• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

Venezuela Opposition Agrees to Talks as Unrest Rocks Caracas

j-mac

j-mac

DP Veteran
Joined
Mar 11, 2009
Messages
41,104
Reaction score
12,202
Location
South Carolina
Gender
Male
Political Leaning
Conservative
Venezuela’s opposition agreed to meet tomorrow with President Nicolas Maduro as anti-government protesters and security forces clashed in Caracas for an 11th straight night.

snip

U.S. President Barack Obama, on a visit to Mexico Feb. 19, condemned the violence in Venezuela. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in a statement late Feb. 21 urged Maduro’s government to ends its efforts to “stifle dissent.”
“The Venezuelan government has confronted peaceful protesters with force and in some cases with armed vigilantes claiming to support the government,” Kerry said. “This is not how democracies behave.”
Maduro yesterday called Kerry’s statement “insolent” and an “aggression,” adding that he remains willing to exchange ambassadors.

“What is unacceptable is for you to stick your nose in Venezuela’s sovereignty, Kerry,” Maduro said on state television. “Yankee go home!”

snip

The central bank’s scarcity index last month rose to a record 28 percent, meaning that more than one in four basic goods was out of stock at any given time.

“Venezuela is headed toward an economic debacle and the government is trying to cover it up by repressing the protests,” Capriles said. “We are going to convert these protests into the biggest social movement in the history of Venezuela.”

Venezuela Opposition Agrees to Talks as Unrest Rocks Caracas - Bloomberg
Click to expand...

What a punk Maduro is....I think the US should just say fine, and withdraw all aid, and trade with the country, and tell this little thug that he can explain that to the people.
 
j-mac said:
What a punk Maduro is....I think the US should just say fine, and withdraw all aid, and trade with the country, and tell this little thug that he can explain that to the people.
Click to expand...

Venezuela tried out socialism and, surprise of surprises, it didn't work. Now, the US needs to just step back and let the Venezuelans figure it out for themselves. The problem is, Venezuela has oil and, therefore, their economic woes will contribute to the world's economic woes, at least to some degree.
 
Dittohead not! said:
Venezuela tried out socialism and, surprise of surprises, it didn't work. Now, the US needs to just step back and let the Venezuelans figure it out for themselves. The problem is, Venezuela has oil and, therefore, their economic woes will contribute to the world's economic woes, at least to some degree.
Click to expand...

Not if we took pro active steps right here in America to develop our own vast oil reserves to compensate for the minor amount of oil Venezuela produces....And before you go off in a tangent about how we don't have that oil, I have already said we should cut Venezuela off of all aid, and stay out of it...
 
j-mac said:
Not if we took pro active steps right here in America to develop our own vast oil reserves to compensate for the minor amount of oil Venezuela produces....And before you go off in a tangent about how we don't have that oil, I have already said we should cut Venezuela off of all aid, and stay out of it...
Click to expand...

Oh, I know we have that oil. Don't you remember the conversation about why we don't ust drill our way to energy independence?
 
Fund the protestors and supply them with materials in exchange for a percentage of control over the Orinoco Belt when they assume power. Win-win.
 
j-mac said:
Oh, did you think I agreed with you on that discussion?
Click to expand...

No, but I think we did agree that the US has plenty of oil. As I recall, the points revolved around he world price of oil and the costs of recovering our oil.
 
Dittohead not! said:
No, but I think we did agree that the US has plenty of oil. As I recall, the points revolved around he world price of oil and the costs of recovering our oil.
Click to expand...

Right after that part I listened to an interview of one of the employers in nd at the oil field ... He didn't sound like all this was too expensive. In fact he said they need to hire 400 people immediately.
 
j-mac said:
Right after that part I listened to an interview of one of the employers in nd at the oil field ... He didn't sound like all this was too expensive. In fact he said they need to hire 400 people immediately.
Click to expand...

That shouldn't be too hard, with the unemployment what it is. It sounds like they are, in fact, exploiting U. S. oil.
 
j-mac said:
Private lands. But weren't you saying it'd be too costly?
Click to expand...

It depends on the price of oil, which is fixed by supply and demand. Increase the supply, and the price goes down. If it goes down below the cost of recovery, then those oilfields are going to be idled. That's why we can't drill our way to energy independence: The oil we have is too expensive to recover. All the Mid East has to do is open up the spigot a bit, and the price goes down. The Saudis have no interest in expensive oil, as that would make it possible for us to maybe produce enough for domestic consumption.
 
Dittohead not! said:
It depends on the price of oil, which is fixed by supply and demand. Increase the supply, and the price goes down. If it goes down below the cost of recovery, then those oilfields are going to be idled. That's why we can't drill our way to energy independence: The oil we have is too expensive to recover. All the Mid East has to do is open up the spigot a bit, and the price goes down. The Saudis have no interest in expensive oil, as that would make it possible for us to maybe produce enough for domestic consumption.
Click to expand...

If that is truly the case, and not just a convenient excuse for greenies in this country to force American's off of fosil fuels, then I would say it is time for America to press forward, and upset the status quo....Why are we sitting back and letting the enemies of America dictate our pricing structure, instead of partnering with our friends like Canada for energy independence, and telling the Saudi's to eat their sand from now on.
 
j-mac said:
If that is truly the case, and not just a convenient excuse for greenies in this country to force American's off of fosil fuels, then I would say it is time for America to press forward, and upset the status quo....Why are we sitting back and letting the enemies of America dictate our pricing structure, instead of partnering with our friends like Canada for energy independence, and telling the Saudi's to eat their sand from now on.
Click to expand...

