Tag Archives: venezuela

Another Reason Why I Don’t Always Sleep at Night

S.O.S Venezuela

Image from http://www.latintimes.com/nicolas-maduro-doesnt-know-what-sos-means-calls-cnn-fascist-new-viral-video-154108

All U.S. direct-hire personnel and their family members who are assigned to the U.S. Embassy in Caracas are required to take an armored vehicle when traveling to and from the Maiquetia Airport

I believe I have mentioned in the past that my wife currently still lives in Venezuela, though that will hopefully be changing next year. Given that, the situation in Venezuela is something I pay closer attention to than I might otherwise. From the time we first met, Venezuela has not been the safest place read more

Wishing Doesn’t Make it So

Primacy of consciousness in Venezuela: wishing won't make food appear on the shelves.

photo from www.ecuadortimes.net

The Washington Post’s Matt O’Brien has a great article about the current situation in Venezuela. Early on he relates what can be described in philosophy as the primacy of consciousness, the idea that what you think is of greater importance than what is actually out there in reality.

It shouldn’t be this way. Venezuela, after all, has the largest read more

Hurray for Private Enterprise!

Private enterprise saw this book delivered in 25 hours.

Private enterprise saw this book in my hands within 25 hours of my ordering it.

I was somewhat amused to read recently that Venezuela’s President Maduro blamed the pervasive shortages that country is facing on the fact that the distribution network for goods is largely controlled by the private sector. Over the past 6 years, since I met my wife who is Venezuelan, I have tried to pay attention to what is happening there, especially as she still lives there, so I know this is a laughable. It ignores the fact that about read more

[Video] Leonard Peikoff – America vs. Americans

The Ayn Rand Institute recently posted a 2003 talk by Dr. Leonard Peikoff in which he “analyzes and rejects — as appeasement-ridden and ineffectual — the entire Bush administration response to the terrorist attacks on the U.S.” In this talk, Dr. Peikoff passionately discusses the response of the government read more

Protectionism, Food and Otherwise, Never Ends Well for Consumers

I am getting close to finishing “The Locavore’s Dilemma: In Praise of the 10,000 Mile Diet” which is a really fascinating look at the modern food system, at least in developed parts of the world.  While the book is focused on food, much of what he says can apply to trade in general.  Today’s quote, from the beginning of chapter 7, is a good example.

In the name of greater food security and economic benefits, countless political rulers have historically sought to increase read more