Chavez Dismisses Robertson Death Wish, Offers 'Medical Aid' to U.S. Poor.

[minionofmidas]

It points to both

Yeah, but the one I mentioned is the only one it proves.

[Blue Rectangle]

Their GDP dropped 8.9% in 2002 and 9.2% in 2003.  Unemployment is 17% and 47% of the population lives below the poverty line.

Since Chavez took office, GDP has fallen from $182 B to $118 B.  In the late 90s before Chavez came to power, GDP grew slowly, but it actually grew.

Where are you getting these numbers?

The CIA World Factbook for current numbers.  I googled for the historical data.

[Moooooo]

The best response the U.S. could do is to launch a surprise air drop of food and medical supplies over the slums of Caracas.  It would show our generosity and also make a not-too-subtle statement about Venezuela's air defenses.

I like that idea.

[Jake]

That is a very cool idea. Though, not as cool as a simple air strike on the Presidential Palace/Mansion/House.

BTW, Nick, hilarious signature . I assume that's from Bush's latest speech in Utah?

[Moooooo]

BTW, Nick, hilarious signature . I assume that's from Bush's latest speech in Utah?

Yes sir. 

[The Duke]

Chavez will sell oil cheap to America's poor?  And they'll do what, refine it in their basements?  Oil is useless unless refined.  Just talk aimed at dividing Americans and manipulating them.

Those are some startling figures on Venezuela's economy, and demonstrate total incompetence by Chavez.  When your #1 export is oil and oil is rising to new highs, your econmy better grow or your doing something wrong.  It has nothing to do with US support or investment.

I do not understand the left's obsession with defending Chavez and Castro, though not all liberals have fallen for their act and I give credit to those who haven't.

[Moooooo]

We should take Chavez up on his offer, and when he fails to come through.  Go with Blue Rectangle's plan and embarass the hell out of him.

The best response the U.S. could do is to launch a surprise air drop of food and medical supplies over the slums of Caracas.  It would show our generosity and also make a not-too-subtle statement about Venezuela's air defenses.

[WMS]

We should take Chavez up on his offer, and when he fails to come through.  Go with Blue Rectangle's plan and embarass the hell out of him.

The best response the U.S. could do is to launch a surprise air drop of food and medical supplies over the slums of Caracas.  It would show our generosity and also make a not-too-subtle statement about Venezuela's air defenses.

(to both of you)

Given how much money Chavez has raked in with oil sales, their economy should be doing a lot better. Maybe if he wasn't giving lots of it to Cuba...

[12th Doctor]

The best response the U.S. could do is to launch a surprise air drop of food and medical supplies over the slums of Caracas.  It would show our generosity and also make a not-too-subtle statement about Venezuela's air defenses.

Better be careful with that.  If one of our drops kills someone the UN and Liberals will go nuts, like they did when it happened in Afghanistan.

[Blue Rectangle]

The best response the U.S. could do is to launch a surprise air drop of food and medical supplies over the slums of Caracas.  It would show our generosity and also make a not-too-subtle statement about Venezuela's air defenses.

Better be careful with that.  If one of our drops kills someone the UN and Liberals will go nuts, like they did when it happened in Afghanistan.

I'm confident in John Bolton's ability to accurately communicate our response to UN criticism.

[opebo]

Chavez is quite right about the poor in America - what a shabby nation!  But instead of verbal responses he should just have Robertson killed.

[John Dibble]

Chavez is quite right about the poor in America - what a shabby nation!  But instead of verbal responses he should just have Robertson killed.

Go move to Venezuela for a few months, then say America is poor.

[Blue Rectangle]

Chavez is quite right about the poor in America - what a shabby nation!  But instead of verbal responses he should just have Robertson killed.

Percentage of population living in poverty:
US: 12%
Venezuela: 47%

Unemployment rate:
US: 5.5%
Venezuela: 17.1%

Inflation:
US: 2.5%
Venezuela: 22.4%

GDP per capita:
US: $40,100
Venezuela: $5,800

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Is that absolute poverty or relative poverty?

[Moooooo]

Here are the most recent numbers I found...

