And SOMEONE thinks that Venezuela isn't devolving into dictatorship...

http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/536641/1555965

Venezuelan troops seize food
Jan 24, 2008 12:14 PM
Venezuela's top food company has accused troops of illegally seizing more than 500 tonnes of food from its trucks as part of President Hugo Chavez's campaign to stem shortages.
The leftist Chavez this week created a state food distributor and loosened some price controls, seeking to end months of shortages for staples like milk and eggs that have caused long lines and upset his supporters in the OPEC nation.
The highly publicised campaign has also included government crackdowns on accused smuggling, with the military seizing 1,600 tonnes of food and sending 1,200 troops to the border with Colombia.
Jose Anzola, a director of food company Alimentos Polar, told reporters that troops stopped 27 of its trucks over the last three days and described the seizures as "illegal, arbitrary and irresponsible."
Troops said they halted the transport of 350 tonnes of food to states along the Colombian border on suspicion of smuggling, he said. Another 165 tonnes were impounded in an eastern state on accusations of hoarding, he added.
Venezuela's National Guard did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Polar's statements.
Polar, one of the country's largest private employers and best-known brands, produces and distributes grocery products including corn flour, a central element of Venezuelan cooking, and the country's most popular beer.
Business leaders say shortages of these products are caused by strict price controls, which have lagged inflation that is Latin America's highest.
Chavez is focusing on practical issues like food supply and crime after losing a December referendum that would have let him run for re-election indefinitely and expand his self-styled revolution.
He announced an increase of more than 30% in the retail price of milk in an effort to ease shortages that have created headaches for consumers of all social classes.
He also threatened to expropriate companies selling food above regulated prices.
"Anyone who is distributing food ... and is speculating, we must intervene and we must expropriate (the business) and put it in the hands of the state and the communities," Chavez said during the inauguration of a new state-run market in Caracas.

It's obvious that Mr. Chavez is attempting to create a dictatorship. It will be interesting to see if he leaves office, despite his "indefinite hell" law not being passed.

The more I see from Comrade Hugo the more I understand the efforts we undertook during the Cold War to keep the world Commie free.

Hopefully the rest of Latin America is watching closely...

I'm still trying to figure out why we, as a country, ought to care what Chavez does to his little country.

I'm laughing at them, not with them.

And people wonder why I get so nervous when Hillary talks of regulating profits and getting more involved in the economy...

http://www.reason.com/blog/show/124579.html

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1102ap_venezuela_chavez_banks.html

Because until we get our asses off of oil to a point that our own home sources are more then enough he like Saudi Arabia has a choke hold on us. In fact he has a bigger choke hold then the Saudi since we get more from him then them.

The chaos and craziness he is sowing into his country is hurting that flow.



THE OIL MUST FLOW!!

Not bad. The United States government could take this as a great example on how to border patrol.

Ahh. Well, that seems like a good motivation to funnel money into alternative fuel research. We're right on the cusp of it, with enough money and motivation we could probably have viable alternatives within the coming decade.

Uh oh! Here it comes.....

I smell whiskey!

And.....

Yeah, it's starting to smell like sheep arse in here...

Maybe she's got a killer recipe for preparing chicken feet :flow2:

I suggest Hugo get some advice from Mr. Mugabe, who is a veteran at putting farms under "people's" management...

Really, how much popular support could a law really have if you have to send the army out to interdict those who are breaking it?

Less milk and more expensive milk? Way to work the economy in the interests of the little people, Hugo.

Who knew Emperor Shaddam IV was a Chrysler product...

brand new cars?

Guys, guys, guys... Don't you know anything? Communism/Socialism doesn't ever work on a national scale. It only works on a small scale--like Jonestown back in the '70s.

Give Venezuela to me, and I'll command it in all the right ways.

Better add a few more armies if you want to attack Central America

Everyone knows you head for Australia and bulk up.

But if someone else already has Australia then S.A. is a good alternate strategy.

Yeah, but Antartica would have been better.

At least he did raise the official price of milk, which will stem the shortages a bit. He may be a dictator, but clearly he's got at least 10 IQ points on Mugabe.

Am I an evil person because I will do a tap dance when The Mossad finally caps Comrade Hugo?

It's hard to condone that without him violating another sovereign state.

Both Zimbabwe and Venezuela are being utterly destroyed by their "leaders", but they're internal matters.

I think the best, and most surprising strategy I ever saw in a game of Risk was something my friend pulled while we were playing Risk 2250.

He'd lost his bid to take Australia, so instead, he got all his forces piled up in ONE country, bought a space commander, and on the first turn...flew to the moon!

Where he took complete control of it, built up massive forces, and eventually rained down on the rest of us like holy armageddon. It was an awesome thing to behold.

Such is a wonderous idea.