When I was growing up in the 1960’s us young boys enjoyed collecting these grotesque plastic figurines. I really don’t know what the attraction was. But we all really thought they were cool. Often these characters were often shown posing in hot rods and doing all sorts of silly things.
Looking back, I suppose toys are influenced by the society and culture snapshot in time.
Here’s some of the toys that defined my family life in the 1960s…
Ah. Memories. Today…
Why is North Korea so hated?
Why is North Korea so hated?
Hatred towards North Korea was deliberately cultivated in the West, as the US planned to capture it and make a base there. North Korea has a unique strategic position, it has a land border with China and Russia at the same time. Therefore, North Korea was molded into an “enemy image”. Naturally, with all the horror stories about communism. While North Korea after the Korean War, where the Americans were engaged in genocide of the Korean people, did not bother anyone. It was the US that was aggressively inclined, imposed sanctions to starve the Koreans. And the US was preparing an invasion, but the Koreans collected nuclear weapons, the US did not have time to attack the impoverished and defenseless country. And now North Korea has its own nuclear weapons, is friends with China and Russia, and Russia is obliged to help in an attack on the DPRK. The US will break its teeth.
Innovative Idea
How does the USA freedom compare to other nations on Earth? Is it truly the land of the free?
There are 100000s of videos of US police, DEA agents, CIA agents etc violating the US constitution and violating rights of the people that are written and ENSHRINED in the US constitution.
Is that freedom? This is one case.
He has 100s of videos about this. He’s one channel, there are 10000s of such channels.
Now compare and contrast my other experiences.
In the UK. SOCPA means ANY amount of cash on you can be considered suspicious and criminal property. It got a lot of car guys into trouble as you’d sell a car for £2000 or something or buy a car for £3000 or something and be walking around with a big wad of cash. The police might declare a SOCPA seizure but they have to give it you back in 48 hours if you can prove it.
But here’s the shitty thing
If you literally have the bank slip about how you just took it out the bank? It still gets taken off you and you have to go claim it back.
In Hong Kong and China.
In Hong Kong I once had a LOT of cash on me. A client had literally handed me a massive wad of cash to build him his dream home and to refurbish his dad’s ancient home. I had a contract signed it was in black and white. I was stopped by police. They asked for my ID went through my bag and asked me why I had all that cash on me, I was literally on the way to the bank.
They had a look at the contract and put the cash back and let me be on my way. The same happened with my builder friend it was pay day and he had well over $100K on him. Police searched him saw his bank slip of him withdrawing it and pay contracts and he was let go there and then and allowed to walk away with the cash.
How a pilot stops a woke crazed Karen
Cranberry Fritters
Yield: 3 dozen
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup fresh cranberries
- 1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon milk
- 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
- Oil (for deep frying)
- Confectioners’ sugar (optional)
Instructions
- Wash cranberries and dry on paper towels.
- Sift dry ingredients together and mix in milk gradually to form a stiff dough. With well-floured hands, pinch off 1 teaspoon of dough and make an indentation. Sprinkle a little brown sugar in the indentation and place a cranberry in the center. Roll dough around the berry. balls should be about the size of a large marble.
- Heat oil in a deep, heavy kettle until the temperature reaches 375 degrees F.
- Drop fritter balls into the hot fat and fry, turning, until they are deep golden brown on all sides. Drain on paper towels. If desired, shake confectioners’ sugar over the fritters just before serving.
- Serve hot.
He made a mistake robbing that store
Now that the PRC has removed term limits for Xi Jinping, isn’t it essentially a dictatorship?
I am an ordinary Chinese citizen. I will attempt to explain this issue in 30 sentences:
- The Chinese government has a vast expert decision-making system.
- Decisions made by the national leaders are always based on scientific and engineering quantitative analysis, rather than unpredictable public opinion.
- In both past and future years, this expert decision-making system has recognized that the world is at a historical crossroads. Different choices lead to different destinies.
- China itself is also a participant in the world’s historical process. Therefore, it deeply understands that “choice” is destiny.
- At the same time, these historical processes that shape destiny are undergoing rapid changes.
- Some of these changes could bring catastrophic disasters to certain countries and peoples.
- These potential disasters include: climate change, wars, pandemics, religious conflicts, clashes of civilizations, and some lunatic presidents who come to power through bluster and populist incitement.
- Although China is an independent civilization historically,
- In a turbulent world, no one can guarantee that China will remain unscathed during this period of historical upheaval.
