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	<title>Comments on: A day for zeroes in Venezuela</title>
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	<link>http://devilsexcrement.com/2009/08/05/a-day-for-zeroes-in-venezuela/</link>
	<description>Observations focused on the problems of an underdeveloped country, Venezuela, with some serendipity about the world (orchids, techs, science, investments, politics) at large. A famous Venezuelan, Juan Pablo Perez Alfonzo, referred to oil as the devil&#039;s excrement. For countries, easy wealth appears indeed to be the sure path to failure. Venezuela might be a clear example of that.</description>
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	<item>
		<title>By: concerned</title>
		<link>http://devilsexcrement.com/2009/08/05/a-day-for-zeroes-in-venezuela/#comment-1840</link>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[concerned]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 08 Aug 2009 02:49:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://devilsexcrement.com/?p=6519#comment-1840</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[From Veneconomy:

&quot;(07/08/2009 02:11:42 p.m.) You lied, Mr. President:
In the press conference with foreign journalists last Wednesday, President Chávez asserted the Swedish AT-4 sold to Venezuela and found in FARC camps were part of the weaponry stolen during the attack to the Cararabo naval post. Now, on top of the explanations demanded by the Colombian and Swedish governments as to how those weapons ended up there, the President will have to explain why he said so if (1) the attack was carried out by the ELN and not the FARC; (2) in 1995, journalist Patricia Poleo published a detailed account of all the stolen weaponry and no AT-4s were listed which made a lot of sense considering (3) Cararabo was a naval post manned by the Navy and therefore had no business with anti-tank weapons assigned to the Army.&quot; 

You know he is lieing when you see his lips moving.]]></description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>From Veneconomy:</p>
<p>&#8220;(07/08/2009 02:11:42 p.m.) You lied, Mr. President:<br />
In the press conference with foreign journalists last Wednesday, President Chávez asserted the Swedish AT-4 sold to Venezuela and found in FARC camps were part of the weaponry stolen during the attack to the Cararabo naval post. Now, on top of the explanations demanded by the Colombian and Swedish governments as to how those weapons ended up there, the President will have to explain why he said so if (1) the attack was carried out by the ELN and not the FARC; (2) in 1995, journalist Patricia Poleo published a detailed account of all the stolen weaponry and no AT-4s were listed which made a lot of sense considering (3) Cararabo was a naval post manned by the Navy and therefore had no business with anti-tank weapons assigned to the Army.&#8221; </p>
<p>You know he is lieing when you see his lips moving.</p>
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		<title>By: concerned</title>
		<link>http://devilsexcrement.com/2009/08/05/a-day-for-zeroes-in-venezuela/#comment-1833</link>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[concerned]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 07 Aug 2009 12:47:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://devilsexcrement.com/?p=6519#comment-1833</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Talking about a golden opportunity...That would be the last straw where the U.S. could step in and remove this ever growing pain in the ass that is infecting the whole region with his grandios, corrupt and failing virus of a so called revolution. He has contaminated every thing he has touched. Just step back and picture a Western hemisphere without Chavez. Without his psychotic influence, every country would breathe a sigh of relief and focus on the real needs of it&#039;s peoples. I don&#039;t think any country in the world would condem U.S. intervention under those circumstances except for possibly Iran or North Korea, and nobody takes them serious anyway. Not saying that Colombia couldn&#039;t handle this itself...I am sure that they could. It would just drag out longer and cost needless bloodshed. In the time it would take to mobilize, the result would be similar to the two day blitz across Kuwait / Irak or Russia&#039;s sweep into Georgia. Chavez&#039;s 30% support would quickly drop to about 5% of the most radical, rabid chavista&#039;s and in just a few days time, with very little resistance, the regions future would for the first time in recent years, be in the hands of it&#039;s people instead of controlled by a madman. Without Venezuela&#039;s support, the Castros would quickly lose control and Cuba could be free to choose it&#039;s future. Obama could get the credit for being involved with helping to bring an end to the Cold War II before it could get started. 

