QuoteMaduro gets power to rule by decree
Venezuela's National Assembly grants president sweeping powers as he targets businesses he blames for economic woes
theguardian.com, Wednesday 20 November 2013 01.39 GMT
The Venezuelan congress has granted President Nicolas Maduro emergency decree powers that will strengthen his hand as he goes after businesses the government accuses of sabotaging the economy.
The National Assembly's vote had been widely expected since Maduro requested a month ago to be given expanded power to enact laws without consulting congress for up to a year.
The same tactic was employed four times by Maduro's mentor and predecessor, the late Hugo Chávez, to promulgate dozens of laws that dramatically boosted state control over the economy.
Unlike the charismatic Cházvez, who had near-absolute command over his party, doubts about Maduro's leadership have risen since he defeated opposition leader Henrique Capriles by a razor-thin margin in April's presidential election and as worsening shortages of basic goods and galloping inflation, now at 54%, have eroded popular support for his rule.
Maduro in recent days has ordered the military to seize dozens of appliance stores, slash prices on imported electronics and arrest more than 100 business owners for alleged price gouging.
On Tuesday the Venezuelan unit of General Motors was fined the equivalent of US$85,000 for allegedly overcharging and practicing "usury" in the sale of car parts to local concessionaires. The government also asked Twitter to take down accounts of users posting the illegal black market exchange rate for Venezuela's bolivar currency, which is trading at about one-tenth of the official value.
Such measures have rallied Maduro's working-class base and even won approval from some government opponents who have joined the long lines snaking outside appliance stores nationwide for the last 10 days in search of deep discounts on TV sets and refrigerators.
A key question is whether Maduro will maintain the radical stance after next month's mayoral elections, which the opposition is trying to frame as a referendum on his rule, or adopt a more pragmatic tack in an effort to stabilise the economy.
After Tuesday's vote the National Assembly president, Diosdado Cabello, led a march of more than 2,000 red-shirted supporters from the legislature to the presidential palace to deliver the text of the decree law to Maduro.
Addressing a crowd smaller than the ones Chávez was accustomed to drawing, Maduro reiterated a pledge to use his expanded powers to keep prices low across industries and limit profit margins to 30%. He also vowed to start 2014 with a frontal attack on corruption.
"They underestimated me; they said Maduro was an amateur," he told the crowd. But "what you've seen is little compared to what we're going to do".
The legislative process leading up to Tuesday's vote was marred by controversy after an opposition congresswoman was stripped of her immunity from prosecution over corruption charges, allowing for her substitution by a pro-government lawmaker who gave Maduro the crucial 99th vote needed to prevail.
Capriles lambasted the manoeuvre as a naked power grab and vowed on Tuesday to retaliate with a strong performance for opposition candidates in the 8 December municipal elections.
"I'll give it to you really straight so it registers," Capriles warned Maduro in a message on Twitter. After the December elections "we're going for you and your disastrous government, constitution in hand".
I'm sure this'll end well.
A part of me can't wait for Seamus Milne's piece justifying this.
Spiraling down towards straight up Stalinism.
Hmm, arresting opposition members of legislature to push through the rule by decree? Can this work to break the gridlock in Washington DC? :hmm:
The only thing worse than a community organizer president is a bus driver president.
Anyway, the more shit like this he pulls, the better. Might as well get the civil war started over there. The sooner it starts, the sooner it will end.
Quote from: derspiess on November 19, 2013, 11:51:35 PM
The only thing worse than a community organizer president is a bus driver president.
If only they had gotten Capriles. Nothing bad with having a leader with claims to being attractive.
Quote from: garbon on November 20, 2013, 12:15:47 AM
Quote from: derspiess on November 19, 2013, 11:51:35 PM
The only thing worse than a community organizer president is a bus driver president.
If only they had gotten Capriles. Nothing bad with having a leader with claims to being attractive.
Capriles is the spitting image of a Puerto Rican friend of mine.
Quote from: derspiess on November 19, 2013, 11:51:35 PM
The only thing worse than a community organizer president is a bus driver president.
Anyway, the more shit like this he pulls, the better. Might as well get the civil war started over there. The sooner it starts, the sooner it will end.