- This is terrifying. Because the Chinese people have endured hundreds of years of hunger and poverty, and only recently ended absolute poverty.
- As human beings, without enough food and clothing, there is no dignity, no human rights, and no future.
- Chinese people have never believed in an “afterlife.” They often say: “I cannot see the happiness of the next life, I only see the suffering of this life.”
- Chinese people also want to live with dignity, rights, and hope.
- To ensure a better destiny for our country in the future turbulent world,
- To make Chinese people truly human—healthy, happy, decent, free, and creative,
- We must make necessary preparations before the foreseeable turbulent years begin to engulf the world.
- These preparations are divided into two aspects:
- Domestically, we need comprehensive top-level design and strong execution to get through turbulent times.
- Internationally, Chinese people must actively participate in global hotspots, doing our best to eliminate potential dangerous factors that could spiral out of control.
- Because the fewer visible danger factors there are, the higher the controllability, and the better the chances of safely navigating turbulent times.
- Therefore, in China, we see leaders implementing a series of preparatory measures with strong motivation.
- These measures are reflected in the reform and optimization of the financial system, energy system, public health system, education system, real estate system, military system, agricultural system, industrial system, and technological system.
- Outside China, we see China actively promoting the cooling of hotspots.
- These efforts include mediating the historic reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran, uniting various Palestinian factions, promoting political solutions to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and encouraging Southeast Asian countries to integrate into China’s industrial vision.
- This is a vast super-system and an invisible war affecting everyone in the world.
- The dust of history falls on the heads of every ordinary person, and each speck is a mountain.
- The Chinese people, who have carried the burden of mountains for centuries, now just want to live freely and well.
- There is an old Chinese saying: “Changing generals at the front line is a taboo in warfare.”
- So, I wish President Xi and his colleagues success in achieving all their set goals.
- My generation of Chinese might witness this historical turning point firsthand.
Consumer grade model
What’s the most questionable cost-cutting move you’ve seen an employer make?
Consultant here. 1994.
It was a multi-million dollar operation and, for no fault of the company or employees, sales had dropped. (Sales volume had dropped for the entire industry for this time period.) Everybody felt under pressure. The hourly workers were wondering if they could lose their jobs. The commissioned people weren’t prepared for the loss of income. Ownership was wondering if they would be able to spend two weeks in Key West in the fall.
So, what happened?
Ownership canceled the delivered water contract and had the water cooler removed from the front reception room.
For the “savings” of less than $25/month, they removed the proverbial water cooler where EVERYBODY had access and almost everybody used, including using the spring water (versus tap water) for coffee.
Did ownership explain the sacrifice? No, the water cooler disappeared without notice and the receptionist had to explain it was “cost cutting measures.” Did ownership give a pep talk? No, they complained about expenses. Did ownership cancel their annual car leases or downsize to a less expensive choice? No, as always, the delivery of three new Cadillac was made, replacing the brand new “fleet” (for owner, owner wife and owner son/employee) from the previous year.
The water cooler disappeared and within two months the operation lost all its salesmen, half its hourly force and 80% of business. Dumbest move I’d ever seen.
Losing Big: Semiconductor War Backfires On US Chip Companies, Allies Are Refusing To Comply
Do you agree with an Australian saying no way China built 43,000 km of high speed rail network? It’s not humanly possible.
China isn’t exactly hidden from the world is it?
You have a Visa and can visit China anytime and see for yourself can’t you?
China has 34 routes on HS measuring a distance of 4,790 Kms at 350 KPH
China has 57 routes on Rail measuring a distance of 28,730 Kms at 256 KPH
That’s 33,520 Kms of guaranteed railway length
This is public record. You can check each route, delete the repeating routes and this is the number you get
170 million travelled by these routes this year and purchased tickets
So they have 33,000+ kms publicly published on record – more than the rest of the world combined
Why would they lie about having a mere 10,000 Kms more?
If they had said 100,000 – I understand
They said 43,000 when they have 33,500 that can be verified sitting in Chennai
Why make up a mere 10,000 Kms?
So my guess is 43,000 is very true and Australia is just as usual being a sore loser
Men Are Healing From Dating In The West When Going Overseas
Paintings of the High Seas
Carne Adobado (Spiced Pork)
This is great as a filling for Indian Fry Bread.
Ingredients
- 2 cups red chile puree or 12 tablespoons chile powder
- 3 pounds fresh, lean pork
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon oregano
- 2 cloves garlic, mashed
Instructions
- Cut pork into strips.
