Evo Morales new president of Bolivia

[VetLegion]

Check out who's drilling in Siberia. Everyone is. Concessions to foreigners and partnerships galore. Even INA, a comparatively small Croatian oil exploration company got a cut. There's simply too much of the stuff for Russians alone to handle, despite the record revenue they get because of high prices. Much of it goes to taxes anyway.

[Az]

Actually, Russian government controls >90% of the country's output. And this wasn't the question anyway.

[Dinner]

Originally posted by Az
So, lemme get this straight - there are no government oil corps in the world that have drilling and exploration technology?

...ok....

Saudi Armco is the largest of the third world state owned oil companies and even they've had to resort to partnerships with the big multinationals to get the latest technologies.

It's not that they're totally incapable it is just that the multinationals tend to invest very heavily into R&R while most of the state owned companies get turned into cash cows to fund social programs (instead of reinvesting to make sure it remains a cash cow) or the state owned companies get stuff with unnecissary workers to help lower unemployment. Both of those make the politicians look better but they don't help the company run efficently nor does it help the long term viability.

[Dinner]

Originally posted by Dr Strangelove
LAst I heard most of Bolivia's cocoa produce was definately not cocaine free. I'm willing to bet that the sale of cocaine free cocoa would not bring in anywhere near the cash that the straight stuff does. Would it even be worth the investment?

Likely this is similiar to the pothead's attempts to promote the use of the THC free parts of the MJ plant. While it does have some marginal uses it is something of a red herring. The goal is to grow MJ to get high or if caught growing it to claim "I'm not growing it to get high; I just want to make hemp shirts".

[Dinner]

Originally posted by Berzerker
Someone with asthma said their condition cleared up for a while after drinking cocoa tea in Peru. I suppose since there are markets for both cocaine and cocaine free cocoa they produce both.

Yeah, and we've got nuts here in California claiming that smoking "medicinal marajuana" will help everything from achne to constipation.

[Colon™]

Originally posted by snoopy369
Am I incorrect in believing that the word 'cocoa' is a different word and different plant from 'coca'?

You mean you can't sniff white chocolate powder?

[Barnabas]

oerdin hates mother earth pachamama who gave the coca plant!

[Bosh]

Originally posted by Brachy-Pride
oerdin hates mother earth pachamama who gave the coca plant!

he should be forced to drink chicha...

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by VetLegion
Venezuela's oil production also slumped after nationalization.

What years was that? Citgo's been owned by Venezuela forever! After Chavez's election, production slumped because the anti-Chavez managers and union leaders (who no longer have a union to lead) shut down the plants.

There are plenty of companies willing to do business with Bolivia even if it nationalizes its fuel fields.

Morales biggest problem is whether or not the SE will try and secede no that they no longer have apartheid like control over the whole country.

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by Oerdin
they don't help the company run efficently nor does it help the long term viability.

Cuz, God knows, the efficiency of a corporation is more importnat than the welfare of the people.

[techumseh]

Originally posted by Oerdin


Chevaz has gone to great lengths to purge everyone who has endlessly professed personal loyalty to him so most of the trained specialists have been purged and replaced by yes men. These yes men are great at doing what ever Chavez wants but aren't that good at finding oil and extracting it as efficiently as possible. The result is oil, the backbone of the economy, is in sharp decline. He's still making more money since oil prices are up but right now those high prices are hiding Chavez's main economic mistakes. He should pray prices stay high and don't crash like they did in the early 1980's.

Likely, in another 5-10 years prices will crash as a flood of new production comes online chasing the high prices.

As usual, Oerdin, you can't tell the difference between facts and your own propaganda. In December 2002, a business-led strike against Chavez's policies began. Oil production fell to almost nothing, as executives of the state oil company, PDVSA, strongly supported the strike.

Chavez fired them and by the end of January, 2003, the new management appointed by Chavez had raised production to over 1 million barrels per day. This prompted a decision by those supporting the strike to end it. Since then, oil production in Venezuela has risen to 3 million b/day, or about three quarters of capacity. Gas production is currently close to capacity.

[Az]

Saudi Armco is the largest of the third world state owned oil companies and even they've had to resort to partnerships with the big multinationals to get the latest technologies.

It's not that they're totally incapable it is just that the multinationals tend to invest very heavily into R&R while most of the state owned companies get turned into cash cows to fund social programs (instead of reinvesting to make sure it remains a cash cow) or the state owned companies get stuff with unnecissary workers to help lower unemployment. Both of those make the politicians look better but they don't help the company run efficently nor does it help the long term viability.

Saudis aren't an example. They run the whole country to the benefit of a handful. Question is, could they do it if they wanted to? could they invest in technologies, be efficient, etc. etc.? the answer is yes. definetly. heck, they could just bring a "private sector" CEO, if people think they're so much better, give him freedom, and tie his salary to a couple of factors such as a function of revenue and profit. A country and a leadership that needs to do will be able to do it.

[pchang]

Originally posted by Az
Saudis aren't an example. They run the whole country to the benefit of a handful. Question is, could they do it if they wanted to? could they invest in technologies, be efficient, etc. etc.? the answer is yes. definetly. heck, they could just bring a "private sector" CEO, if people think they're so much better, give him freedom, and tie his salary to a couple of factors such as a function of revenue and profit. A country and a leadership that needs to do will be able to do it.

Actually no. State owned corporations have different goals than purely private corporations. State owned corporations are run to provide the most current benefit to the state. In general, private corporations are run to provide the most medium term benefit to the corporation. With the exception of several Chinese state owned corporations (that are really private corporations where the corporate owners are high ranking party members within the state), these goals are quite different.

[VetLegion]

I was thinking whether to start a new thread about this, but I'll post it here instead. Long live Reagan!



Here is the entire comic (CIA propaganda). It is very interesting.

http://www.ep.tc/grenada/index.html

[Az]

Actually no. State owned corporations have different goals than purely private corporations. State owned corporations are run to provide the most current benefit to the state. In general, private corporations are run to provide the most medium term benefit to the corporation. With the exception of several Chinese state owned corporations (that are really private corporations where the corporate owners are high ranking party members within the state), these goals are quite different.

doesn't the free market ensure that this is the same thing?