I am sorry for getting carried away...For a moment I forgot that Chavez is a scared little girl just talking shit.]]></description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Talking about a golden opportunity&#8230;That would be the last straw where the U.S. could step in and remove this ever growing pain in the ass that is infecting the whole region with his grandios, corrupt and failing virus of a so called revolution. He has contaminated every thing he has touched. Just step back and picture a Western hemisphere without Chavez. Without his psychotic influence, every country would breathe a sigh of relief and focus on the real needs of it&#8217;s peoples. I don&#8217;t think any country in the world would condem U.S. intervention under those circumstances except for possibly Iran or North Korea, and nobody takes them serious anyway. Not saying that Colombia couldn&#8217;t handle this itself&#8230;I am sure that they could. It would just drag out longer and cost needless bloodshed. In the time it would take to mobilize, the result would be similar to the two day blitz across Kuwait / Irak or Russia&#8217;s sweep into Georgia. Chavez&#8217;s 30% support would quickly drop to about 5% of the most radical, rabid chavista&#8217;s and in just a few days time, with very little resistance, the regions future would for the first time in recent years, be in the hands of it&#8217;s people instead of controlled by a madman. Without Venezuela&#8217;s support, the Castros would quickly lose control and Cuba could be free to choose it&#8217;s future. Obama could get the credit for being involved with helping to bring an end to the Cold War II before it could get started. </p>
<p>I am sorry for getting carried away&#8230;For a moment I forgot that Chavez is a scared little girl just talking shit.</p>
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		<title>By: island canuck</title>
		<link>http://devilsexcrement.com/2009/08/05/a-day-for-zeroes-in-venezuela/#comment-1832</link>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[island canuck]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 07 Aug 2009 11:12:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://devilsexcrement.com/?p=6519#comment-1832</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Is it possible that a war with Colombia is something that his twisted brain actually thinks could succeed?

Venezuela on one side, Ecuador on another, Nicaragua on another &amp; the FARC from within. Something a military person might figure as a golden opportunity.

Of course the only thing holding him back is his paranoia that the US would get involved.]]></description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Is it possible that a war with Colombia is something that his twisted brain actually thinks could succeed?</p>
<p>Venezuela on one side, Ecuador on another, Nicaragua on another &amp; the FARC from within. Something a military person might figure as a golden opportunity.</p>
<p>Of course the only thing holding him back is his paranoia that the US would get involved.</p>
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		<title>By: Kolya</title>
		<link>http://devilsexcrement.com/2009/08/05/a-day-for-zeroes-in-venezuela/#comment-1827</link>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Kolya]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 07 Aug 2009 01:31:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://devilsexcrement.com/?p=6519#comment-1827</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I agree with you, Concerned. Chavez loves sabre rattling, but people tend to forget that it is precisely that, sabre rattling. At the end of the day, he&#039;s not as crazy as to pit Venezuela&#039;s army against battle-tested Colombians. (After years of fighting the FARC, the Colombian army may well be the most effective fighting force in Latin America.) 