- Mix other ingredients, add to pork strips, and let stand in refrigerator for 24 hours.
- Cut meat into cubes and brown in small amounts of oil. Add chile sauce and simmer one hour or more.
- To serve, add more fresh chile sauce and cook until tender.
He Died 40 Years Ago, Now His Family Finally Admits What We All Suspected
https://youtu.be/gKy8vfIB_wU
Leaders of 14 Palestine factions sign Beijing Declaration agreeing to end division, disrupting Israel’s plan to keep the factions divided to prevent Palestine state creation. This is a significant achievement. Why is USA unable to broker such peace?
Sometimes when I see you Americans talking about politics, I get anxious!
The elites in the U.S. are extremely intelligent, but the general public’s political literacy definitely needs more serious study.
I’m not an official, nor am I a member of the Chinese Communist Party. According to the CCP’s class classification, I’m just an urban commoner… I just enjoy reading history books in my spare time.
I’ll speak my mind, based on the freedom of speech you Americans like to talk about!
Clearly, I’m not a professional, and I don’t have much knowledge, just talking nonsense.
Here I go!
Don’t just focus on the Middle East!
Chairman Mao said 50 years ago: Taiwan is small, the world is big.
It’s the same principle.
Chinese people often ridicule the Japanese for having tactics without strategy, but the Japanese also understand that “the world is one big chess game.”
There is no Middle East issue, no Taiwan issue, no South China Sea issue, no Russia-Ukraine conflict.
The only real issue is the five big words: 后美国时代！(Post-American Era)
Americans are still stubbornly believing they are the only superpower, not believing that in 5 to 10 years, America could completely collapse. The U.S. is already extremely dangerous; all the signs of an empire’s collapse are already present in America.
Americans might not know this, but the wolves, tigers, and hyenas in the world, they know it. They’re all tensing up, showing their fangs!
You don’t play Go, but you probably play bridge, right? Personally, I really enjoy bridge.
The bidding in bridge is very interesting. You look at your hand, estimate your strength, and then communicate with your partner and opponents using a kind of coded language, right?
John Mearsheimer, the most popular American strategist in China, sadly believes in his book The Tragedy of Great Power Politics that great powers are caught in a prisoner’s dilemma and cannot trust each other. This is certainly true, but not entirely true.
Great powers can communicate through the bidding process in bridge.
For example, not long ago, the U.S. invited China to participate in arms control talks, and China refused.
For China, this situation is very rare.
Then, the U.S. unusually announced its nuclear arsenal numbers, less than 3,500.
This means: China, don’t misunderstand, I don’t intend to start a nuclear war.
Then China immediately issued a statement: Suggesting not to initiate a nuclear war. (This is China’s olive branch to the U.S., indicating that it has no intention of starting a nuclear war.)
Then, China and Russia simultaneously deployed strategic bombers capable of carrying hydrogen bombs for exercises near North America. This signals: China and Russia are now nuclear strategic allies; if the U.S. strikes either one, China and Russia will retaliate with nuclear force.
The U.S. media gave it a cold response, with even less attention than the previous balloon incident.
American people, don’t rely on your useless media. They are all liars.
…
Isn’t it obvious? 1+1=2, 2+2=4…
Only a fool would not understand…
Speaking of the Middle East, haven’t you noticed that in the Beijing Declaration, the supported UN plan is Resolution 181, which is a return to the situation of 1948, not the previous 1967 two-state solution!
This indicates that China is very unhappy with Israel and is willing to provide more support to other Middle Eastern countries, not just morally.
Now, all the wolves and tigers around the world are rubbing their hands, preparing for the next move, such as Erdogan.
Rest assured, this person is extremely shrewd. Although he makes the loudest noise, he is more stingy than anyone else when it comes to deploying troops. His ecological niche is to challenge Iran.
In this feast of spoils, Iran might indeed miss the opportunity to sit at the table.
Turkey and Russia are still more ruthless and smarter. Iran has been excessively indecisive. What a pity.
Modern Women Have Realized They Made the Biggest Mistake of their Lives
Why is North Korea so hated?
You’re told to, that’s why.
Meanwhile you’re told to ignore anything before a certain point… where have we heard that before?
What do you mean before a certain point?
You know 22 years ago on 11th September 2001? 3000 people were killed yeah?
Some basic maths? 1/95,000th of the US population were killed that day. A typical person’s network is about 100–150 people meaning about – 450000 were indirectly affected.
A lot right?
