Venezuela's Chavez announces plans for 'collective property' under shift toward socialism

The Associated Press ^

[Dan Evans]

CARACAS, Venezuela: President Hugo Chavez announced Sunday that his government's sweeping reforms toward socialism will include the creation of "collective property."

Vowing to undermine capitalism's continued influence in Venezuela during his television and radio program "Hello President," Chavez said state-financed cooperatives would operate under a new concept in which workers would share profits.

"It's property that belongs to everyone and it's going to benefit everyone," said Chavez, a close ally of Cuban leader Fidel Castro whom opponents accuse of leading Venezuela toward Cuba-style communism.

Chavez — a leftist former paratrooper popularly known as "El Comandante" — said his government fully respects private property, but pledged to replace capitalist ideals with socialist principles on cooperatives such as cattle ranches and farms.

"It cannot be production to generate profits for one person or a small group of people that become rich exploiting peons who end up becoming slaves, living in poverty and misery their entire lives," he said.

[Dan Evans]

Critics say reform has failed to revive Venezuela's agriculture industry, which does not produce enough food to satisfy domestic demand. The government has been forced to import food amid shortages of staples such as meats, milk and sugar.
"If Mr. Chavez really wants to help Venezuela's poor farmers, he must offer them technical assistance and sufficient financing because land doesn't become productive without investment," said opposition leader Alfonzo Marquina. "We're only seeing increasing shortages and more expensive products."

What a surprise. The practise of collectivizing property didn't cause that to happen in the Soviet Union, North Korea or Cuba did it?

[listenhillary]

workers would share profits

What profits? Why would a collective stab it's own citizens by overcharging them to earn profits?

(/sarcasm)

[Pearls Before Swine]

I didn't see this coming. What a surprise!

[goldstategop]

The Israeli kibbutz has been forced to go capitalist to save the institution. Pure socialism doesn't exist in any free society today - not even Israel where socialism was once the professed faith of the country's pioneering elite.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[M203M4]

...his government fully respects private property, but..."everything I do from now on is going to make you think I don't, so don't worry"

The dreaded but.

[6SJ7]

The government has been forced to import food amid shortages of staples such as meats, milk and sugar.

Ragnar Danneskjöld, where are you?

[GSlob]

well, this idiocy will collapse under its own weight, and pretty soon - unless someone bumps off this pineapple, in which case it will collapse even sooner.

[pieceofthepuzzle]

The fact that socialism is championed by so many of the self-proclaimed intelligentsia of the world makes it quite clear that they are not intelligent, or thoughtful, or moral.

[Zeppo]

Yep, but it doesn't look like that will stop him. Coming soon - forced relocation of both peasants and professionals to collective farms, five-year plans, gulags, and fawning New York Times reporting about the progress made under his benevolent reign... That is, until he gets the full Ceausescu treatment...

[Earthdweller]

It would happen even faster if we could convince part of the dem voters to move there.

Ahhh..what a dream.

I've got two one way tickets for anyone that wants to give up their US citizenship for that POC country.

[Obie Wan]

Hmmmmmmmmmmm,maybe I'm jumping to conclusions here,but I'm beginning to suspect Chavez is a communist. Nah,he can't be,Joe Kennedy thinks he's great !!!

[Texas_Jarhead]

"Since the reform began five years ago, officials have redistributed over 1.9 million hectares (4.6 million acres) of land that had been classified as unproductive or lacked property documents dating back to 1847, according to a recent government census."

Anyone have any idea if the bar set by this date is too high or is it reasonable?

[randog]

...pledged to replace capitalist ideals with socialist principles on cooperatives such as cattle ranches and farms.

Maybe his buddy Mugabe can train him on his world-class 3-step Farming For Socialists:

1) Drive out or kill everyone that knows how to grow food;
2) Give the farms to people that don't know how to grow food;
3) Drive out or kill the reporters that are writing about the ensuing mass starvation.

[Army Air Corps]

Chavez/Venezuela Ping

Latin American Left Ping

The wank Chavez hurtles headlong into rabid stupidity.

[rlmorel]

[Jagdgewehr]

Indeed

[RedStateRocker]

Each generation has to find out the follies of socialism for itself. We've done some unpleasant things in South America but nothing compared to what they are about to do to themselves, I fear.
I really would like the next presidential debate to include a question about the Monroe Doctrine (however I am not so sure I would like the answer)..
just my .02

[Eccl 10:2]

"Ragnar Danneskjöld, where are you?"

LOL - I'm reading that right now and it's amazing how relevant and fresh it still is after, what, 50 years?

Also, after evolving into a staunch conservative since college, the book means so much more reading it now than it did when I first read it 30 years ago.

[RedStateRocker]

Joe's father or uncle would've bitchslapped Chavez so fast that Joe II would not know what happened.

[The Great RJ]

Venezuela is on its way to the economic success enjoyed in Cuba and Zimbabwe. Watch for a massive exodus of skilled workers and business owners.