Why drink? Venezuelans probably want to forget about Chavez for a while

Previous:
He's the new king...of the socialist moonbats
King of the socialist moonbats, part II
King of the socialist moonbats, part III
Moonbats in love
"For wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction"

Hugo Chavez is cracking down on beer trucks, as if Venezuela didn't have worse things to worry about. Venezuelans who drink beer excessively are a symptom of a much larger problem, specifically Chavez' own rule that steals money from the successful and drives away foreign investors. Chavez has succeeded well only in further impoverishing Venezuela: unemployment has increased under his socialist policies (surprise?), and Venezuela earlier this year started buying crude oil from Russia to meet its delivery contracts. Some claim the latter is due to "peak oil," which is a simply ignorant claim considering Venezuela's proven reserves. The problem isn't a lack of crude oil, but a lack of ability to extract it from the ground.

And what do you know: it appears that the physician ought to start healing his own patients instead of offering quack cures for others.

"The law says you are not supposed to drink in the street but everybody does it, especially at the Chavez rallies," says Ms. Alcala.

Guy Taylor, an American journalist working in Caracas, says Chávez rallies he has seen were marked by colorful street theater, pro-Chávez rappers, scantily clad women and, of course, plenty of beer.

"It really resembles a carnival," he says. "People start drinking early at the rallies and by the time Chávez shows up, a beer-fueled hysteria has taken hold."