You Probably Didn’t Hear that Venezuela Was Again Ranked the Happiest Country in South America
You Probably Didn’t Hear that Venezuela Was Again Ranked the Happiest Country in South America
Written by Dan Beeton
Tuesday, 17 September 2013 15:50
The U.N. Sustainable Development Solutions Network released its World Happiness Report for 2013 last week. Following up on the first such report, released last year, the U.N. says that the 2013 edition
delves in more detail into the analysis of the global happiness data, examining trends over time and breaking down each country’s score into its component parts, so that citizens and policy makers can understand their country’s ranking. It also draws connections to other major initiatives to measure well-being, including those conducted by the OECD and UNDP’s Human Development Report…
The World Happiness Report, as with similar such studies as the Happy Planet Index is in part a response to perceived shortcomings with traditional economic and social measures such as growth, poverty rates, employment, education, life expectancy and other indicators.
While U.S. media coverage of the report was not overwhelming, there was some. The report was also covered in numerous international outlets in countries throughout Europe, in Asia, Africa and Australia and New Zealand, among others. CNN noted that
“On a regional basis, by far the largest gains in life evaluations in terms of the prevalence and size of the increases have been in Latin America and the Caribbean, and in Sub-Saharan Africa", the report said. Reduced levels of corruption also contributed to the rise.
But CNN neglected to mention that Venezuela ranked first – again – among South American nations as happiest.
More:
http://www.cepr.net/index.php/blogs/the-americas-blog/you-probably-didnt-hear-that-venezuela-was-again-ranked-the-happiest-country-in-south-America
= new reply since forum marked as read
From the ending of the article:
Overall, mostly Northern European countries ranked happiest in the new World Happiness Report: Denmark ranked first, followed in order by Norway, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Sweden.
Why has there been so little attention to the report – and to Venezuela’s ranking in it, among the U.S. outlets that did cover it? Could it be that the gains in Venezuela over the past decade challenge the conventional wisdom routinely reported in the press that Venezuela is a mess in terms of its economic, politics and security, and which typically presents Venezuelans as unhappy? As the Huffington Post notes:
The report -- which analyzed 156 countries -- is intended to be used as a means of improving policy making worldwide by highlighting how people around the world measure their well-being. The findings were based off national statistics and several surveys, including the Gallup World Poll, to assess a population’s emotional happiness and overall satisfaction with life. [Emphasis added.]
It is perhaps not surprising that media outlets that regularly try to convince their audiences that the social democratic policies being pursued in countries in Scandinavia, South America and elsewhere are a failure don’t want to report the contentment of citizens living in these countries.
We've seen this in previous years, and Peace Patriot has discussed this forbidden topic many times, as well. It's something the fascists just can't drown. We're glad and unsurprised to see it, yet again!
Rave on, right-wingers. You never need to introduce yourselves. Your behavior speaks for you.
Por: Rubén Marcano | Jueves, 19/09/2013 02:38 AM | Versión para imprimir
El dólar negro está llegando a 50 bolívares, y querámoslo o no, la economía se rige inexorablemente por esa referencia.
El pasado sábado me asomé al Bicentanario de Plaza Venezuela, el más grande del país, y las colas para ingresar llegaban al Estadio Universitario. Esto supone unos dos kilómetros de filas, sólo para ingresar.
Luego me di una vuelta por los boletos aéreos porque tenía ganas de planificar un viaje a uno de los países de Mercosur, y lo que meses atrás costaba 4 o 5 mil bolívares; ahora valen 15 y hasta 17 mil, imagínense. ¿Cómo viaja un profesional clase media con un salario de 6 ó 7 mil mensuales?
Un reporte de El Universal, da cuenta que los apartamentos en la otrora famosa parroquia modelo de Caracas, La Candelaria, los apartamentos viejos pasan de 5 millones y el banco presta como tope 950 mil bolívares, ni ahorrando se llega a ese precio.
Más tarde, caminé por el centro de Caracas, a echar un ojo a las tiendas de zapatos. Había uno que estuve reuniendo dos meses para comprarlos, y ¡oh sorpresa!, había duplicado su precio, en menos de 60 días.