Indeed, much better to have someone who's job was painting post cards become leader of the country.
Viva la revolution!
Quote from: derspiess on November 20, 2013, 12:18:15 AM
Quote from: garbon on November 20, 2013, 12:15:47 AM
Quote from: derspiess on November 19, 2013, 11:51:35 PM
The only thing worse than a community organizer president is a bus driver president.
If only they had gotten Capriles. Nothing bad with having a leader with claims to being attractive.
Capriles is the spitting image of a Puerto Rican friend of mine.
Shame. Be useful to have a body double. Prisoner of Zenda thing.
I do decree, Socialism works!
Arrest/shoot enough people who aren't happy with the government and you'll win 100% of the vote all the time.
Quote from: Darth Wagtaros on November 20, 2013, 01:54:02 PM
Arrest/shoot enough people who aren't happy with the government and you'll win 100% of the vote all the time.
You don't even have to shoot the people who aren't happy with the government, you just have to shoot the people who aren't counting the votes properly.
Maybe the OP is what America might look like in 50 years time, if the ever growing income/wealth inequality is allowed to spiral on?
Eventually the people will elect a genuine left wing populist, unlike Obama and the then right-wing republicans will have a real reason to squeal like fatted pigs ?
Elizabeth Warren will be dead in 50 years. Let's see what Blasio does in New York.
Quote from: Admiral Yi on November 20, 2013, 04:09:27 PM
Elizabeth Warren will be dead in 50 years. Let's see what Blasio does in New York.
I have a feeling in 50 years there might be some new politicians around.
Anyway right wing populism is just as likely a response to bad times.
Quote from: mongers on November 20, 2013, 04:01:58 PM
Maybe the OP is what America might look like in 50 years time, if the ever growing income/wealth inequality is allowed to spiral on?
Eventually the people will elect a genuine left wing populist, unlike Obama and the then right-wing republicans will have a real reason to squeal like fatted pigs ?
How is the income gap in the UK? I imagine the gap is happening in many Euro nations also, as a poor economy probably hurts middle income workers more but the wealthy have a financial cushion anyway, or have ways to invest and mitigate other losses.
Quote from: KRonn on November 20, 2013, 04:16:19 PM
Quote from: mongers on November 20, 2013, 04:01:58 PM
Maybe the OP is what America might look like in 50 years time, if the ever growing income/wealth inequality is allowed to spiral on?
Eventually the people will elect a genuine left wing populist, unlike Obama and the then right-wing republicans will have a real reason to squeal like fatted pigs ?
How is the income gap in the UK? I imagine the gap is happening in many Euro nations also, as a poor economy probably hurts middle income workers more but the wealthy have a financial cushion anyway, or have ways to invest and mitigate other losses.
I don't know in absolute terms compared to the US, I guess not quite as great, but bigger than most European countries. What we do have in common is growing inequality rates.
I don't know what to do about growing inequality rates. I think one big thing is for a strong economy generating lots of jobs so the middle class can prosper. The wealthy will get wealthier as money and investing creates more wealth. I don't favor the idea I see talked about of taxing more to give to others over having a strong economy that generates jobs and wealth for the average person, at least average and comfortable middle class wealth.
Quote from: KRonn on November 20, 2013, 04:16:19 PM
How is the income gap in the UK? I imagine the gap is happening in many Euro nations also, as a poor economy probably hurts middle income workers more but the wealthy have a financial cushion anyway, or have ways to invest and mitigate other losses.
Income inequality's actually been more or less level since the late 80s and dipped recently:
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.independent.co.uk%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2013%2F11%2Fifsgini.jpg&hash=7c1e934916664c311b8c4561a81399b46ed55574)
Inequality is now at its lowest level since 1986:
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.independent.co.uk%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2013%2F11%2Fgini-e1383752583311.jpg&hash=8b2b8aace040e2682311b987e09ed347d00c74c1)
There's a big dip during the Labour government, especially because they did lots that reduced pensioner poverty.
But I'm still not happy because I think a lot of this even for working age people is being done by the benefit system, even for the low-paid in work. Cash benefits represents almost 50% of income for the bottom quintile. To me that seems far too high and we should be looking to reduce it (and the welfare budget for the employed but low paid) and increase wages instead.