Economic failings and social successes of Chavismo on BBC Newsnight
Brief comments on Venezuelan economic reforms for a BBC Newsnight report by Gabriel Gatehouse.
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Is socialism to blame for Venezuela’s never-ending crisis?
Republished courtesy of Al Jazeera. Though ’21st-century socialism’ is implicated in Venezuela’s collapse, so too are many characteristics of the country’s context, capitalism, and culture. Venezuela’s recent presidential election has… Continue reading "Is socialism to blame for Venezuela’s never-ending crisis?"
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The only thing keeping Venezuela’s Maduro in power is the opposition
Republished courtesy of Al Jazeera. If Venezuela’s opposition really wants to remove Nicolas Maduro, it must unite behind renegade candidate Henri Falcon. Can anyone win in an illegitimate election? This… Continue reading "The only thing keeping Venezuela’s Maduro in power is the opposition"
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What the left must learn from Maduro’s failures in Venezuela
Republished courtesy of The Guardian. The inspirational successes of early Chavismo may have blinded broadly pro-Chávez academics like me to later failings and excesses, but the democratic slide under Maduro has been… Continue reading "What the left must learn from Maduro’s failures in Venezuela"
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ALBA, el TCP y los obstáculos a la cooperación económica Sur-Sur
Published in the CRIES Anuario de Integración (2015). This article for the Coordinadora Regional de Investigaciones Económicas y Sociales (CRIES) annual report on Latin America and the Caribbean integration considers how the Bolivarian… Continue reading "ALBA, el TCP y los obstáculos a la cooperación económica Sur-Sur"
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Long-view review: Pendleton Satchel single bike pannier bag
OWNED FOR: 2 years, 2 months. CONCLUSION: Highly recommended: light, portable, durable, spacious, easy to use, and water resistant enough, with one tiny but annoying issue. Filling It Up As you can see (above… Continue reading "Long-view review: Pendleton Satchel single bike pannier bag"
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Long-view review: Garmin Forerunner 620 GPS watch
OWNED FOR: 18 months. CONCLUSION: Wouldn’t buy again due to serious reliability issues relating to charging. Charging Problems The image above is one of my attempts to force my Garmin 620 to charge… Continue reading "Long-view review: Garmin Forerunner 620 GPS watch"
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I tried not to vote for Corbyn, but I just couldn’t stop myself!
Originally published in The Huffington Post. In the face of dire warnings about his economic policies, his electability, and his past indiscretions, I just voted for Jeremy Corbyn in the… Continue reading "I tried not to vote for Corbyn, but I just couldn’t stop myself!"
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Spain’s Podemos just latest victim of toxic Venezuela monster!
Originally Huffington Post, but also Venezuela Analysis, Latin America Bureau, Latin American Diaries. Spain’s traditional parties aim to halt the remarkable rise of Podemos by painting links to Venezuela as foreign… Continue reading "Spain’s Podemos just latest victim of toxic Venezuela monster!"
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What’s better: class 6 or 10, generic or branded MicroSD in Android phone?
Long story short: that cheapo generic one may be more trouble than it’s worth, and the price difference is piddling This is purely anecdotal. It’s not based on any sustained research or even… Continue reading "What’s better: class 6 or 10, generic or branded MicroSD in Android phone?"