Banana Republic Newsflash

[Sigma_Orionis]

"...aporrea..." -- isn't there a new medicine for that?

Sure there is, the commercial name is B-61.

Here you can see a simulation of how it works.

[Sigma_Orionis]

Those Damned Capitalists Imperialists at The New York Times have had the gall of criticizing Nicky.

Why bother to post it? Because after reading the comments section, I still can't believe that there still are "useful idiots" in your damned imperialist capitalist country still rooting for Chavez & Co . For the record, they do qualify as left wing nutjobs in my book. Of the worse kind too.

[Sigma_Orionis]

This is starting to make the rounds around here:

Apparently Numero Dos' (that would be Diosdado Cabello, president of the National Assembly) security chief, just jumped ship and went to the Evil Empire's third arm (that would be the DEA ) to spill the beans on what is claimed to be a large drug trafficking ring headed by most of the Top Brass in the Armed Forces, now this defector is supposed to be claiming that Cabello heads the Drug Trafficking ring.

[Sigma_Orionis]

According to Aporrea.org (in Spanish) the CIA bribed the "bodyguard" so he'd defect.....

[SciFiFisher]

According to Aporrea.org (in Spanish) the CIA bribed the "bodyguard" so he'd defect.....

Of course they did. They probably promised him blue jeans, Jack Daniels Black Label, and free trips to the strip bars.

[Sigma_Orionis]

According to Aporrea.org (in Spanish) the CIA bribed the "bodyguard" so he'd defect.....

Of course they did. They probably promised him blue jeans, Jack Daniels Black Label, and free trips to the strip bars.

Jack Daniels Black Label? Doubtful bub, we don't drink "American Whiskey" here in Bananaland, Johnny Walker Royal Salute is more likely

[SciFiFisher]

According to Aporrea.org (in Spanish) the CIA bribed the "bodyguard" so he'd defect.....

Of course they did. They probably promised him blue jeans, Jack Daniels Black Label, and free trips to the strip bars.

Jack Daniels Black Label? Doubtful bub, we don't drink "American Whiskey" here in Bananaland, Johnny Walker Royal Salute is more likely

Oh great! to add to all you other sins now you are Whiskey snobs.

[Sigma_Orionis]

Oh! Oh! Massa Gringo is Offended

[code monkey]

bi, sigma. fisher was expressing concern. btw, i've been wondering. is the word 'gringo' considered to be an insult? if so, how insulting?

[Sigma_Orionis]

bi, sigma. fisher was expressing concern. btw, i've been wondering. is the word 'gringo' considered to be an insult? if so, how insulting?

Heh Heh, I suspect it's funnier for me than for him. For the last half century, Scotch Whisky has been very popular here and some people (including me) are rather bemused by that. I must say that a lot of people of European extraction around here, consider it "Noveaux Riche", I don't go that far but I think that the fascination with Scotch around here is rather snob (I don't drink much btw). Obviously, Fisher has a penchant for US Whiskey (surprise) and I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of people in the US feel the same towards Scotch. So just chalk it up to part of our peculiar kind of bantering

As for "Gringo", HERE, it's NOT considered to be insulting (the way the Japanese "Gaijin" is often viewed). It's just the way that we in the (last century or so) use to refer to people born in the US. Traditionally we refer to people born in Europe as "Músiu" (corruption of the french "Monseuir"), but that has fallen in disuse lately.

"Gringo" is actually a very old word (I've read that it was first used in the 13th Century in Spain). Supposedly is a corruption of the word "Griego" (Greek).

There have been rumors that the word "Gringo" comes from the US/Mexican war of the 19th Century, that it comes from "Green Go" that was allegedly used by the people of Mexico City demanding that the US army left the country. AFAIK, it's not true, for starters the US Military started using Olive Green Fatigues well into the 20th Century .

As usual in Latin America, it has slightly different meanings in each country.

The Wikipedia Entry used to say the term was not considered pejorative, now it says "The term is often disparaging". Well, not here, when our glorious patriotic socialists want to complain about people born in the US, they USUALLY use the word "Yankee".

ETA, apparently there are some other "Folk origins" for the word. It might have helped the term to catch on. But, as I said, it's very old.