Luego leí que China traerá vehículos porque los convenios internos no funcionaron por el control cambiario. De manera que los ensamblarán en plantas asiáticas, y exportarán al país, a precio de 400 millones, imagínense.
Mientras la oposición soltó por redes sociales y medios de información, que el gobierno se acercaba al FMI a buscar “dinero fresco” para afrontar la deuda de $4.500 en bonos que vencen en octubre. Sin embargo, fue desmentido, pero enseguida el Presidente anunció que viajaría a China, y dijeron que fue a buscar el dinero allá. ¿No lo sé?, pero crea suspicacias.
Luego me senté a ver la televisión y hablan de un tal “Mocho” Edwin, el nuevo Pran de Sabaneta, luego de echarse al pico a más de 15 reclusos, bebiendo su sangre y cortando sus extremidades. Finalmente, la ministra viajaría al estado, luego que el “Mocho” limpió el camino, e hizo “el trabajo”.
Este lunes, leí un reportaje de un medio de provincia, que daba por sentado la entrega de Rafael Isea a la DEA, como testigo protegido. El exgobernador aragüeño, prenderá el ventilador próximamente, al igual que lo hicieron otros en el pasado. Nada bueno para el gobierno que solicita una Habilitante para la lucha contra la corrupción.
En la Libertador, le entraron a plomo a un motorizado y lo dejaron en plena vía en un charco de sangre…
¿Qué les puedo decir? No me gusta para nada lo que estoy viviendo y viendo desde hace meses en el país, y no parece haber una reacción, sobre todo a nivel económico y alimenticio.
Rubén Marcano, periodista
Translation:
Things Don't Look Good
By: Rubén Marcano | Thursday, 19/09/2013 02:38 AM
The black market dollar is reaching 50 bolívares, and whether we like it or not, the economy is inexorably influenced by this reference.
Last Saturday I took a good look at the Bicentanario (the government-run supermarket chain) in Plaza Venezuela, the largest one in the country, and the lines just to get in went all the way to the University Stadium. This is approximately around 2 kilometers, to be more specific.
Then I went around to see if I could find plane tickets since I'm planning on traveling to one of the countries of Mercosur, and what cost a few months back 4 or 5 thousand bolivars now cost 15 to 17 thousand. How does a middle-class professional travel winning only 6 to 7 thousand per month?
A report from El Universal noted that the apartments in the old famous model parish of Caracas, La Candelaria, the old residencies pass the 5 million bolivars, and banks can lend at most only 950 thousand, not even saving up could one reach those prices.
Later, as I walked through the center of Caracas, to take a look at some shoe stores, there was a pair for which I was saving up for almost 2 months to purchase, and lo and behold, its price had doubled in less than 60 days.
Then I heard that China would be bringing in vehicles because internal agreements did not work out well due to the exchange controls. So now the vehicles will be assembled in Asian plants, and they will be exported to the country, at a price of 400 million per unit. How about that?
While the opposition released through social media information claiming that the government was asking for the IMF to borrow some "fresh money" to counteract the debt of $4.5 billion in bonuses which expire on October. However, this claim was refuted, but immediately after, the President announced that he would traveling to China soon, and supposedly to borrow the money over there instead. I don't know if this is true, but it does raise suspicions.
Then I sat to watch some TV and they were talking about some "Mocho" Edwin, the new Pran (prison gang leader) in Sabaneta, after killing off more than 15 inmates, drinking their blood, and hacking off their limbs. Finally, the Ministress said she would travel to that state, after el "Mocho" had cleaned the way, and had done "the job".
This Monday, I read a report from a provincial source, which stated that Rafael Isea had turned himself to the DEA as a witness under protective custody. The ex-governor of Aragua state will be starting up the fan soon, just like others have done in the past. Nothing that bodes well for a government which is asking for special powers for the fight against corruption.
In the Libertador district, they shot up a motorizado and left him in plain view in the middle of the street in a puddle of blood.
What can I say? I don't like at all what I am living and seeing what is happening in the country for the last few months, and there seems to be NO reaction whatsoever, especially at a level that concerns the economy or food supply.
Rubén Marcano, periodista
So... who is to believe them? A UN report which basically uses data provided only by each country's own government? Or a chavista journalist who has lived and continues to live his whole life in Caracas and is exposed to the city's going-ons every day writing in a pro-Chavista site saying that things are not looking good at all in the country?
