Chavez shops to shorten Venezuela food lines

Chavez shops to shorten Venezuela food lines

www.alertnet.org

CARACAS, May 2 (Reuters) - Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez is on a shopping spree to combat sporadic food shortages that have dented his popularity, using record income from oil exports to offset the impact of global food prices.

(visit the link for the full news article)

I'm not sure what to think of his actions. Is he doing this just for political reasons or actually trying to help? Either way its better than what the rest of OPEC is doing with their oil profits. OPEC could be helping the Third World, especially Africa, with their new found oil profits.

www.alertnet.org
(visit the link for the full news article)

Chavez has consistently helped the poor in his country, that was the motivation for kicking out the foreign oil corporations and reclaiming the country's natural assets. He's also helped the poor in the US with discounted heating oil programs.

I think this is his last term in office so there's nothing to gain politically.

Originally posted by mythatsabigprobe
I think this is his last term in office so there's nothing to gain politically.

Helping the world wake up to the threat of food shortages could have quite serious political benefits if he manages to do it right.

I'd imagine he might even be able to stay somewhere near his old office once he's left.

reply to post by Anti-Tyrant


If the food crisis reaches catastrophic levels he'll be in a very good position. While the rest of OPEC probably undergoes chaos, anarchy, and revolution, Venezuela will remain fairly stable. Meaning oil still gets exported and he still retains some influence or power.

The Saudis and Nigeria especially need to think about the implications of the Food Crisis and do what it takes to stay stable and secure. If not Nigeria may end up like Chad and the House of Saud like the Shah.

It seems Chavez has far more foresight or is a student of history than the other corrupt OPEC leaders and knows opportunity when he sees it. Whether his intentions are good or bad, his people will be better off than those who could care less about their country or its people. Like the Shah, the Tsar, or King Louis XVI, the other members of OPEC wont care about the people until they are dragging them out of their palaces into the streets.

reply to post by MikeboydUS


Correct me if i'm wrong, but wouldn't Chavez also be able to benefit from the fall of his OPEC comrades?

If they fall into anarchy (in the classical sense of the word) then it'll probably fall to any secure member of their little group to secure that country's borders.

Next thing you know, Chavez has something that makes everyone else sit up and take notice - territory.



Oh, i get it now - you're saying that the food crisis was manufactured in order to stage a false uprising in OPEC countries so that oil companies could move private security in and syphon off all the Oil, like we did in Iraq.

Right?

If you're not saying that, then i give you respects for giving me the idea.

I gotta admit the thought had occured to me that the food crisis was manufactured, but for such a relevant reason...

I feel like the guy who comes last in the egg and spoon race.

reply to post by Anti-Tyrant


I dont think Chavez will be securing any territory unless its near him, like portions of South America.

The food crisis is definitely artificial. Whether or not there is some kind of real motive behind it other than greed and paranoia, I'm not sure.

If there is, I would guess it may have more to do with population control. Though it could also cause nations to collapse into anarchy, civil war, or revolution.

In such case where anarchy or civil war is present we could try to go in restore order, but I fear it would turn into Lebanon and Somalia the sequels. I don't think we'll be able to do much in a country rocked by revolution. It will be like Iran and Nicaragua in 1979 all over again. Now we may support insurgents in those countries that have revolutions though.

I dont think its about Syphoning the oil. We have actually made the oil situation in Iraq worse. If anything there may be some motive in shutting off the flow of oil.

Think about it.

We are investing in Biofuel crops and cutting back on food crops. Biofuels are only profitable when Oil reaches $155/barrel. We could be making Synthetic Fuels from Coal, Oil Shale, and Tar Sand that would be profitable at $50/barrel, but were not. Hmm.

We have managed to seriously inhibit the flow of oil from one of the major world oil producers, Iraq, into the global petroleum market.

So Oil and Food prices are being artificially increased, but why?

Who gains, who benefits, and what are the "advantages"?





[edit on 3/5/08 by MikeboydUS]

Originally posted by MikeboydUS
So Oil and Food prices are being artificially increased, but why?

Who gains, who benefits, and what are the "advantages"?

[edit on 3/5/08 by MikeboydUS]

For one, i don't think we're quite at the stage where people stand to benefit - perhaps it would be better to figure out who doesn't stand to win or lose regardless of the circumstances, because those are the people who have the power to take advantage of the situation*.

If we can do that, we might be able to predict who the big players are at this moment in time.

P.S: Big oil companies like Shell and BP have been benefiting for years regardless of artificial environmental concerns, and while it's plausible that they may benefit further, it is difficult to understand how they would go about manufacturing these events with the resources they have available.

Which suggests third-party interference, and this 'third-party' will be those whom don't appear to stand to win or lose from the situation, at least not yet.




*Assuming they're being secretive about it, at least.

[edit on 3-5-2008 by Anti-Tyrant]