Venezuela's newspapers running out of paper

[NewYorkExpress]

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/09/07/venezuela-newspaper-wars/2749897/

Supporters of deceased former President Hugo Chavez are blamed for the crisis according to some.

What do you believe is the cause of the paper crisis?

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

Of course the Western bourgeois media would write a slanted load like that to a country which has decided to stop marching to Washington's drumbeat. If you only read Western media, I doubt you've heard of the protests and strikes against the quasi-fascist regime in Colombia, for instance.

[Leftbehind]

Good. Less paper for them to distribute their propaganda.

[dead0man]

Of course the Western bourgeois media would write a slanted load like that to a country which has decided to stop marching to Washington's drumbeat. If you only read Western media, I doubt you've heard of the protests and strikes against the quasi-fascist regime in Colombia, for instance.

Good. Less paper for them to distribute their propaganda.

I hope you two didn't hurt yourself jerking your knee so fast.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

Of course the Western bourgeois media would write a slanted load like that to a country which has decided to stop marching to Washington's drumbeat. If you only read Western media, I doubt you've heard of the protests and strikes against the quasi-fascist regime in Colombia, for instance.

What does quasi-fascism have to do with it?

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Of course the Western bourgeois media would write a slanted load like that to a country which has decided to stop marching to Washington's drumbeat. If you only read Western media, I doubt you've heard of the protests and strikes against the quasi-fascist regime in Colombia, for instance.

Quit trying so hard.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Of course the Western bourgeois media would write a slanted load like that to a country which has decided to stop marching to Washington's drumbeat. If you only read Western media, I doubt you've heard of the protests and strikes against the quasi-fascist regime in Colombia, for instance.

Quit trying so hard.

Snowstalker is increasingly becoming the Atlas' version of Doctor Zoidberg, thoght he still lacks a fake diploma.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Of course the Western bourgeois media would write a slanted load like that to a country which has decided to stop marching to Washington's drumbeat. If you only read Western media, I doubt you've heard of the protests and strikes against the quasi-fascist regime in Colombia, for instance.

Quit trying so hard.

Snowstalker is increasingly becoming the Atlas' version of Doctor Zoidberg, thoght he still lacks a fake diploma.

Well, I had Opebo in mind, but he is also becoming our version of Doctor Zoidberg as well.

[Zioneer]

Of course the Western bourgeois media would write a slanted load like that to a country which has decided to stop marching to Washington's drumbeat. If you only read Western media, I doubt you've heard of the protests and strikes against the quasi-fascist regime in Colombia, for instance.

Quit trying so hard.

Snowstalker is increasingly becoming the Atlas' version of Doctor Zoidberg, thoght he still lacks a fake diploma.

Well, I had Opebo in mind, but he is also becoming our version of Doctor Zoidberg as well.

I would characterize Opebo more as a cross between Bender and Hedonism-Bot.

[dead0man]

opebo hates humans much more than Bender.

[angus]

What do you believe is the cause of the paper crisis?

Well, Chavez gave away over a million copies of Victor Hugo's Les Miserables to Venezuelans a few years ago.  Normally, one wouldn't think that a million copies of a book would take out a country's pulp forests, but that book is looooooooooong.  To be fair, the last 500 pages are reasonably interesting, but you have to make it through the first 1200 pages to get there. 

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

I'm surprised there's a newsprint shortage there.  At the very least with so little being used here in the US these days, you'd think there'd be a glut in the wold market for them to take advantage of.

[angus]

I'm surprised there's a newsprint shortage there.  At the very least with so little being used here in the US these days, you'd think there'd be a glut in the wold market for them to take advantage of.

I use quite a bit of it myself.  We recently moved and probably just went through about 40 pounds or more.  In fact, I move often enough that I generally stock lots of it in boxes in my basement.  I always snag a big handful of the student newspapers and other free ones for various purposes.  I always take the free WSJ when I stay at nice hotels.  (WSJ is a broader sheet than USA today, and more generally applicable for various purposes, but most cheap hotels only give out USAToday.)  I assume others use lots of newspaper as well.  Cheap retail stores always wrap fragile purchases in it, and I use it to stuff gift boxes.  I know my son's art teacher at his school is always asking for gobs of it in send-home notes for use in various art projects.  My sister, who has two caged birds, goes through a fair amount.  It's a very versatile product, and just because we don't actually read newspapers is no reason to be dismissive of our usage of them.  