[code monkey]

thanks for the clarification.

wait a minute. you say that it's a reference to people born in the us. now this is an international group. do you mean that when you say something along the lines of 'listen up, grigos' you're leaving everyone else out? (eg the canadians.)

[Sigma_Orionis]

Considering that 95% of the time I say something like that it has to do with our Glorious Revolutionary Socialist Bunch of Idiots blaming the US for our problems instead of our own collective stupidity, I am sure the rest of our international group won't mind feeling excluded.

One more thing about the term "Gringo", WHY do we use it? Well, as you know, most of the world (including yourselves) refers to the US as "America". Collectively (I mean most of the region), we were never too happy with that. It's about the only piece of Latin American Insecurity I agree with. So, obviously we NEVER refer to people from the US as "Americans", that's why we tend to use Gringo.

Here is a Chilean TV ad that makes fun of it, it features someone from the US telling a taxi driver that he is an "American" and the Taxi driver saying "You're not an American, you're a Gringo". What's the ad about? "American Style Yogurt".




Edited for clarity

[Sigma_Orionis]

Well we finally got there....

A) The Ministry of Defense authorizes the use of "Potentially Lethal" force against demonstrations

B) Now everybody is pissed off at the government, not just the "Middle Class"

All that we need now for the shit to hit the fan is a spark.

[Cyborg Girl]

Daaaaaaamn. Stay safe out there, Sigma.

[Sigma_Orionis]

Yeah, for the first time I agree that things seem as bad as they look.

And in other news, the NY Times picked up on the story of our "defector"

Former Top Venezuela Aide Said to Flee Amid Inquiry

And Número Dos was well in CT Mode

Mr. Cabello did say, however, that last June he noticed that Mr. Salazar no longer would look him in the face and so he had him transferred.

“He deserted and decided to leave Venezuela and turn over his dignity to the American imperialists,” Mr. Cabello said, adding, “This is part of the infamy, of the calumnies, the war that all of us comrades who are part of the revolution have been subject to.”

He went on to question whether Mr. Salazar might have somehow been involved in the death of Mr. Chávez, who had terminal cancer. Mr. Maduro has previously suggested that Mr. Chávez’s illness might have been induced by enemies, saying that the United States government might have developed the capability to use cancer as a weapon.

BTW in the original quote in spanish he did say "North-American Imperialism"

[Sigma_Orionis]

Nicky's scraping the bottom of the barrel now.

Venezuelan shop owners arrested over long queues

Good Grief.

[Sigma_Orionis]

Law Enforcement Venezuela Style:

It’s tough to be a cop in Venezuela

The public is aware of the police murders via media and talk on the street, but sympathy does not run deep because of disgust at well-known corruption and crime within police ranks.

“In the U.S., if one policeman is killed, there is an outcry. Here, no-one raises a voice to support policemen,” said Jackeline Sandoval, a former police lawyer and public prosecutor who heads Fundepro. “If there’s no security for police, what does that say for the rest of us?”

[cid]

Does this qualify as excessive inflation?

...well...depends on who ya ask...

[Sigma_Orionis]

It's more like "Inflation caused by distortions caused by lousy policies regarding the foreign currency exchange rate"

And if you ask me it's a tad excessive to say the least.

[grapes]

One more thing about the term "Gringo", WHY do we use it? Well, as you know, most of the world (including yourselves) refers to the US as "America". Collectively (I mean most of the region), we were never too happy with that. It's about the only piece of Latin American Insecurity I agree with. So, obviously we NEVER refer to people from the US as "Americans", that's why we tend to use Gringo.

Same problem here. Does "Carolina" refer to North Carolina or South Carolina? Context is key, when Duke students yell "Go to hell Carolina" it's clear what they are cheering for.

[Sigma_Orionis]

As I posted earlier, last week our Glorious Revolutionary Idiots decided to show that scarcity and the long lines of people waiting to buy scarce goods are the fault of the fabled "Economic War", so they arrested (on lord knows what charges, Habeas Corpus being a pesky formality) executives of two private chains: "Dia a Dia" (a grocery store chain) and Farmatodo (a drugstore chain).