The unfortunate truth is that recovering oil from oil shale and tar sands is expensive.
 
Dittohead not! said:
The unfortunate truth is that recovering oil from oil shale and tar sands is expensive.
Click to expand...

Then we need to unleash the industry to innovate to bring those costs down...The answer is not just throwing up our hands and proclaiming 'ah well, nothing we can do about it'.....
 
j-mac said:
Then we need to unleash the industry to innovate to bring those costs down...The answer is not just throwing up our hands and proclaiming 'ah well, nothing we can do about it'.....
Click to expand...

Well, we could perhaps create a domestic market by imposing high tariffs on oil, then exploiting domestic deposits. Of course, such a program would raise the cost of energy, but it could bring about energy independence. The oil companies would have to trust that the tariff was permanent and would not be lifted after they had invested however many billions would be necessary to recover and process the oil, which could be an issue. The government hasn't proven to be the most trustworthy entity, after all.

If the producers and refiners of petroleum could be convinced to go along, we could then tell the Saudis to go pound sand, which they have in great abundance after all, while paying $5 or so a gallon for gas.
 
j-mac said:
What a punk Maduro is....I think the US should just say fine, and withdraw all aid, and trade with the country, and tell this little thug that he can explain that to the people.
Click to expand...

What a punk the US has been to Venezuela and most of Latin America. Always trying to control countries with the purse and or the military. Even if they do have to suffer temporary financial sorrows, Venezuela should tell the US to **** off. At least there'd have they're dignity.
 
Dittohead not! said:
Well, we could perhaps create a domestic market by imposing high tariffs on oil, then exploiting domestic deposits. Of course, such a program would raise the cost of energy, but it could bring about energy independence. The oil companies would have to trust that the tariff was permanent and would not be lifted after they had invested however many billions would be necessary to recover and process the oil, which could be an issue. The government hasn't proven to be the most trustworthy entity, after all.

If the producers and refiners of petroleum could be convinced to go along, we could then tell the Saudis to go pound sand, which they have in great abundance after all, while paying $5 or so a gallon for gas.
Click to expand...

Just the threat of the US expanding it's known reserves in that regard are enough to bring world pricing down. We've seen that in the past.
 
Montecresto said:
What a punk the US has been to Venezuela and most of Latin America. Always trying to control countries with the purse and or the military. Even if they do have to suffer temporary financial sorrows, Venezuela should tell the US to **** off. At least there'd have they're dignity.
Click to expand...

Yes, maybe they could eat that....:lamo I say go for it....Most of the US couldn't care less if a tin pot wanna be like Maduro ended up with his head on a pike.....You just watch how fast that happens if the US snaps the checkbook shut on them.
 
Montecresto said:
What a punk the US has been to Venezuela and most of Latin America. Always trying to control countries with the purse and or the military. Even if they do have to suffer temporary financial sorrows, Venezuela should tell the US to **** off. At least there'd have they're dignity.
Click to expand...

Dignity means little when you can't feed your family. But I agree, let the Venezuelans starve and realize the endgame of state socialism.
 
j-mac said:
Yes, maybe they could eat that....:lamo I say go for it....Most of the US couldn't care less if a tin pot wanna be like Maduro ended up with his head on a pike.....You just watch how fast that happens if the US snaps the checkbook shut on them.
Click to expand...

Bring it. We're writing checks on ISF anyway. Incase you like borrowing money from China to bribe Venezuela with. You control freak cons are amazing.
 
j-mac said:
Just the threat of the US expanding it's known reserves in that regard are enough to bring world pricing down. We've seen that in the past.
Click to expand...

Yes, but only down enough to make recovery of our oil reserves uneconomical. Saudi Arabia is quite astute at keeping the price high enough to make a profit, while not allowing the price to get high enough for us to get serious about energy independence.
 
StringBean said:
Dignity means little when you can't feed your family. But I agree, let the Venezuelans starve and realize the endgame of state socialism.
Click to expand...

More American arrogance that we being the youngest power think that millennial old countries will starve without a hand out from us.
 
Montecresto said:
Bring it. We're writing checks on ISF anyway. Incase you like borrowing money from China to bribe Venezuela with. You control freak cons are amazing.
Click to expand...

Gafaw! We're amazing? You're the one who posted:

"Even if they do have to suffer temporary financial sorrows, Venezuela should tell the US to **** off."

How is it being a 'control freak' if we just honor your request to **** off?
 
Dittohead not! said:
Yes, but only down enough to make recovery of our oil reserves uneconomical. Saudi Arabia is quite astute at keeping the price high enough to make a profit, while not allowing the price to get high enough for us to get serious about energy independence.
Click to expand...

So, you're for the status quo, I get that...I am more for looking for better ways.
 
j-mac said:
So, you're for the status quo, I get that...I am more for looking for better ways.
Click to expand...

If there is a better way, then let's take a look at it. I suggested a path to energy independence, but am not so sure it is really a "better way." It just might have some nasty unintended consequences.

PS, every president of the US going back at least to Nixon has called for energy independence. We're about as far from achieving that ideal as we ever have been.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom