Venezuela reminds me of some of the events in Ayn Rand “Atlas Shrugged” – as Jezb points out the thugs take over and find they can not make things work.

They also find that waving their firearms about does not alter economic law – for example their price controls produce shortages.

Sadly most people outside the country just see the swagger and hear the wild speeches – they do not understand that it is the principles that are wrong.

For example, most people would laugh at the idea that Senator Obama and President Chevez are much the same.

“Obama does not shout and enage in mad antics, he is so polite and well mannered, and he would never hurt anyone”.

Quite so – but sadly his “understanding” of government and economics is on the same level as the “understanding” of Chevez.

Government is there to provide nice things for the people – and economic law does not exist. To cite economic law is wicked “Social Darwinism”.

He may even be right.

Meh. Let him waste more of his money.

We’d put a few new firing solutions and maybe a couple of new mission plans in a drawer somewhere. No way Chavez could defend them. We just saw the Israelis make a laughingstock of the best air defense systems the Russians can put on the market, after all.

That is the import from Iran of mid-range ballistic missiles.
If you draw the mid-range circle from, say, Carracas, North, see how far up into the U.S. and into what vital areas it reaches. The presently produced, and available for export weaponry of Iran (and N. Korea) is in the Mid-Range.

If you think Cuba was a problem, remember, the Soviets kept control of the stations. The Iranians would be delighted if the conditions were “out of their control>.”

Maybe NS is on top of this, but we sure don’t read much about it.

One of the most interesting chaps I have met was an ex-employee of PDVSA – ex because he was one of several thousand workers who went on strike and was subsequently sacked. He now works for a company in Germany that makes some sort of widgets involved in oil extraction – pneumatics or something or other. I’m no expert.

Anyway, as he tells it, since PDVSA sacked half the workforce who actually knew what was going on, supplier companies have twigged that the new boys, Chavistas to a man, don’t have a clue. So the suppliers have raised margins – especially on maintenance contracts – helped by inside info from the sacked ones like the bloke I met.

Apparently it’s bonanza time for companies like his.

I pass this info on solely as I heard it. I make no comment as to the truth, or indeed the morality, of it. But it does show, I feel, that in the struggle between revolutionary socialism and capitalism, the rule of unintended consequences always comes to the fore.

Venezuala, BTW, roxxors. If they ever get rid of Chavez I highly recommend a visit.

I thought you meant he is a fungus

Well, that too!

With enemies as stupid as this you know you are onto a good thing.