Hey j_b/prole!

[JayB]

The surest way to eliminate a socialist regime is to give it free reign to implement its agenda. The ensuing missallocation of productive assets that results from attempting to coordinate supply and demand by central committee will inevitably result in a massive depletion of capital and ultimately the complete implosion of the entire economy. Neither economic theory nor experience allow for any other outcome.

 

 

Blah fucking blah blah. China now finances the United States government.

 

 

Comparing pre-and post reform GDP-per capita and GDP growth in China actually proves my point. A market economy in a state run by a party which calls itself communist is still a market economy. China has become steadily more market oriented, not less so. Venezuala is going in the opposite direction.

 

On the other issue, then Chinese and most other export driven economies have buying buying dollars - which is to keep their exports competitive in dollar terms. One could just as easily argue that the US consumer finances the Chineese economy. If the dollar depriciates, so do does the value of most of their reserves, so and the exports which drive their economy instantly become less competitive in the US market, so the barrel of the currency gun that they hold is pointing in both directions.

[Dru]

Hey, but what if they suddenly bought a lot of Euros with their dollars? The Euro would rise, the dollar would fall, they'd retain the value of their reserves and your savings would become worthless. Oh wait. you're an American - you don't have any savings.

[JayB]

Might also have an effect on certain raw material exports, eh...

[Dru]

The drowning man will clutch at the rescuer and try to pull him down with him.

[JayB]

A more apt saying with respect to the US-Canada economic relationship would be "When the ship sinks the barnacle goes with it..."

[sexual_chocolate]

Hey fairweather.

 

You might consider the fact that I don't hold Chavez or the steps being taken in Venezuela as ultimate ideals, but given the history of the country, the current trend certainly seems a marked improvement over past inequities. I don't see how a reasonable mind could doubt this.

 

The US needs to clean up her own diapers before attempting to get others to change theirs.

[tomtom]

Hey, but what if they suddenly bought a lot of Euros with their dollars?

Apparently, you haven't looked at the exchange rates lately.

 

To buy Euros you need a lot of dollars, not the other way around.

[Dru]

Apparently you don't know about the effects of supply and demand on world currencies.

[TREETOAD]

I got a new puppy

[Stonehead]

Do parallel universes exist?

[Dru]

I got a new puppy

never pet a burning dog

is it a bit scorched?

[TREETOAD]

Not yet, but it is boneless

[sexual_chocolate]

http://europa.eu.int/comm/external_relations/venezuela/intro/

 

The EU sent an Exploratory Mission to Venezuela to see whether deployment of an EU observation mission was advisable and feasible. Nevertheless, it was not possible to secure with the Venezuelan electoral authorities the conditions to carry out observation in line with the Union’s standard methodology used in all countries where EU election observation missions are deployed.

 

The Inter- American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and others have recently issued reports, expressing concern on the extreme political polarisation, the regular acts of violence involving protesters from different sectors of society, violation of HR with impunity and lack of autonomy and independence of the judicial system.

 

 

Hey thanks for the link. I read it with interest.

It did bring up a couple of points that are worth mentioning:

 

-I think we would need to know what the EU's "standard methodology" is, regarding election observations. I couldn't find their standard protocols, nor any explanation as to why they couldn't be implemented.

 

I do find it telling though that the OAS and Carter Centre both gave the elections (referendum) a clean bill of health, especially when the EU states the following:

 

"In the context of the current crisis, the EU has fully supported the role as facilitators of the tripartite (OAS, UNDP and Carter Centre) led by the OAS."

 

If the EU has this type of confidence in these organizations, one could logically conclude that indeed their observations regarding the vote would be also respected, yes?

 

As to the HRW and Amnesty International assessments:

 

1. Read their assessments of the US. Seems as though they have bigger issues with us than they do with Venezuela;

 

2. I take the points seriously, and I think we SHOULD work to make this world a more fair and equitable place, but we can't do it while we are guilty of the very sins we blame others for. Doesn't this make sense to you? Do not pluck the sliver out of your neighbors eye while a timber blinds your own? (I only include a biblical reference because I know the crowd here to be quite religious. )

 

The Latin countries have suffered from centuries of western oppression and hypocrisy, watching their labor and resources be exploited. Why you can't see this, and the very understandable reactions (Chavez, Castro, Allende, Marte, Gueverra etal) is really beyond me.

[rbw1966]

I've always marveled at the eagerness to send the men and women of our armed services (as opposed to the profiteers in the private sector) in harms way of those who have never served themselves.

 

Isn't Iraq and Afghantisan enough for now?

[Mal_Con]

It's easy to be tough when you are talking about someone elses kids.

[Fairweather]

Speaking of tough guys.....

 

[JayB]

Fairweather:

 

I'm not sure what point you are trying to make by posting photo's of Rob's accident in this context - maybe you felt like he was making things personal and had to respond in kind?

 

Anyhow - I've met Rob on 2-3 occaisions, and happened to run into him in Lillooet the day after the accident. His face was bruised enough that I hardly recognized him at first, and judging by the accounts of the rest of the guys up there with him the fall was bad enough that things could have been much, much worse. If it had been me, I don't think I would have been tough enough to do anything more than lie in bed and watch cable while everyone else went out and climbed, but he had the mental and physical toughness to continue climbing - which was amazing to me. By all accounts the fall was the result of bad luck and nothing more, and I appreciate the fact that he shared the story of the fall online.

 

I'm not sure if you care what I think about this or not - but I think that abusing Rob's accident and his willingness to talk about it on the site really makes you look bad.