Chavez Nationalizes Sunlight

An equitable redistribution of daytime.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070824/od_nm/venezuela_time_dc_1;_ylt=ApynbxYJ7FDy.OCPHWqUb4XEHX0V
from JoeUser Forums
The great leader Hugo Chavez has decided to redistribute the sun's wealth more fairly within his small oil-rich nation. Is he taking steps towards reality or fantasy?

From Reuters:
CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has changed his country's name, redesigned its flag and rejigged its coat of arms in his drive for a socialist state. Now the leftist reformer, highly popular for redistributing oil income, is seeking to move the country's time zone to offer a more equitable distribution of sunlight.

Venezuela in September will turn clocks back by 30 minutes as it switches time zones to boost the amount of natural light to residents, a government official said on Thursday. Next month Venezuelan clocks will be set at Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) minus 4-1/2 hours, compared to the previous GMT minus four hours, Science and Technology Minister Hector Navarro told reporters at a news conference. He said the measure sought "a more fair distribution of the sunrise," which would particularly help poor children who wake up before dawn to go to school. (emphasis added)

What a guy, this Chavez. With his penchant for nationalizing everything else, redesigning the flag, and shutting down dissentious media outlets... I guess it was about time that he moved his country off the :00 axis too. Other nations' time zones are offset by :30, including one in the Western Hemisphere (Labrador). But it is odd, especially for a South American country. Just sets Chavez' little dynasty apart even more.

2,166 views 9 replies
Reply #2 from JoeUser Forums Top
With his penchant for nationalizing everything else, redesigning the flag, and shutting down dissentious media outlets...


Nationalizing everything, shutting down media outlets (fairness doctrine)......those things sound very familiar. 
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Reply #3 from JoeUser Forums Top
And this is the guy Sean Penn wants running OUR country!
Reply #4 from JoeUser Forums Top
And this is the guy Sean Penn wants running OUR country!

Maybe Sean should appoint himself President-For-Life too. Or maybe he has, in his own little mind.

The problem I see with Chavez is that he is a Communist tyrant, plain and simple. He is unabashedly nationalizing the oil production in his country, he's outlawing dissentious speech, he's declaring himself President-For-Life... he's just a classic, old-school dictator in the style of Idi Amin and Papa Doc Duvalier.
Reply #5 from JoeUser Forums Top

Viva Il Duce!  Dictator for Life!

Today sunlight, tomorrow longevity.  In a move watched closely by humanitarians around the world (such as Kim Il Sung, Ali Khamenei, Than Shwe, Hu Jintao and of course his beloved Castro), Chavez has decided to equalize the life spans of all his people. WHen a poor person dies, a non-poor person will be put to death to equalize the life expectancy of all Venezuelans.

Film at 11.

Reply #6 from JoeUser Forums Top
When a poor person dies, a non-poor person will be put to death to equalize the life expectancy of all Venezuelans.

Fair and equitable distribution of life.
Reply #7 from JoeUser Forums Top
Soon Air will be nationalized in Chavezuala, everyone will be allowed only so many inhales per hour.. anyone caught using more air that Chavez rules is fair will be executed by... what else? smothering.
Reply #8 from JoeUser Forums Top
In some ways it makes sense. The US has daylight savings time, doesn't it? Is that a socialist plot worthy of fruit loops? If Venezuala can benefit from a half-hour shift I really don't see why it shouldn't use it.

It's just a timezone. Australia has three - EST (GMT+10), CST (GMT+9.5) and WST (GMT+8). One of those uses a half-hour difference because it makes better use of sunlight. State government could change those times if they felt like it or it made a lick of sense. You can't nationalise what a state already automatically controls.

If you want to criticise Chavez, there are so many better reasons than what could well be an intelligent shift to the clock. He's a dictator who crushes political opposition. Rightwingers are really a disappointment these days. They only care about the trivial and the absurd. That supposed to be the moderate path.
Reply #9 from JoeUser Forums Top
If you want to criticise Chavez, there are so many better reasons than what could well be an intelligent shift to the clock. He's a dictator who crushes political opposition. Rightwingers are really a disappointment these days. They only care about the trivial and the absurd. That supposed to be the moderate path.


Someone needs to get a sense of humor. It is said that liberals (American deffinition) dont have a sense of humor. That appears to be less a stereotype and more a reality.