inc. ``We expect Chavez to persist with and possibly deepen these controls.''
At 17 percent, Venezuela's inflation rate was the fastest in Latin America last month. The rate was 15.8 percent in November; as recently as May, it was 10.4 percent. |
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601109&sid=aEQjUNgrqIpU&refer=home
So, like any economically illiterate socialist, he responds to inflation and shortages by.....
| Quote: |
CARACAS, Venezuela - President Hugo Chavez announced plans Monday to nationalize Venezuela's electrical and telecommunications companies, pledging to create a socialist state in a bold move with echoes of
Fidel Castro's Cuban revolution. |
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070109/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/venezuela_chavez_8
It is always control, control, control with this people.
I think this dude is going to have to write a second edition to his book.
| Quote: |
When Hoover Institution historian Robert Conquest used newly available data from the Soviet Union to update The Great Terror, his account of Stalin's murderous purges of the 1930s, his publishers asked for a new title. "How about I Told You So, You Fuucking Fools?" Conquest suggested. |
http://www.reason.com/news/show/29095.html |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
Ya-ta Boy
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Established in 1994
|
| Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2007 5:40 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Quote: |
Leftist fools at it again.
|
Anyone who posts the same thing 4 times in a row had better be careful about using the word 'fool', leftist or not.
Nothing personal; just an observation. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
On the other hand
Joined: 19 Apr 2003
Location: I walk along the avenue
|
| Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2007 5:41 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Ya-ta Boy wrote: |
| Quote: |
Leftist fools at it again.
|
Anyone who posts the same thing 4 times in a row had better be careful about using the word 'fool', leftist or not.
Nothing personal; just an observation. |
Yeah, talk about "inflation", eh? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
thepeel
Joined: 08 Aug 2004
|
| Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2007 5:43 am Post subject: |
|
|
It was a computer problem, you petty little girls. One that I fixed very quickly.
Now, do you sweetheart cowboys have anything to offer to the topic at hand? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
On the other hand
Joined: 19 Apr 2003
Location: I walk along the avenue
|
| Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2007 5:49 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Quote: |
| It was a computer problem, you petty little girls. One that I fixed very quickly. |
Yeah, I've had the same computer problem myself, honeycheeks. I just wanted to get the "inflation" jibe in there.
| Quote: |
| Now, do you sweetheart cowboys have anything to offer to the topic at hand? |
Not really, no. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Ya-ta Boy
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Established in 1994
|
| Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2007 5:50 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Was there a topic other than pointing out your foolishness? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
thepeel
Joined: 08 Aug 2004
|
| Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2007 7:41 am Post subject: |
|
|
Not sure. Though, my "foolishness" has been pointed out.
The OP is solid, in my opinion. But we all know that as it has nothing to do with America or Iraq (or one of my awesome anti-Islam rants), nobody will care. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Adventurer
Joined: 28 Jan 2006
|
| Posted: Wed Jan 10, 2007 1:11 am Post subject: |
|
|
| BJWD wrote: |
Not sure. Though, my "foolishness" has been pointed out.
The OP is solid, in my opinion. But we all know that as it has nothing to do with America or Iraq (or one of my awesome anti-Islam rants), nobody will care. |
BJWD, you seemed to have had the same computer problem around the same times as me. However, you were more forttunate as I was just leaving and work and couldn't check to see the multiple posts.
I will comment on Chavez. I don't think terms such as illiterate socialist for Chavez or illiterate capitalist for Bush are helpful terms. Let us just stick to the economic points you are trying to make, shall we?
You are saying price controls are counterproductive because suppliers will not want to supply if the price is low. There is a large enough demand for the supply, but the government is preventing a reasonable rise in the price.
I don't necessarily oppose nationalising the phone companies, but I do have a problem with freezing wages, major price controls when it comes
the supply of raw materials as it would lead to less economic growth.
With people not willing to supply as much as before, it would mean less people hiring to do jobs that would otherwise would have been done.
I consider myself to be on the left but definitely to the right of Chavez.
He is also rather anti-democratic. I haven't been a supporter of Chavez anymore than I have of Bush. I consider them both to be extremists
but just on opposite sides. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
ddeubel
Joined: 20 Jul 2005
|
| Posted: Wed Jan 10, 2007 5:04 am Post subject: |
|
|
I have major problems with the autocratic nature of Chavez and for that alone, I am against his government. I don't like blowhards such as himself, left, right or center.
But as far as the economy goes, it had the best growth by far last year in the whole western hemisphere. Go figure. Which means to me that you can't link rights, good govt, with economic performance. Look at China.
But for some reason many do.
DD |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
cbclark4
Joined: 20 Aug 2006
Location: Masan
|
| Posted: Wed Jan 10, 2007 5:26 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| ddeubel wrote: |
I have major problems with the autocratic nature of Chavez and for that alone, I am against his government. I don't like blowhards such as himself, left, right or center.
