Chavez steals millions from foreign companies.

[Zkribbler]

But but but...I really want to be a leftist loony.

Power to the peephole!
Free the Indianaoplis 500!
Right arm!!

[Darius871]

Originally posted by Kidicious
Chavez took some though didn't he. And why not. I would have done it too. I don't see any cost to it at all.

Regardless of any rants from either side about whether it's "just," how can you say there's no cost to it at all? Clearly plummeting foreign investment in Venezuela's underdeveloped infrastructure can be considered a cost, and the slight increase in foreign exchange from oil exports isn't likely to make up for it.

Originally posted by Whoha

assets of his could be siezed, such as the refineries/gas stations he owns in the US, and seeing as how hes a US puppet, thats not going to fly.

Hasn't Chavez himself alleged that the US was involved in the 2002 coup attempt? In any case, his harshly anti-neocolonial platform doesn't seem to fit the mold of any US puppet I've ever seen, unless you think it's all an act.

[Berzerker]

Chavez is a liberal

[Drake Tungsten]

Originally posted by MichaeltheGreat


Chavez knows the US is tied up with other issues, and besides, we're now in a frenzy of blaming other brown people for all our problems.

Meanwhile, the French and Italians don't have a collective ball, so they'll eventually "negotiate" a solution, because we're all a bunch of oil whores and da man got de oil.

Chavez is taking a calculated risk as to how much cage-rattling he can do and get away with it, and so far, he's likely right.

Why am I getting all the replies when all I did was reword NYE's post?

[Berzerker]

using eminent domain

[techumseh]

It seems that many of you here care more for the property "rights" of oil companies, most of whom are making record profits at our expense, than the conditions of the poor in the third world. In fact, it's clear that most of you don't give a damn about atrocious housing, inadequate sanitation, poor education and a lack of health care for millions of poor brown people in other countries. These people are suffering and dying every day -not just in Venezuela, and all you can do is whine about the right of huge corporations from your country to go into other countries and take their oil.

Now to deal with Oerdin's claim about Venezuela's
"declining oil production". According to the OPEC 2004 Annual Statistical Report http://www.opec.org/library/Annual%2...in/asb2004.htm , Venezuela's crude oil production before the strike (2002) was 2,782,000 b/d. In 2003, it dipped to 2,643,000 b/d. In 2004, it was 3,009,400 b/d, the highest ever, except for the year 1998.

[techumseh]

During the first six months of 2005, Venezuela's oil production reached 3,312,000 barrels per day. Of this, 2,291,000 barrels were supplied by the Venezuelan oil company and 352,000 barrels were supplied by private companies.

The preceeding quote is excerpted from an article published by the Petroleum Centre for the Latin American and Caribbean Regions on its website “LatinPetroleum” on 11 January 2006.

http://www.britcham.com.ve/energyguide/2006/enero/1.1.asp

[Berzerker]

It seems that many of you here care more for the property "rights" of oil companies, most of whom are making record profits at our expense, than the conditions of the poor in the third world. In fact, it's clear that most of you don't give a damn about atrocious housing, inadequate sanitation, poor education and a lack of health care for millions of poor brown people in other countries. These people are suffering and dying every day -not just in Venezuela, and all you can do is whine about the right of huge corporations from your country to go into other countries and take their oil.

That about sums it up, if you're so concerned with the welfare of Venezuelans maybe you can run for President against Chavez. But I fail to see why I'm to blame for conditions in that country.

[Fake Boris]

Originally posted by Oerdin


Ah, yes. The type of well thought out and rational response which we have all come to expect from fake boris.

You've been hammering on that one a lot recently, what's your beef? I do debate seriously when I feel like it. But your endless stream of OMG Chavez evil threads is starting to be boring.

[Dinner]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
You guys only WISH you were loony leftists . Ask che if you are .

I am, in general, pro-leftest. I do not consider myself to be part of the looney left who is ideological beyond all reason. That is bad just as being a rightist beyond all evidence is wrong.

Instead I prefer pro-common man policies and not having the deck of cards stacked against the average joe. I still believe that market mechanisms are the best economic arrangement and that we should be promoting small businesses. I just don't believe we should be stacking that cards in favor of large privilaged companies the way Republicans love to do and that what is best for the richest 1% is necissarially best for the other 99%.

[Dinner]

Originally posted by Berzerker
Chavez is a liberal

Chavez is the most anti-liberal head of state I have seen in a long time. (This is judgeed both by the traditional European sense of liberalism and by the American sense of liberalism which demands progressive taxation but also the rule of law.)

[joncha]

Indeed.

Oerdin is a liberal, not a leftist. Chavez is a leftist, not a liberal.

Any other profound questions you need me to clear up?

[Ted Striker]

Originally posted by Sikander


Ted's becoming the Giancarlo of the left. The intelligent lefties must groan when they see him posting.

You've become my personal fanboy

I have yet to see a thread where you actually start your initial post talking about the thread and not about me


I swear, there must be stalker laws

Sorry for your ignorance though

[techumseh]

Originally posted by Oerdin


I am, in general, pro-leftest. I do not consider myself to be part of the looney left who is ideological beyond all reason. That is bad just as being a rightist beyond all evidence is wrong.

Instead I prefer pro-common man policies and not having the deck of cards stacked against the average joe. I still believe that market mechanisms are the best economic arrangement and that we should be promoting small businesses. I just don't believe we should be stacking that cards in favor of large privilaged companies the way Republicans love to do and that what is best for the richest 1% is necissarially best for the other 99%.

On the contrary, you are a consistent apologist for big business and American interference in the affairs of other countries. You are no more pro-leftist than Margaret Thatcher.

[The Mad Monk]

Originally posted by Sandman
I'm dying to hear of an oil-exporting third world country that managed to successfully make it big via 'investor confidence'.

There really aren't any -- they're first world now.