Thursday, June 21, 2007

Everyone Knows Real Socialism Just Hasn’t Been Tried Yet…

Okay, let’s have another round of “you-can’t-make this-stuff-up”:

This photo of the Venezuelan farm appears to have a photo of Che Guevara — and also one of Hugo or maybe Mao — hanging on the side of the hayrick. It was the largest version available; if any reader knows of a higher-resolution copy, please send along the URL. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said the government may take control of more private farms and food plants to increase production of beef and milk amid shortages.

Chavez asked government and military officials to help expose milk and beef companies that refuse to sell at regulated prices, and said the government will expropriate them, in comments broadcast by state-run Venezolana de Television.

“Where there’s a large land holding, the agricultural revolution is coming,’’ he said. “This is going to require a new attitude from producers.’’

“…a new attitude from producers”? A new attitude as in how far can you bend over and how fast?
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I hope the successful members of the agricultural sector have their passports in order and some money stashed in foreign banks where Hugo’s arm cannot reach. Anything less means ruin.

The government is promoting socialist farming cooperatives to boost domestic production and secure Venezuela’s food supply, Chavez said. He signed a decree today [June 17th] creating a state cattle- ranching company to help reduce the deficit in milk and beef production.

The government will also create a central planning commission to oversee all government-owned companies, doing away with autonomous management by individual company heads, Chavez said.

The president said yesterday the government will create a national electricity corporation that will take over 14 electricity companies by 2010.

Maybe he stays up at night and reads old collectivist novels translated from the Russian. Or maybe he thinks Mugabe’s ideas were really swell.

Maybe he’s using illegal substances?

Or maybe, just maybe, he’s going to show Fidel how to do it correctly and soon…

…everyone will be starving, just like all the other attempts to collectivize and centralize individual initiative.

Then Venezuelans will be sitting in the dark, humming “Where have all the farmers gone?” — in a minor key and sotto voce, of course.

Sad, sick, stupid, ignorant, megalomaniac… what else can you say about someone so charmlessly immune to the history lessons of the 20th century?


Hat tip to Luigi at LGF (# 140).

9 comments:

Profitsbeard said...

As soon as someone says they know how to run your life for you better than you do, you know you've got a problem standing next to you.

Check your wallet.

(And then your magazine.)

R. Hartman said...

My thoughts go out to the thinking minority in Venezuela that did not vote for this lunatic. For all the lefties that saddled this dictator: serves you right.

Problem is that Europe is heading the same way, and fast. But Europeans only want to see the 'benefits' of the nanny state, so they keep wanting more of it. What's wrong with working for a living? Earning what you own?

Same with the 'palestinians': first they elect HAMAS, now they're running for their lives. Fatah's just a little less bad. You wanted it, well, you got it. How stupid can you get?

But the freedom loving, free speech advocating, independent, responsible thinkers are the ones that are oppressed by the parasite majority, who keep voting for the left. Friedrich von Hayek's been proven right once again.

PapaBear said...

The productive middle class can only survive where they are in political control

Where you have an unproductive underclass that can be sold on the idea that they can expropriate the wealth of the middle class, and the underclass and the Leftist have a voting majority, disaster and famine will follow. We saw it in Zimbabwe, we're seeing it in Venezuela, we will see it in Brazil, and in much of the rest of South America. This is why Mexico is so eager to export their underclass to the US as fast as they can

mikej said...

Unabashed American chauvinist that I am, I can't help but notice that socialization of Venezuela's agricultural sector might be beneficial to the United States. I believe that our only trade surpluses are in agricultural products. We can trade more of these to Venezuela for petroleum.

David M said...

Trackbacked by The Thunder Run - Web Reconnaissance for 06/22/2007
A short recon of what’s out there that might draw your attention, updated throughout the day...so check back often.

falcon_01 said...

This is VERY fitting:

From Cow Politics
http://www.tysknews.com/LiteStuff/cow_politics.htm

DEMOCRAT
You have two cows.
Your neighbor has none.

You feel guilty for being successful.

You vote people into office that put a tax on your cows, forcing you to sell one to raise money to pay the tax.

The people you voted for then take the tax money, buy a cow and give it to your neighbor. You feel righteous.

Barbara Streisand sings for you.

COMMUNIST
You have two cows.
The government seizes both and provides you with milk.

You wait in line for hours to get it.

It is expensive and sour.

CAPITALISM, AMERICAN STYLE
You have two cows.
You sell one, buy a bull, and build a herd of cows.

DEMOCRACY, AMERICAN STYLE
You have two cows.
The government taxes you to the point you have to sell both to support a man in a foreign country who has only one cow, which was a gift from your government.

BUREAUCRACY, AMERICAN STYLE
You have two cows.
The government takes them both, shoots one, milks the other, pays you for the milk, and then pours the milk down the drain.
---
There are many more, but I dare anyone to be drinking a glass of milk and try to make it through the last one. ;-P

Terrapod said...

Will someone please tell me if that the silly edict on non-assasination of "heads of state" signed I think by Nixon (or was it Ford?) has been quietly rescinded yet? If not, what are we waiting for? Does anyone think that doing so would make a U.S. president any less safe than he is now? Let's test that theory on Chaves, can we? Please!

Unknown said...

yeah but is their medical services better than Cuba's yet? and do they have even more 'free' education ?

pst314 said...

Drop by your local food coop or other liberal hangout, and you'll find magazine articles telling how wonderful Chavez is.