Venezuela 2nd-Qtr GDP Grows 11.1% as Oil Prices Climb

Aug. 18 (Bloomberg) -- Venezuela's economy grew for a seventh straight quarter in the April-June period as record high oil prices fueled government spending and consumer purchases.

Gross domestic product, the broadest measure of a country's production of goods and services, expanded 11.1 percent in the second quarter from the year-earlier period after growing 7.5 percent in the first quarter, a central bank report said.

Consumer demand has soared as President Hugo Chavez takes advantage of a jump in international oil prices to boost government spending by almost 40 percent this year. ......

snip....``During the second quarter, there was an extension of the process of economic reactivation that started in the final quarter of 2003,'' the central bank said.

The economy rebounded in 2004 from contractions of 8.9 percent in 2002 and 7.7 percent in 2003, when a two-month nationwide strike aimed at ousting Chavez throttled oil output. Chavez, who led a failed coup attempt when he was in the Army in 1992, also defeated a recall vote last year.


Unemployment Drops 3.7% in Venezuela

Caracas, Venezuela, July 20, 2005.- Unemployment dropped 3.7 percentage points in June, relative to the same month a year earlier, reported Venezuela’s National Institute of Statistics (INE). The unemployment rate for June 2005 was thus at 11.8%, one of the lowest rates of the Chavez entire presidency. A year earlier the rate had been 15.5%.

The INE also reported yesterday that formal sector employment increased significantly, to 54.2%, which is 4.5 percentage points higher than in June 2004, when formal sector employment was at only 49.7% of the employed population. Those who do not work in the formal economy are employed as street vendors, house maids, and other forms of employment that is not part of the formal economy.

These figures are calculated on a monthly basis since 1967 by the INE by surveying 14,000 Venezuelans age 15 and over and 4,700 homes in all of Venezuela’s territory.

Many economists argue that Venezuela is still recovering from its two politically motivated recessions of 2002, largely attributed to the coup, and 2003, which is largely attributed to the two-month shutdown of the country’s all-important oil industry. During those two years the economy shrank by 8.9% and 7.7%, respectively, relative to the previous year.

Others argue, though, that these recession years have now been largely overcome, as GDP grew by 17.9% in 2004 and 7.9% in the first quarter of 2005, which brings Venezuela’s GDP to about the level it had in 2001. According to this argument, Venezuela is now enjoying the fruits of high oil prices and strong government spending.

[minionofmidas]

Wait a sec...the economy declined by 7.7% in a year when the oil industry wasn't making any sales during 16% of the year? What percentage of GDP is a) oil b) pretty directly dependent on oil?
BEcause it looks sort of doubtful that 2003 can be seriously considered a recession year for Venezuela at all... (and yes, I'm aware of the fact that there should be a recovery for the previous crisis year somewhere in there)

[Blue Rectangle]

Is that absolute poverty or relative poverty?

Here's the definition from the Factbook:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

So relative poverty in terms of a nation-defined poverty level based on standard of living, not relative income.  So yeah, it's apples and oranges, but it's still relevant.

[Blue Rectangle]

Wait a sec...the economy declined by 7.7% in a year when the oil industry wasn't making any sales during 16% of the year? What percentage of GDP is a) oil b) pretty directly dependent on oil?
BEcause it looks sort of doubtful that 2003 can be seriously considered a recession year for Venezuela at all... (and yes, I'm aware of the fact that there should be a recovery for the previous crisis year somewhere in there)

Oil is about 1/3 of Venezuela's GDP.  Yes, the oil strike had a big effect--one of those big effects was recession.  Chavez presumably has more power over whether oil workers go on strike than he does over global demand for oil, so we shouldn't give him a pass on the strike any more than we should credit him for the rising price of his exports.

Yes, Nick, Venezuela has good economic news lately.  This is because Chavez put the country in a position where things could only get better.

Venezuela's biggest economic problems are directly due to Chavez:
--His bad relation with business has hurt oil production.
--His rhetoric has scared off foreign investment.
--His policy of practically giving away oil to Cuba is driven by his desire to spite the U.S., rather than from economic sense.

[David S]

Let's take his offer. Where's the dough?