But as far as the economy goes, it had the best growth by far last year in the whole western hemisphere. Go figure. Which means to me that you can't link rights, good govt, with economic performance. Look at China.
But for some reason many do.
DD |
Yes, ddeubeltalk, 17% inflation is a sign of a healthy economy.
Unless in your world Inflation means your economy is growing.
cbc |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
ddeubel
Joined: 20 Jul 2005
|
| Posted: Wed Jan 10, 2007 5:49 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Quote: |
| Yes, ddeubeltalk, 17% inflation is a sign of a healthy economy. |
yes, Venezuela has had "Dutch disease" (when an economy's reliance on one commodity creates problems, in particular inflation due to its sudden price surge) but the persistent halving of the rate of inflation signals that it is well under control and the govt should be commended for its economic foresight.
A good up to date analysis can be found at
http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/articles.php?artno=1766
The author says,
| Quote: |
A look at macroeconomic indicators shows that the economy is performing well. Economic growth has been the fastest in Latin America for each of the past two years. In the first quarter of 2006 growth continued apace, registering 9.3%. Yet in the midst of the economic boom, inflation has been halved. This year, at least one forecaster expects Venezuela to experience its lowest inflation in 18 years though it will still be one of the highest in Latin America. Declining inflation in the midst of an economic boom, while not unprecedented, is atypical and suggests pragmatic economic management. |
DD |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
thepeel
Joined: 08 Aug 2004
|
| Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2007 3:33 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Adventurer wrote: |
| BJWD wrote: |
Not sure. Though, my "foolishness" has been pointed out.
The OP is solid, in my opinion. But we all know that as it has nothing to do with America or Iraq (or one of my awesome anti-Islam rants), nobody will care. |
BJWD, you seemed to have had the same computer problem around the same times as me. However, you were more forttunate as I was just leaving and work and couldn't check to see the multiple posts.
I will comment on Chavez. I don't think terms such as illiterate socialist for Chavez or illiterate capitalist for Bush are helpful terms. Let us just stick to the economic points you are trying to make, shall we?
You are saying price controls are counterproductive because suppliers will not want to supply if the price is low. There is a large enough demand for the supply, but the government is preventing a reasonable rise in the price.
I don't necessarily oppose nationalising the phone companies, but I do have a problem with freezing wages, major price controls when it comes
the supply of raw materials as it would lead to less economic growth.
With people not willing to supply as much as before, it would mean less people hiring to do jobs that would otherwise would have been done.
I consider myself to be on the left but definitely to the right of Chavez.
He is also rather anti-democratic. I haven't been a supporter of Chavez anymore than I have of Bush. I consider them both to be extremists
but just on opposite sides. |
Meh. When the economy collapses in an Asian style financial crises (within 18months, less 100$/oil), I'll just bump this post. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
thepeel
Joined: 08 Aug 2004
|
| Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2007 3:36 am Post subject: |
|
|
| ddeubel wrote: |
I have major problems with the autocratic nature of Chavez and for that alone, I am against his government. I don't like blowhards such as himself, left, right or center.
But as far as the economy goes, it had the best growth by far last year in the whole western hemisphere. Go figure. Which means to me that you can't link rights, good govt, with economic performance. Look at China.
But for some reason many do.
DD |
Growth. Economy. Inflation.
The "economy" "grew" in the sense that they received little green pieces of paper in exchange for oil, but productivity is down across the entire economy and commodity shortages are being reported all over the nation. Look beyond the obvious, dd. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
thepeel
Joined: 08 Aug 2004
|
| Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2007 3:44 am Post subject: |
|
|
I posted the op for bigbird, who (about) 6 months ago wrote a 10-point celebration of Chavez. Surprisingly enough, the fat one seems to have shut the *beep* up about Uncle Hugo, as of late.
Why you neglecting your boy, bird? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
ddeubel
Joined: 20 Jul 2005
|
| Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2007 4:03 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Quote: |
Growth. Economy. Inflation.
The "economy" "grew" in the sense that they received little green pieces of paper in exchange for oil, but productivity is down across the entire economy and commodity shortages are being reported all over the nation. Look beyond the obvious, dd. |
What's your agenda here? Other than to not look at things AS THEY ARE. I don't like Chavez but won't fudge the facts. Please read the article I mentioned before drumming on about how it is just focusing on that third of the economy oil related. Also, read about how Chavez is using that oil money. Also productivity figures...
| Quote: |
In conclusion, the Venezuelan government clearly seems to have embraced a pragmatic economic approach. If the discipline continues and the policies succeed over the long term, the government's strategies may provide an economic model as well as a social one for resource rich economies.
John Hofer has an MBA in Finance and International Business from Columbia University. He is an independent analyst and can be reached at [email protected]. |
Still, I think he is taking the wrong course in terms of freedoms and civil liberties and his relations with foreign partners.
DD |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