In addition, another thing to keep in mind is that those Sukhois and tanks are inadequate weapons to quell internal uprisings--they are not the best weapons to use to turn against your own people.  In other words, even if you are a military inclined Chavista thug worried about Colombia or an uprising, those purchases are a waste of money. They are either for silly parades or they are a way of lining someone&#039;s pockets. Or both, of course.]]></description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I agree with you, Concerned. Chavez loves sabre rattling, but people tend to forget that it is precisely that, sabre rattling. At the end of the day, he&#8217;s not as crazy as to pit Venezuela&#8217;s army against battle-tested Colombians. (After years of fighting the FARC, the Colombian army may well be the most effective fighting force in Latin America.) </p>
<p>In addition, another thing to keep in mind is that those Sukhois and tanks are inadequate weapons to quell internal uprisings&#8211;they are not the best weapons to use to turn against your own people.  In other words, even if you are a military inclined Chavista thug worried about Colombia or an uprising, those purchases are a waste of money. They are either for silly parades or they are a way of lining someone&#8217;s pockets. Or both, of course.</p>
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		<title>By: Un dia de ceros en Venezuela &#171; El Excremento del Diablo</title>
		<link>http://devilsexcrement.com/2009/08/05/a-day-for-zeroes-in-venezuela/#comment-1826</link>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Un dia de ceros en Venezuela &#171; El Excremento del Diablo]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 07 Aug 2009 00:59:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://devilsexcrement.com/?p=6519#comment-1826</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[[...] (This post in English here) [...]]]></description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>[...] (This post in English here) [...]</p>
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		<title>By: concerned</title>
		<link>http://devilsexcrement.com/2009/08/05/a-day-for-zeroes-in-venezuela/#comment-1824</link>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[concerned]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 07 Aug 2009 00:53:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://devilsexcrement.com/?p=6519#comment-1824</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[If Chavez were paying for any of his mechanized toys out of his own pocket, it would not matter. The fact that he is feeding his ego with your (Venezuela&#039;s) resources should really piss you off. When you think of how many schools or hospitals those Sukois could have built, or roads repaired, or the electricity, water or sewage upgrades that could have been performed to keep up with demand, it should just make your blood boil. Where he buys them is not important. It is a given that what he is or has purchased is obsolete and does not pose a serious threat to Colombia or anyone else. It would be like bringing a knife to a gun fight. If he keeps trying to pick a fight he can&#039;t win, he just may get what he needs. If it ever comes to that, I personally believe Chavez will be nowhere to be seen and the militaries loyalty will stop at the border. Before it goes that far and anyones blood is spilled, please remember Honduras and the fact that no one is above the law. I would love to see an exiled Chavez trying to plead his case to the U.N. about how he was wrongfully removed like that whiney bitch Zelaya.]]></description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>If Chavez were paying for any of his mechanized toys out of his own pocket, it would not matter. The fact that he is feeding his ego with your (Venezuela&#8217;s) resources should really piss you off. When you think of how many schools or hospitals those Sukois could have built, or roads repaired, or the electricity, water or sewage upgrades that could have been performed to keep up with demand, it should just make your blood boil. Where he buys them is not important. It is a given that what he is or has purchased is obsolete and does not pose a serious threat to Colombia or anyone else. It would be like bringing a knife to a gun fight. If he keeps trying to pick a fight he can&#8217;t win, he just may get what he needs. If it ever comes to that, I personally believe Chavez will be nowhere to be seen and the militaries loyalty will stop at the border. Before it goes that far and anyones blood is spilled, please remember Honduras and the fact that no one is above the law. I would love to see an exiled Chavez trying to plead his case to the U.N. about how he was wrongfully removed like that whiney bitch Zelaya.</p>
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		<title>By: Kolya</title>
		<link>http://devilsexcrement.com/2009/08/05/a-day-for-zeroes-in-venezuela/#comment-1819</link>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Kolya]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 06 Aug 2009 23:20:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://devilsexcrement.com/?p=6519#comment-1819</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Chavez&#039;s purchase of Russian tanks and airplanes is a folly on his part (unless he&#039;s doing it for corrupt financial gain.) Nonetheless, not all Russian equipment is bad. There is no question that Soviet (and now Russian) products suffer of poor workmanship. The main reason for it is the well-known Soviet worker&#039;s quip: &quot;they pretend to pay us and we pretend to work.&quot; Nonetheless, when the workmanship is improved (either because of true market incentives, state coercion, or a matter of survival), many of those products are very good. With reliable workmanship those products can take a beating and continue to function, primarily because of their simpler, no-frills, design--while many equivalent western products stop functioning or require much higher maintenance. During WWII German soldiers preferred captured PPSHs to their own submachine guns. Under tough field conditions a Russian AK-47 is much more reliable than an American M-16. And as someone who within a few years rode in both Russian and American military trucks, I can state that the Russian Kamaz trucks were far superior. The Kamazes I rode in Siberia went through terrain that would have been impossible for its American counterparts.]]></description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Chavez&#8217;s purchase of Russian tanks and airplanes is a folly on his part (unless he&#8217;s doing it for corrupt financial gain.) Nonetheless, not all Russian equipment is bad. There is no question that Soviet (and now Russian) products suffer of poor workmanship. The main reason for it is the well-known Soviet worker&#8217;s quip: &#8220;they pretend to pay us and we pretend to work.&#8221; Nonetheless, when the workmanship is improved (either because of true market incentives, state coercion, or a matter of survival), many of those products are very good. With reliable workmanship those products can take a beating and continue to function, primarily because of their simpler, no-frills, design&#8211;while many equivalent western products stop functioning or require much higher maintenance. During WWII German soldiers preferred captured PPSHs to their own submachine guns. Under tough field conditions a Russian AK-47 is much more reliable than an American M-16. And as someone who within a few years rode in both Russian and American military trucks, I can state that the Russian Kamaz trucks were far superior. The Kamazes I rode in Siberia went through terrain that would have been impossible for its American counterparts.</p>
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	<item>
		<title>By: bono</title>
		<link>http://devilsexcrement.com/2009/08/05/a-day-for-zeroes-in-venezuela/#comment-1817</link>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[bono]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 06 Aug 2009 20:36:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://devilsexcrement.com/?p=6519#comment-1817</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Miguel, you left out the coca cola zero that you like most!]]></description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Miguel, you left out the coca cola zero that you like most!</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>By: Andres F</title>
		<link>http://devilsexcrement.com/2009/08/05/a-day-for-zeroes-in-venezuela/#comment-1814</link>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Andres F]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 06 Aug 2009 18:45:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://devilsexcrement.com/?p=6519#comment-1814</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[T.I.GO.T,  There is a small relationship between growth and inflation, but you can have growth and inflation at the same time, which is what traditionally happens in Venezuela.]]></description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>T.I.GO.T,  There is a small relationship between growth and inflation, but you can have growth and inflation at the same time, which is what traditionally happens in Venezuela.</p>
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		<title>By: Gringo</title>
		<link>http://devilsexcrement.com/2009/08/05/a-day-for-zeroes-in-venezuela/#comment-1811</link>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Gringo]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 06 Aug 2009 16:07:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://devilsexcrement.com/?p=6519#comment-1811</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Ken Price: was that American City Editor named Foster?]]></description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Ken Price: was that American City Editor named Foster?</p>
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