In the Korean war the USAF killed 20–25% of their population with airpower, nothing was left standing EVERYTHING was bombed. Shacks, huts EVERYTHING was bombed.
1 in 4 people were MURDERED by the US airforce.
But wait it gets worse.
US sanctions starved the people killing several more million.
You think about that, 3000 people were killed in the USA and 450,000 were affected and the USA went on a rape murder spree killing nearly 5 million people
the white power types like Colin Riegels are all hahahahhaha it was FUN TO DESTROY IRAQ non whites are just insects! Only WHITE DEATHS COUNT because WE ARE THE WORLD NOBODY ELSE IS HUMAN.
And yet most white supremacies still think they’re the good guys.
The popularity of Abu Ghraib is testament to that
The whistleblower Joe Darby was absolutely destroyed over that when his conscience told him to show the shitty things the US has been doing for decades.
Scott Ritter REVEALS: NATO in Full PANIC! Russia Puts Ukraine’s Army on the Verge of TOTAL COLLAPSE!
Shorpy
Elon Musk speaks
U.S. Government Selects New President For Venezuela
The clown show continues:
U.S. says Maduro lost Venezuelan election, calls for talks, transition – Washington Post
CARACAS, Venezuela — The United States on Thursday said opposition candidate Edmundo González defeated President Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela’s presidential election and called for negotiations to ensure a peaceful transition of power.Maduro claims that he won Sunday’s vote. The opposition, meanwhile, says that the government’s own records, as well as independent exit polls, indicate that González won twice as many as votes.
“Given the overwhelming evidence, it is clear to the United States and, most importantly, to the Venezuelan people that Edmundo González Urrutia won the most votes in Venezuela’s July 28 presidential election,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement Thursday evening.
Did anyone inform “President” Juan Guaido?
Putin Makes a statement
A comment
It’s interesting how the US always knows what happens in other countries’ elections, and the “real” results, but can’t manage its own elections and has a political system which no longer bears any resemblance to democracy in substance, and ever less so in form.
It’s also interesting how the US allows itself, and is allowed, to openly choose other countries’ leaders, and to assassinate them if other “democratic’ US methods don’t succeed.
The Grotesque States of America, as someone called it, is blind to how grotesque it has become and how much revulsion it is generating, which is systematically pushing it into irrelevance.
As for Venezuela, it is not going to allow another Guido cycle to hinder its path forward.
“Tensions that emerged on Sunday and continued on Monday and Tuesday, are now under control, and this control will become stricter day by day in order to ensure [the country’s] peace, prosperity and production,” Maduro said.
“We have arrested over 1,200 criminals and are now searching for another 1,000, who will also be arrested,” the president continued, adding that those individuals “underwent training in Texas, US, as well as in Colombia, Peru and Chile,” and his government has video footage of these training sessions to prove it.
He also said that “the criminals set over 300 police stations on fire.” In his words, around 80% of rioters were under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
“We are catching them, one by one, and there will be no mercy,” Maduro said, announcing that two maximum security prisons will be put into operation about two weeks later. “All criminals will go to maximum security prisons.”
https://tass.com/world/1824421
Posted by: JB | Aug 2 2024 8:31 utc | 10
This CAT has a CAMERA and became a VLOGGER
Huckleberry Fritters
Yield: 2 dozen
Ingredients
- 2 cups huckleberries or blueberries
- 3 cups unbleached flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup water
- Oil (for deep frying)
Instructions
- Wash berries and allow to drain well.
- Sift dry ingredients together into a mixing bowl.
- Beat eggs with water until foamy. Mix quickly into dry ingredients. Fold in berries.
- Heat oil or shortening in deep heavy skillet to 350 degrees F.
- Drop batter by tablespoonsful into the hot oil. Turn fritters frequently so that they brown to a deep golden color on all sides.
- Drain on paper towels and serve hot.
Crocodile Dundee (1986) *First Time Watching Reaction!
Why would Musk still contribute 45 million a month to Trump’s super PAC when he has invited the Chinese to build EVs in the US?
On the Chinese internet, people are also discussing this issue.
The majority believe that it is because of certain Democratic policies that have angered Elon Musk.
What I mean is the matter of Musk’s son transitioning.
We may be completely wrong in our speculation, but as Chinese people, this kind of thinking is quite natural.
Few Chinese parents would agree with such a thing and would definitely be extremely angry. So, perhaps we are projecting our own feelings.
