Venezuela's currency value depends largely on one guy at an Alabama Home Depot
14 replies, posted
[QUOTE]The socialist government led by President Nicolás Maduro has had to contend with the collapse of oil prices, corruption and high inflation. For ordinary Venezuelans, that means their currency, the bolivar, has become mostly worthless — mostly, but not entirely.
And right now, any value the bolivar does have depends largely on one guy who works at a Home Depot in Hoover, Alabama. His name is Gustavo Díaz, and his website, DolarToday, has become a handy financial tool for Venezuelans trying to navigate the underground economy — so handy, in fact, that it affects the price of just about everything in Venezuela.
In Venezuela, the government officially sets the currency rate and it’s illegal to publish exchange rates for black-market dollars. But Díaz’s website does just that, basing the rate on actual street prices that Venezuelan consumers are paying for food, medicine, cars and everything else.[/QUOTE]
[url]http://www.pri.org/stories/2016-12-01/venezuelas-currency-value-depends-largely-one-guy-alabama-home-depot[/url]
How are the people in power still in power, when things get this downright ridiculous.
[QUOTE=thelurker1234;51462867]How are the people in power still in power, when things get this downright ridiculous.[/QUOTE]
Fanaticism and Optimism.
Also because they have guns, tanks, jets, and they pay people better in the army.
[QUOTE=Stroheim;51462875]Fanaticism and Optimism.
Also because they have guns, tanks, jets, and they pay people better in the army.[/QUOTE]
Well, it is a democracy. From what I can tell they can replace maduro himself in 2018, and parliament in 2020 aside from some parliamentary fun making it happen earlier.
[QUOTE=thelurker1234;51462882]Well, it is a democracy. From what I can tell they can replace maduro himself in 2018, and parliament in 2020 aside from some parliamentary fun making it happen earlier.[/QUOTE]
If you buy that, then you haven't been there, or have any idea how a government in the state that Venezuela is in now functions.
[QUOTE=Revenge282;51462897]If you buy that, then you haven't been there, or have any idea how a government in the state that Venezuela is in now functions.[/QUOTE]
He probably doesn't even know that Hugo Chavez existed :v:.
E: P. good video on the issue:
[video=youtube;XhIFr6e8EBI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhIFr6e8EBI[/video]
[QUOTE=Revenge282;51462897]If you buy that, then you haven't been there, or have any idea how a government in the state that Venezuela is in now functions.[/QUOTE]
That's pretty disappointing, I guess I gotta read up on it.
[QUOTE={TFS} Rock Su;51462901]He probably doesn't even know that Hugo Chavez existed :v:.
E: P. good video on the issue:
[video=youtube;XhIFr6e8EBI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhIFr6e8EBI[/video][/QUOTE]
That's just talking about the economic side, which I already knew. What I didn't know was that it was a shit democracy too; I'd assumed that they could vote them out.
That title sounds like something out of The Onion
In terms of democracy, I've heard that elections are completely fair in terms of ballot counting etc, according to international observers. However, all sources of information are controlled by the ruling party, so it's hard for citizens to be informed for the election.
And the economy is shit because socialist economics needs to be aware of and react to the capitalist world. Venezuela is in deep shit because the socialist government rejects all economic norms and rules, instead of using something like the Scandinavian model, in which both businesses and people are able to survive easily in a half-socialist economy.
[QUOTE=person11;51463007]In terms of democracy, I've heard that elections are completely fair in terms of ballot counting etc, according to international observers. However, all sources of information are controlled by the ruling party, so it's hard for citizens to be informed for the election.
And the economy is shit because socialist economics needs to be aware of and react to the capitalist world. Venezuela is in deep shit because the socialist government rejects all economic norms and rules, instead of using something like the Scandinavian model, in which both businesses and people are able to survive easily in a half-socialist economy.[/QUOTE]
Elections in Venezuela are only done when they're convenient to the government. The only reason why the opposition won the 2015 parliamentary elections is because the default strategy of the government of just giving shit away like cars and washing machines for free in exchange for votes didn't work for the first time in 17 years. I wouldn't call that a fair election.
Additionally, the government suspended state elections originally scheduled for this month, and also the only procedure that could have removed Maduro before 2018, which is the recall referendum, without explanation, probably because the polls show that they don't stand a chance. Let's start calling the Venezuelan government for what it is, a dictatorship.
[QUOTE=thelurker1234;51462915]That's pretty disappointing, I guess I gotta read up on it.[/QUOTE]
I used to live in the sprawling metropolis of Caracas due to my dad's work for about a year. It was a good trip considering we only had one team member get kidnapped for ransom!
[QUOTE=KillerJaguar;51462963]That title sounds like something out of The Onion[/QUOTE]
life imitates art
[QUOTE=KillerJaguar;51462963]That title sounds like something out of The Onion[/QUOTE]
sounds like a bad Adam Sandler movie.
[QUOTE=KillerJaguar;51462963]That title sounds like something out of The Onion[/QUOTE]
2016: the year the onion became reality
i've been to this home depot before
it's pretty okay
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