Thursday, April 28, 2016

Oil rich Venezuela embraces 2-day workweek to save power

Yahoo News:  The socialist administration began imposing a four-hour daily blackout around the country this week to save electricity. Then, Maduro announced that millions of officials will now work only Mondays and Tuesdays, taking the rest of the week off in a bid to save electricity.

On Wednesday, more than 1,000 police fanned out around the western city of Maracaibo after a night of riots. More than 100 people were arrested there for looting that damaged dozens of businesses, according to local governor Francisco Arias, who supports the Maduro government. Venezuela is among the world's most violent countries, and crime generally spikes here when the lights go out.

Some Venezuelans complain that the country is starting to resemble the dystopian series "The Hunger Games," in which districts suffer for the benefit of a heartless capital city.

Venezuela's economy is projected to contract 8 percent this year, according to the International Monetary Fund.

People working for the state, the country's largest employer, will be paid for the days they stay home. Some have been using their Fridays off to wait in lines to buy groceries and other goods. Others have been going home to watch TV and run the air conditioning, leading critics to say the furlough is not an effective energy-saving measure.

20 comments:

AllenS said...

Hey, I have a brilliant idea, why not elect a socialist in this country? What could possibly go wrong?

Amartel said...

Proving, once again, that Marxism is intellectualism for dummies.

edutcher said...

They can't pay for paper for anything.

Methadras said...

I wonder when Sanders is going to start touting Venezuela as a model of democratic socialism? The lulz.

ampersand said...

See, that's why Obama is not a true socialist,we can still find toilet paper in this country. Soon with a Harriet Tubman design.

Jim in St Louis said...

You guys are on a roll!

Jim in St Louis said...

Venezuela is just trying to wipe out the deficit.

Jim in St Louis said...

I think the police need to flush out these criminals.

Jim in St Louis said...

OK, I’ll stop, toilet paper puns are tear able.

Chip Ahoy said...

This is a good sign.

ndspinelli said...

LOL! Keep the toilet paper analogies coming.

ampersand said...

Bernie Voters.
NO Toilet Paper Now!

Feel the Bern.

ampersand said...

Bernie Voter
You.'ll have to pry that roll into my cold dead shit stained fingers!

Feel the Bern.

ndspinelli said...

ampersand, LOL! Keep 'em coming.

ampersand said...

Public Enemy of the State #1

Feel the Bern.

Methadras said...

Venezuala has strained to remain solid, but has instead prolapsed into a slurry of chaos that will need to be cleaned up.

ampersand said...

Feel the Bern

ampersand said...

No Square to Spare.

Feel the Bern.

ndspinelli said...

Meth getting all scatalogical.

Methadras said...

ndspinelli said...

Meth getting all scatalogical.


It happens on occasion. At least I don't pinch like Titus does.