Chinese people generally like Trump more, at least much more than Biden, and it has nothing to do with tariffs or anything like that. Here are two very important factors:
1. Values: You read that right, Chinese people relatively recognize Trump’s values more, such as hard work, valuing family, and not doing drugs.
Especially important is that due to political correctness, we don’t dare to oppose LGBTQ and immigration on the internet.
But in reality, people are very anxious.
This is not discrimination; it has to do with Chinese history. For thousands of years, the Chinese view on homosexuality has been “Oh, that’s fine, but don’t force it on me, and don’t affect me. We are all equal, you can’t think you’re superior just because you’re a minority.”
This is different from the West, where there was brutal persecution of homosexuals before, and now there is excessive promotion.
2 Immigration issue: In our history, we didn’t capture Black people from Africa and sell them as slaves, so we naturally don’t have a sense of guilt.
We are also not a country of immigrants, so when more than 30,000 Africans without legal status (some even claim up to 500,000, which I doubt, it shouldn’t be that many) gather in specific communities in Guangzhou, with over 90% being young males, and increasing at a rate of 30% per year, we are really, really worried.
But the above two issues, because of political correctness, cannot be publicly opposed. When we hear Trump’s views on sexual minorities and illegal immigrants, we naturally feel: he is saying what we want to say!
3.Trump doesn’t “keep a dog”
There are countless attacks and abusive comments against China on the Chinese internet, but very few in real life because the majority are actually paid posts.
These people don’t discuss other issues normally, but once a hot event like the Ukraine crisis happens, they post the same content densely to stir things up.
Chinese netizens generally believe they are hired by the Democratic Party, saying the American Democrats are too good at “remote farming dogs.” During Trump’s administration, this phenomenon was rare, possibly because he was smart enough to know that such actions only make the Chinese more disgusted and serve no purpose, so he cut the funding for online opinion wars.
Therefore, many people hope he will be in power again, at least to clean up the Chinese internet a bit.
These are situations that foreigners might not know about, so I ventured to respond.
Can the PRC use ground-based missiles to wipe out 80+% of Taiwan’s air force and navy in a first strike before using its air force to attack Taiwan?
It’s very easy to do. However, Taiwan’s air force and navy soldiers also have family members. When they die, their parents and siblings must have been devastated.
The CPC will not resort to war to unify Taiwan until it is absolutely necessary.
After all, the two sides of the Strait share the same roots after all, so there is no need to fight to the death.
In the same family, it was common for the eldest brother to join the PLA and the younger brother to join the Kuomintang army.
Mao Fumei, Chiang Kai-shek’s first wife and Chiang Ching-kuo’s mother, was actually from the same clan as Mao Zedong. According to the seniority, Chiang Kai-shek was Mao Zedong’s “brother-in-law” or “uncle”. Even Mao’s younger cousin was a lieutenant general in the Kuomintang.
Xi Jinping’s wife’s uncle followed Chiang Kai-shek to Taiwan in 1949. Xi Jinping’s wife’s uncle’s family lives in Taiwan.
During the Chinese People’s Liberation War in 1949, 4 million Kuomintang soldiers surrendered and only a very small number of them lost their lives in the war.
Starting from April 1949,
- only those Kuomintang soldiers who contacted the PLA at least one month in advance to surrender could be considered “abandon evil and follow good, 起义”,
- those who surrendered 72 hours before the PLA attack could only be considered “active surrender, 投诚”,
- and those who laid down their weapons during the PLA attack could only be considered “captive, 被俘”.
It is said that there was a unit in Lin Biao’s Fourth Field Army that was very rude, and it was the unit that was specifically reprimanded by Premier Zhou Enlai. They thought that there were too many Kuomintang troops who “abandoned evil and followed good, 起义” and “active surrendered, 投诚”, and their enemy annihilation figures were not good, so they returned the weapons to the Kuomintang soldiers when they had clearly “active surrender, 投诚”, and forced them to change their “active surrender, 投诚” to “captive, 被俘”.
“Abandon evil and follow good, 起义”, “active surrender, 投诚”, “captive, 被俘”, the literal meanings are different, and the treatment is very different.
In the 1980s – 1990s, a large number of people petitioned the central government, demanding to prove that they were “abandon evil and follow good , 起义” instead of “active surrender, 投诚”.
Therefore, at that time, the Kuomintang troops spent a lot of time studying how to “abandon evil and follow good , 起义” or “active surrender, 投诚” with the highest cost-effectiveness!
