Venesuela now is like Poland in 80s

[Jaga]

I just read article in Washington Post. Venesuela has high inflation, fixed prices... that means that people cannot buy products in store which they need. There is a black market, food ratios... still I miss the atmosphere in that time in Poland, since I was still young and the world was ahead waiting for us!. Prices of foreign goods are just skyrocketing!

We also had many different currency rates....

What is interesting, Venesuelans do not want to buy chicken nuggets, I also do not like it.... I prefer fresh food

Please, see the article:
www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2015/12/11/the-special-weird-misery-of-being-a-shopper-in-venezuela/
The special, weird misery of being a shopper in Venezuela

fragments
Indignation was fueled in part by the dire economic situation. Venezuela has the highest inflation in the world. Its economy is expected to contract 10 percent this year. Crime is spiking. Being a consumer in Venezuela right now is mostly a miserable experience. Hours in line, rations, shortages. It's hard to find a shop of any kind that doesn't feel like a Best Buy on Black Friday. But it's not because people are excited for sales. They're just desperate.

This is what I remember from Poland - limited products filling the whole shelf, so that it is not empty.... still many shelves were empty:






sorry, I was hoping you can see the pictures, but there had to be some restrictions

[Nictoshek]

They're going through a 'special period' just like with Cuba in the 90s.

[karl]

Nictoshek has it very correctly as similar to the Cuba some many years past. With the resources and richness of the land, Venezuela should not be lacking in any thing, but in this stead, exporting. The blaime is upon the heads of government in the manner of gross mismanagement and out right theft of private property under the lable of: imminent domain.

Some of the sins of government is confiscation of private owned production facilities that produce such staples as: cement/iron/car batteries and so on. Then, to place in charge, those with out the expertise of management of such facilities.

Very similar to government confiscation of private owned farms. In the manner of gross mismanagement, has in self become a cause of shortages in produced milk and high prices. For lack of management expertise, cattle feed has become a shortage which in self creates a vicious cycle. For commensurate with cattle feed shortage, comes high prices pricing out many farmers, who then are forced to rely upon lower quality cattle feed which in turn gives cause to produce less milk, this in turn, creates a shortage and thusly higher prices to the consumer.

There is a hated term for this, it is called: "escasez"=Shortage

nationalinterest.org/feature/oil-not-democracy-killed-venezuelas-chavismo-14594

It is not a good time to be in Venezuela.

Karl

[Jaga]

Karl,

I was in Poland in 80s and this remind me my country. The prices were released and the situation improved dramatically.
But Cuba is also probably a good comparison.
In Idaho there are many people on the food stamps and we do not even have that many minorities. I never go shopping on the 1st of the month because there are crowds. Majority of shoppers are white. We were talking about veterans recently. I saw a white guy with a Philipino wife on the food stamps. It matched the image of a military veteran which you presented in the forum so well.

[karl]

Jaga

Thank you for your reply and relating of the economic situation in your part of Idaho. I am interested, but not sure of the situation that is the cause or effect of so much poverty. There are various causes but of which, I am not sure.

Some questions perhaps to ask, and if overly intrusive, I do understand:

The root cause of this poverty rather be it local or regional, is it a result of a localized instance of a very small manufacturing centre, or economy overly dependant upon local resources such as logging/mining/small businesses and small facturies, or simply lack of opportunities?

In the real world, would be perhaps a divide of equality by race? I realize the use word of race is a very touchy question, but it is a valuable part of social equality and, a very real and present situation that takes away choice into the world of who has access to opportunity.

Or, perhaps the poverty is simply a matter of a large contingent of ex-service men with out the skills to compete in the local job market.

As forementioned, if the above is overly intrusive, I do understand.

Karl

[Jaga]

Karl,

all good questions. We hear a lot about urban black poverty since it is localized in big cities like Chicago, Detroit or parts of California. There is lots of rural poverty where white people live from generation to generation but there is not a consistent source of income besides agriculture. When I lived in Northern Texas I have heard about the poor Oklahoma. Here in Southeastern Idaho we have one good paid company, Idaho National Laboratory, but their employment numbers are down. We have also locally own Melaleuca, the owner is LDS guy and he is a famous GOP donor but he pays well only to high ranking officials. The other good paid places are two hospitals and doctor offices. We also have lots of agriculture, potatoes and unfortunately this brand is not doing well. The prices of agriculture products go down.

[karl]

Jaga

I do not know this much of Idaho and am not qualified for any knowledgable response. But, I do carry a brain in my head and recogonize the name of LDS as people to stay away from, for they cater only to their own kind.

The circle of concern with out the rhetoric is the welfare of your self and your family, every thing else is incidental to the event.

In far past, I have always heard that Idaho is very famous for potatoes, this was heard as far north as Canada {Saskatchewan}. But then, what the farmers produce is not guaranteed of success if the market is not correct.

I do trust with good hope that your part of the world will be of good bringings into through the new year.

Karl