Based on casual conversations, a surprising number of Americans seem to support the move by Chavez against Exxon. It makes me wonder what’s next in the US, as its financial situation continues to crumble and continue down the slippery slope of socialism and fascism. If the government did decide to seize assets, what would some of the early candidates be? Oil companies? Banks? Media? Transportation?
Many Americans support Chavez because you have the usual gaggle of leftists in this country (including the likes of Joe Kennedy and other prominent names) who have been cleverly bought off by the Venezuelan program of giving heating oil to the “poor”. Dupes like Kennedy are apparently happy to be used for propaganda purposes by that scumbag. I know it’s an essentially meaningless gesture, but in response I refuse to ever buy gas from a Citgo station.
As far as the slippery slope in this country is concerned, Hillary and Barak are dumping Venezuelan-made grease on that slope with their healthcare plans. That will be the first major industry to fall, IMO.
I would never support Chavez or the ideas he promotes, but at the same time, I can’t muster up much sympathy for Exxon, either. Frankly, they remind me of James Taggert’s Mexican trains. They really, REALLY should have seen this one coming.
If the Exxon execs had any balls at all they should have rigged their facilities with explosives and blasted them sky-high as soon as Chavez’s thugs arrived.
A big final middle finger to socialism, in the spirit of Francisco d’Anconia. Scorched earth for tyrants!
If nationalization happens in the US as AceNZ asked, oil companies would surely be a likely candidate. But banks might be first, after all, and the nationalization might be a Trojan-horse-style takeover starting with, for example, the subprime bailouts.
Now Chavez has nationalized the the largest Venezuelan steel manufacturer:
_Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Monday nationalized the country’s biggest steelmaker Ternium-Sidor, which is majority owned by Argentina’s Techint._Chavez signed the decree after announcing last month he would nationalize the company, which employs around 12,000 workers, following a breakdown in union contract talks.
“Today marks the beginning of a historic new era,” Chavez told workers at the Ternium-Sidor steel mill in Ciudad Guyana, 500 kilometers (310 miles) southeast of Caracas.
“Here, beside these furnaces in the middle of Siderurgica del Orinoco (Sidor steel company), I have enacted the law by which we reclaim steel making,” he told hundreds of company employees.
Chavez set a June 30 deadline for transfer of all Ternium-Sidor assets to the government.
But banks might be first, after all, and the nationalization might be a Trojan-horse-style takeover starting with, for example, the subprime bailouts.
Ahhh, banks are pretty much already nationalized – see: Federal Reserve.
Anyways, Chavez is an actual socialist. He put the means of production under the control of the government. Democrats don’t do this, nor will they probably ever with the exception of some aspects of the medical system (but, they won’t make it illegal to practive private medicine). A high tax rate is not socialism, regulations on certain items to make them “safer” is not socialism. Sociali stic , but not socialism, and people who advocate those things aren’t socialists.
Having government completely control the means of production or the “public” control the means of production instead of private individiuals, that’s socialism.
Ahhh, banks are pretty much already nationalized – see: Federal Reserve.
Anyways, Chavez is an actual socialist. He put the means of production under the control of the government. Democrats don’t do this, nor will they probably ever with the exception of some aspects of the medical system (but, they won’t make it illegal to practive private medicine). A high tax rate is not socialism, regulations on certain items to make them “safer” is not socialism. Sociali stic , but not socialism, and people who advocate those things aren’t socialists.
Having government completely control the means of production or the “public” control the means of production instead of private individiuals, that’s socialism.
You are right, of course. Means of production nominally in private hands but the government is tilting the deck with controls. These are the hallmarks of fascism rather than socialism. Canada is further along this road than is the USA. Canada is deeply into socialist territory with its socialized health care, fascist in many other areas.
I certainly hope no Objectivist gases up at Citgo.
Chavez has continued his winning steak, just announcing that he’s nationalizing all gasoline distribution.
_ CARACAS _:President Hugo Chávez said that wholesale gasoline sales by private companies in Venezuela will soon disappear after his congressional allies pass a bill nationalizing the business…
Distributors, including subsidiaries of British Petroleum, Exxon Mobil and Chevron, had hoped to persuade the government not to seize total control of their businesses. But Chávez ruled out allowing private minority stakes, accusing operators on Wednesday of making money at the country’s expense…
The law gives distributors 60 days to negotiate the sale of their businesses to the government or face expropriation. It also forces distributors to sell storage tanks and gasoline pumps to Petróleos de Venezuela and to relinquish their brand names.