In 1959, when the first batch of war criminals were pardoned at the Gongdelin War Criminals Management Center, it was strictly stipulated that only those who had been “Captured for ten years, 被俘满10年” were eligible for pardon.
At that time, the prisoners of war in the War Criminals Management Center were immediately excited.
- Those captured in the Battle of Lunan, the Battle of Xiangfan, and the Battle of Yangshanji were undoubtedly eligible for the first batch of pardons.
- Those captured in the Liaoshen Campaign and the Huaihai Campaign were all in a good mood.
- But those captured in the Pingjin Campaign were a little confused, and they were not sure whether they were eligible for pardon.
- Those captured after the Crossing the Yangtze River Campaign were all gloomy and wished they had been captured earlier.
Time is running out, places are limited, and the “Abandon evil and follow good, 起义” needs to act sooner rather than later.
Classical art
Native American Ravioli
Ingredients
- 3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
- 4 eggs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
Instructions
- Pour the flour into a mound on a flat working surface. Make a depression in the center with your hand that almost reaches through to the board. Crack the eggs directly into the well and, with a fork, whip in the salt and oil, mixing the flour in from around the edges. Mix and knead the dough with your hands for 8 to 10 minutes, until the dough has a smooth and elastic consistency. If the dough seems a bit dry, add a little water; add a little more flour if it seems too moist.
- Once you have obtained the desired consistency, cover the dough with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
- Divide the dough into handsful and roll out each section to a very thin, even, almost translucent thickness. Use your imagination to cut the dough into any size or shape.
Notes
Any filling can be used to make the ravioli.
Blue Cornmeal Ravioli: Substitute a combination of 1 cup finely ground blue cornmeal and 1 1/2 cups flour for the flour in this recipe. Increase the number of eggs to 5.
What’s the best mistake you’ve ever made?
I turned up to work just over a year ago.
The previous evening my colleague had asked me for my password to my computer so she could print some “things” from my computer.
This colleague did not like me.
She then went through my messages that I had sent to another colleague. These messages would be deemed inappropriate in the workplace.
She showed these messages to a manager.
I turned up to the work next day.
My belongings were packed in a box and I was told I would not be needed at work today or ever again.
My mistake was sending the inappropriate messages to my colleague who subsequently resigned the same day.
I cost myself a job.
I cost my friend and colleague his job.
This was my mistake.
What happened from here though was a moment of self reflection.
Instead of blaming my employer and my sneaky colleague I turned around and asked myself:
“Why did I write those messages in the first place?”
I began to ask myself other questions.
“Why was I so angry at the sneaky women who got me fired?”
“Why was I in a job that I didn’t like in the first place?”
This led me to more questions.
“Why was I being rude about another person behind their back?”
“Why did I let my ego make bad decisions for the last twenty five years?”
My mistake led me to realise that I had been a bad human being for a number of years.
Since being fired I’ve opened my own gym, written for the Huffington Post and spoken about this same mistake for the last year and how I learned from it.
Being a bad person and getting caught was the biggest mistake I’ve ever made but it made the best man I’ve ever been too.
What’s wrong with Venezuela’s economy?
They decided to make it rain like there is no tomorrow. And then tomorrow came.
See, for an individual relying on a day job is probably fine. For a household relying on a single income is not great but, it works in many instances. For a company, only having one source of revenue, is very very reckless. For a nation, relying purely on one form of income and doing very very little to create wealth otherwise is just a recipe for disaster.
In the 1970s, and later, Venezuela decided to go on a spending spree. Taxes were lowered and government spending was increased in the form of handouts. This led to an increase in the purchase of foreign cars and other luxury items. The government then went crazy with its government-owned enterprises moving into utilities, roadways, health, internet, telecommunication, and tourism. They also entered the finance industry, buying up private banks and making them state-run which were financially crippling to purchase and then so poorly run that they never made a profit.
When government-run enterprises and workers get all the money they need, it makes it incredibly hard for private enterprises and small businesses to compete. Why would an individual start a business, if the government will just open a competing business, run it to a loss and drive the individual out of work.
In 2008, all export industries apart from oil had collapsed which resulted in massive unemployment but the government took massive debt and provided handouts. At this point, the country was literally a lottery winner who quit their job, spent all of the money and then re-mortgages the homes, they bought with their winnings in order to buy more lottery tickets.
The declining oil prices, then bought the whole house of cards crashing down. And then the poorly run government bureaucracy did, what a poorly run government bureaucracy does and tried to print its way out of trouble, causing massive hyperinflation in the process.