BTW,
Here is the actual report:
De acuerdo con Datanálisis, el año pasado la adquisición de bienes y servicios experimentó un incremento de 18%, una cifra histórica en el país, en la cual los estratos D y E han tenido una participación muy importante
A pesar de la pronunciada escasez o ausencia de algunos productos de la dieta diaria, registrada en los meses de enero y febrero pasados, el consumo no se vio afectado y, muy por el contrario, se mantuvo en alza.
En el primer bimestre de 2007, el consumo en general estuvo estable en comparación con el comportamiento del mismo período de 2006, cuando evidenció un crecimiento de 8%, según informó Luis Vicente León, director-socio de Datanálisis.
Cuando hay ausencia de rubros, el producto en particular tiene un sustituto directo, una presentación, que lo reemplaza, situación que es típica de una economía que se maneja con controles.
En el caso de la escasez, como se da con el queso blanco, la leche, y las sardinas, el consumidor cambia de producto y se ajusta o busca el bien en otro lugar pagando precios mucho más altos.
Las razones que explican este crecimiento del consumo son las mismas que han estado presentes en los últimos tres años: elevados precios petroleros que impulsan un elevado gasto público y un exceso de liquidez que presiona la demanda de bienes y servicios.
De hecho, el consumo general agregado, en 2006, registró una cifra récord de 18% en Venezuela. De acuerdo con León, el valor más alto alcanzado por este indicador estaba en alrededor de 15%.
“El año pasado el incremento de la liquidez fue de 65%, el cuádruple con respecto a 2003”, indicó. Son los estratos más bajos de la población venezolana los que puntean los niveles de consumo.
Las clases D y E, que concentran 79,3% de los habitantes del país, tienen una propensión más alta al consumo y esto se relaciona directamente con que están percibiendo mayores ingresos por concepto de las misiones sociales y, en general, por el incremento del gasto público que ha permeado desde la base de la pirámide.
Los alimentos, como parte del consumo general, son más estables que la economía global porque son más insensibles, dijo el economista. Este rubro creció 16% el año pasado, aunque no fue histórico, es un registro espectacular.
El Gobierno seguirá expandiendo el gasto y el consumo general crecerá 8% este año, de acuerdo con estimaciones de Datanálisis.
Well, OW, to balance out the increased caloric intake, it is incumbent on the government to organize projects that require applying human energy in productive ways: organic gardens, ecological restoration, construction, etc.
I say this half seriously. Indeed, sedentary patterns of behavior are the bane of all 'consumer' societies.
Eight years of defending against destablization and countering the most grotesque propaganda have stifled innovative communitarian efforts.
My hope is that the revolution would step it up a knotch, helping Venezuleans take more direct action toward improving their lives.
But food is a key. Without access to minimum amounts of food, all else is limited.
Indeed, this is overall positive news.
An apt comparison would be an analysis of the status quo in the decade before Chavez was elected. The fact that the ruling duopoly let the impoverished masses languish for decades points up their psychic bankrupcy. They travelled to Disney world and Miami---and they were content to let those suffering the worst deprivations in the barrios eat cake.
And where is all the food coming from?
" And where is all the food coming from?"
Where's your gas coming from?
actually, where JSB gets his gas and where Venezuela gets its food is not a good comparison.
Venezuela gets food from multiple sources - some is grown internally, some is imported. So far so good.
Now the U.S. also imports a lot of stuff that it consumes, just like Venezuela. But there is a HUGE difference. See Venezuela actually pays for what it imports - or in other words exports more than what it imports so that it has a large trade surplus. By contrast the US imports way more than it exports, that is it is running trade deficits. Once the Chinese and others get tired of loaning the U.S. money, watch out.
Venezuela doesn't have to worry about that problem 
the berries I bought at Raley's in Sacramento the other day came from Mexico and Chile
the bananas from Central America, somewhere
my MacBook, made in China . . . .
even the US military is recruiting and enlisting undocumented people to carry out the occupation of Iraq
last I heard, the soldiers in the Venezuelan army are Venezuelan
You forgot some of the news:
Desempleo sube a 10,9% en febrero
http://economia.eluniversal.com/
...19A846337.shtml
Venezuela es el petroestado con más inflación en este boom
http://economia.eluniversal.com/
...tr_216633.shtml
BCV entrega otros $2 mil millones de las reservas
http://economia.eluniversal.com/
...$2_216641.shtml
Unemployment was .1% above February of 2006. NOt a huge number. Nice to see that 189,000 new jobs were created though.
On your second article - it is the petro state with the HIGHEST growth.
Where is the food coming from? Trade, fair trade. I hear they're getting more beef from Argentina in exchange for oil. Beans from Cuba: same deal. And of course, there's the use of oil money to encourage endogenous farming, too--especially by co-ops. This means more food self-sufficiency in the long run.
Anyone besides me sensing a pattern here? Namely, that "sembrar el petroleo" actually WORKS?
BTW, off topic but very interesting:
http://www.chron.com/disp/story....cs/
4640077.html
A surprisingly reasoned, un-hateful profile of Chavez's really rojo-rojito older brother, Adan. Coming from the Houston Chronicle, which has it in for Chavez more often than not, this is an earth-shaker.
Actually, it is interesting how they made fun of all those "primative barter" deals at the time and now are left wondering "where is all the food coming from?"
Actually, it is interesting how they made fun of all those "primative barter" deals at the time and now are left wondering "where is all the food coming from?"
Wonder no more! It's amazing how well non-monetarist trading works if you just put your mind to it...
Ow, nope it's by no means the petro-state with most growth, see for example the Republic of Azerbaijan:
Real GDP (2003-2006)
10.4 10.2 24.3 26.2
CPI (end-of-period)
3.6 10.4 5.5 12.0
with lower inflation. It may have high growth, yes, however, inflation is irresponsibly high and I dare also say it's the petro-state which has invested its windfall revenue most recklessly, still running budget deficits in times of bonanza...
Azerbaijan?
Say, isn't that a REAL dictatorship, friendly to BushCo? I dare swear it is...
Why aren't the oppos and Busheviks whining about THAT place and its intrinsic political evils?
Oh yeah, silly me, I forgot: No socialism. No democracy. Tame dictator not making Chavecito-esque noises. That's why.
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