I love the way the government gives the businesses time to “negotiate” the “sale” of their assets to the government. When they stick a gun in your face, the negotiations probably go pretty well for the party holding the gun. We can only hope that this results in gasoline shortages.
Ahhh, banks are pretty much already nationalized – see: Federal Reserve.
Bluntly put, you’ve no idea what you’re talking about. You ought to try living in a country with nationalized banks and see the difference.
Take the case of Mexico. President Lopez Portillo nationalized the banks on September 1st. 1982 (except Citibank). The next day he ordered all Dollar accounts turned to pesos at a rate of 70 pesos to the dollar. Then he devalued the peso again to around 100 per dollar. Then of course came controls on withdrawls and currency exchange, lest capital fly to where it would be safe from legalized theft.
Low oil prices have made Chavez put his tail between his legs. Now he’s even inviting Western oil companies back to Venezuela to help boost production. If any oil company has management that is dumb enough to think they can depend on an agreement with this thug, their shareholders should revolt.
If the Exxon execs had any balls at all they should have rigged their facilities with explosives and blasted them sky-high as soon as Chavez’s thugs arrived.
That’s what I would have done.
If nationalization happens in the US as AceNZ asked, oil companies would surely be a likely candidate. But banks might be first, after all, and the nationalization might be a Trojan-horse-style takeover starting with, for example, the subprime bailouts.
Too bad the Canadians won’t go down there and teach this guy a lesson in property rights.
The Crystallex mine nationalization did not even make the news in Canada from what I have seen. I guess the leftist media are shilling for their guy Chavez, even up here in Soviet Canuckistan.
Chavez should be ordered to immediately reverse the theft of this mine. If he fails to comply, the mine should be destroyed, diplomatic relations with Venezuela should be severed, and a complete economic embargo should be initiated against Venezuela.
Perhaps Exxon and the others realize Chavez can’t last long and they’ll get their fields back. Why sabatoge what they will own again sooner than later??? :huh:
He’s already talking to some of the companies about allowing them back. (And it’s not like these companies aren’t faced with this same situation everywhere they do business (including the US), so why sabatoge one place and not all the rest?)
Chavez has now successfully engineered his presidency-for-life scenario, similar to Castro. Strange that we’ve not heard a peep from the Obama administration about any of this. I guess it’s part of the master plan to increase our stature in the world by not offending dictators.
Venezuelans yesterday voted to abolish term limits for elected officials, boosting Hugo Chávez’s ambition to rule the country for decades. Electoral authorities said 54% of voters in the referendum backed a constitutional amendment allowing indefinite re-election, with 46% rejecting it – a margin of almost 1 million voters. An exultant Chávez appeared on the balcony of the presidential palace in Caracas to address cheering supporters after the result was announced. “It is a clear victory for the people,” he said. “It is a clear victory for the revolution.”
Venezuela’s referendum Sunday on whether to amend a constitution less than a decade old to allow President Hugo Chávez to run for office indefinitely is just the latest example. Two other South American countries have embarked in the past decade on rewriting their societies’ fundamental rules, creating enormous new charters that vastly expand the social and economic rights granted to citizens, particularly the poor.
In all three cases, from the Venezuelan charter in 1999 to the new constitutions in Ecuador last year and Bolivia last month, a team of Spanish legal scholars influenced the conception, drafting or implementation of the documents, which have stirred domestic class tensions and harmed relations with the U.S. government. The leader is Roberto Viciano Pastor, an author and constitutional law professor at the University of Valencia whose technical, and some say ideological, assistance in writing the constitutions is generating new scrutiny across South America.
The leader is Roberto VicianoPastor, an author andconstitutional law professorat the University of Valencia whose technical, and some say ideological, assistance in writing the constitutions is generating new scrutiny across South America.
A leftist, religionist, college professor… he has three strikes against him. If there were ever anyone who deserved to live under the horrors of socialism, I’d say this guy would take the prize.