The "Dia a Dia" Folks weren't too happy, here is their comunique:

Día Día speaks

Also, last week Nicky decided to write to the HNIC and said he would personally supervise the translation of said the letter and make sure it was delivered in his hands because he isn't sure the HNIC understands what's going on in Venezuela

Since the editorial board of this humble thread has decided to live up the to the high standards of publishing held by XOF news, we are leaking the letter for the edification of the Evil Imperialist Imperial Gringo Empire....

[Sigma_Orionis]

Here is a Financial Times piece at their "Beyond Brics" blog (requires free registration) where one of the Caracas Chronicles bloggers claims that had Our Glorious Socialist Idiots done what they had to do (there WAS an fund created during the last throws and fits of the "ancien regime" that was supposed to be our "rainy day" fund). We'd have about US$ 223 billion in reserves when something like the collapse of oil prices happened.

Sure, he's from the opposition (which, like I have said many many times I don't trust) and I don't particularly think much of the guy. But, unfortunately (for me that is) I am unable to find any rational arguments against his point. (nor I'm able to check his numbers). So I'll just assume that is another confirmation than our Glorious Socialist Do-Gooders gave away/stole/mismanaged over US$ 220 billion.

Another blogger wrote a piece last year (apparently addressed to all the Chavez Supporters) called "If the money is gone, is your fault". The piece is in Spanish but I'll translate it just as an exercise in futility.

If the money is gone, it's your fault

We already had a solution to this problem, it was called FIEM (Note that is a link the the actual Law creating the FIEM back in 1998) and it was a savings fund created to protect the economy in case there was a major fall in the price of Oil.

But the money saved at the FIEM was taken years ago, and it was never replenished.

Devaluation and Scarcity are not products of an international conspiracy to manipulate the price of oil. It's not Maduro's fault either. It's the result of the "Economic Policies" made up by your beloved leader: "The Giant of America" (Note: Never heard Chavez being called that, but since I tend to run away when the Chavista rhetoric lays it in too thick, it could very well be the case).

But it's not his fault either. Because I saw you crying "traitors" at those that talked against that act of embezzlement (Note: Link to the actual supreme court decision that dismissed the complaint, one of the complainants: Andres Velasquez is a left wing politician that broke with Chavez. Curiously, he sort of looks like Evo Morales.) and rabidly applauding when Chavez gave the "Coup de Grace" to the autonomy of the Central Bank

I saw you on Twitter defending the devaluations and celebrating SICAD (Note: SICAD is the government office that controls US$ Exchange Operations). So, if you're on a long queue and sucking it up (Note: a rather tame translation of the original Spanish), it's your own fault. For your continual belief that everything is free and that institutions are a nuisance. For continuing to vote for the same people.

Hopefully, your grandchildren, after they finish paying up the Chinese, will be able to make peace with the idea that you destroyed your country out of sheer spite and stupidity.

GJ: BEFORE you say one word about how similar this might sound to something your right wing nutjobs might say, keep in mind that THIS is the SECOND TIME it has happened. The first time didn't get so bad because when the "ancien regime" faced the same situation, it went, hat in hand to the IMF to beg for emergency loans after they mismanaged the country into bankruptcy.

[Cyborg Girl]

@Sigma, that doesn't sound very wingnut-like. IMO it sounds to me more like something a Democrat might say re the 2007 financial collapse.

And I'd hesitate to make comparisons between American and Venezuelan politics; but I will note that wingnuts of all political stripes, all over the world, seem to share certain common traits.

e.g.

viewtopic.php?f=10&t=529

It's not just Venezuela. American wingnuts marginalize women. European Fascists were, in general, misogynistic. The Soviet Union had some serious macho shit going, etc. etc. Many religious cults show this too.

I would share further thoughts on that, but I'm not sure it's my place to do so. Suffice to say that, IMO, one of the trademark ways a cult keeps itself going is to marginalize, ostracize, and shame anyone who might be a source of doubt. And from what I'm reading here, Venezuelan politics absolutely reeks of that.

[Sigma_Orionis]

It's called Siege mentality. Ours is tends to be subtler than that of say Facists, or even your own nutjobs, but it's been around here since I can remember.

[Sigma_Orionis]

So, Nicky had to bow to reality and start freeing up the Exchange Rate Controls we've had since 2003

So far, nobody is impressed.