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Apparently newsprint isn't the only paper product in short supply in Venezuela.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-24185342

The government has seized control of a toilet paper factory in an effort to avoid shortages.

Actually, this makes a sort of perverse sense. TP is one of those ubiquitous products everyone uses.  Most people, if they have worries of a future shortage or price increase can usually manage to find a place to store a stockpile.  (I typically buy TP in bulk when it goes on sale as a loss-leader at a store I typically shop at.  I haven't bought any this year and my supplies are beginning to run low, so I might have to but some soon at a higher price than I'd been hoping for.)

[dead0man]

Oh come on, now they're just trying to be a cliché.  They've got to be doing it on purpose.

[Gustaf]

The pop left is very silent on this, even though the Venezuelan government has put up a formula for how to blame others for the failures of their planned economy.

This highlight my main problem with the political left - they sometimes seem to not realize that we need markets to have even pretty basic things.

[ag]

What do you believe is the cause of the paper crisis?

Exchange controls. Whether they deliberately withheld foreign exchange to prevent publication for political reasons, or because they did not get the bribe they expected, or because they are just idiots is beside the point.

[ag]

Apparently newsprint isn't the only paper product in short supply in Venezuela.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-24185342

The government has seized control of a toilet paper factory in an effort to avoid shortages.

Actually, this makes a sort of perverse sense. TP is one of those ubiquitous products everyone uses.  Most people, if they have worries of a future shortage or price increase can usually manage to find a place to store a stockpile.  (I typically buy TP in bulk when it goes on sale as a loss-leader at a store I typically shop at.  I haven't bought any this year and my supplies are beginning to run low, so I might have to but some soon at a higher price than I'd been hoping for.)

Shortage of toilet paper is something that is so familiar to any ex-Soviet! I am nostalgic!!

But, then, we always, at least, had The Pravda available. Though, come to think of it, The Soviet Russia was better - Pravda's too glossy.

[Leftbehind]

The pop left is very silent on this, even though the Venezuelan government has put up a formula for how to blame others for the failures of their planned economy.

This highlight my main problem with the political left - they sometimes seem to not realize that we need markets to have even pretty basic things.

Really? Your contention is that we as a civilisation would be unable to make and distribute toilet rolls without a market?

[ingemann]

The pop left is very silent on this, even though the Venezuelan government has put up a formula for how to blame others for the failures of their planned economy.

This highlight my main problem with the political left - they sometimes seem to not realize that we need markets to have even pretty basic things.

Maybe the left doesn't share the Right's and your obsession with Venezuela. I have never heard Venezuela being mentioned as a model to be followed outside a few opebo-style trolls on the internet. In fact I barely hear anyone outside the right ever mention Venezuela, except when Chavez said something particular stupid and people rolled with their eyes.
Of course people do bring the coup up, when the Right start their righteous condemnation of Venezuela, but what do the Right expect, when the "poor prosecuted" opposition tried a commit coup with American support, right after Chavez was elected the first time?

As for this case, it seem a example of price control and import control coming together to create a shortage.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

The pop left is very silent on this, even though the Venezuelan government has put up a formula for how to blame others for the failures of their planned economy.

This highlight my main problem with the political left - they sometimes seem to not realize that we need markets to have even pretty basic things.

Really? Your contention is that we as a civilisation would be unable to make and distribute toilet rolls without a market?

Where has it ever been done without a market, albeit a controlled market in some instances?  Toilet paper is one of those little luxuries that makes life better and is not particularly expensive, yet it is hardly essential.

[ag]

The pop left is very silent on this, even though the Venezuelan government has put up a formula for how to blame others for the failures of their planned economy.

This highlight my main problem with the political left - they sometimes seem to not realize that we need markets to have even pretty basic things.

Really? Your contention is that we as a civilisation would be unable to make and distribute toilet rolls without a market?

That is a well-established empirical observation, at least as far as toilet paper distribution is concerned.

Making it, indeed, might not be a problem. The problem is making sure it is available to be used for cleaning butts - and not, say, as a main ingredient of a local salami brand.

[Gustaf]

The pop left is very silent on this, even though the Venezuelan government has put up a formula for how to blame others for the failures of their planned economy.

This highlight my main problem with the political left - they sometimes seem to not realize that we need markets to have even pretty basic things.

Really? Your contention is that we as a civilisation would be unable to make and distribute toilet rolls without a market?

Essentially, yes.