One more thing I'd like to add: "El Potro" Álvarez's wedding with Miss Venezuela International 2007, Dayana Colmenares
Damn, for a Chavista candidate for the Sucre municipality of Caracas who claims himself to be a true revolutionary and a true socialist (even so far as saying that any of the government-run universities in Venezuela are better than Harvard), his wedding sure looks like one that an "oligarch" would have
...to the poor majority, I guess.
HA!!!
The "Mad Tea Party" environmental program!
"neglected to mention that Venezuela ranked first" -- just an oversight no doubt. 
...Exxon Mobil & brethren, scraped some off the top for themselves and utterly neglected Venezuela's poor majority and the needs of the country. What Chavez did was to re-negotiate the oil contracts with multinationals to give Venezuelans a much better deal (generally 50%-50%, as opposed to 10%-90%), with these newly negotiated oil profits committed to education, health care, pensions for the elderly, land reform and other social benefits and essential development.
The malfeasance of the pre-Chavez oiligarchy was truly extraordinary. It included neglecting Venezuela's agricultural base to such a degree that Venezuela's national food security was destroyed. They lived off the oil. They bought Gucci bags and caviar off the oil. They imported everything and created an artificial urban culture, while tens of thousands of hectares of agricultural land were allowed to lie fallow--often owned by absentee fatcats--and millions of peasant farmers were driven into urban squalor. This is the "neo-liberal"--i.e., "free trade for the rich"--program that was imposed on the Venezuelan people by the rich elite and their multinational oil allies, and that the people of Venezuela rejected, in the historic political revolution that brought Chavez to power.
Food security cannot be restored in a decade. It will take half a century to restore it, because of the inevitable lag times for recovering agricultural productivity (land must be restored, people newly trained, infrastructure and markets developed). But the Chavez government created one of the better designed land reform programs in the world, using non-coercive methods to re-acquire productive land and to entice people "back to the farm."
It is NOT the chavistas fault that Venezuela depends on oil revenues and has to import a lot of food. They are using the oil revenues IN THE BEST POSSIBLE WAY to develop the country.
Exxon Mobil walked out of the oil talks with the Chavez government. They want ALL the profits, NO profit-sharing, NO oil money for education and other local needs. And they have since been trying to seize Venezuela's cash reserves--the money that the Chavez/Maduro government has used, first of all, to cushion Venezuelans against the Bush Junta's worldwide depression, and, secondly, to create a truly free and open market for Venezuela's vast oil reserves (twice Saudi Arabia's, according to the USGS)--a market that is NOT monopolized by U.S. corporate rulers and their war machine. The Chavez/Maduro government has also used the oil to help poorer countries--giving big breaks on oil costs, for instance, to Haiti and to pre-coup Honduras (and to poor people here in the U.S., on heating oil)--and, for instance, to Cuba in exchange for doctors and other medical professionals from Cuba's highly regarded medical institutions. The chavistas STARTED this historic movement in Latin America of strong political alliance, mutual aid, the rich helping the poor, and having each other's backs, that has so troubled U.S. multinationals and their war machine. It is one of the main reasons that the U.S. rich elite HATES Venezuela with a venom. How dare the poor band together against exploitation and ruin?!
What we are getting from socialistlemur is PROPAGANDA--"Big Lie" propaganda--lie after lie after lie, hammered into our heads from Venezuela's ousted oil elite and their multinational allies (and, of course, the CIA)--that "something is wrong" with the poor benefiting from the oil, that it is not "environmental," that it is "not sustainable," that it is all being "mismanaged," blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.
Could there be a MORE mismanaged oil industry than the one HERE--or spawned from here--that hijacked the U.S. military into its service, in Iraq, and slaughtered a hundred thousand innocent people, in the first weeks of "shock and awe" bombing alone, to steal their oil? Could these gougers and price-fixers and mass murderers, spawned from our shores, be any more evil, to others and to us here at home, whose young people were dragged off to an oil war--many dead, many left without limbs, many suicidal?
The chavistas have the right idea! Use the oil profits to educate people, to eliminate poverty (Venezuela is now "THE most equal country in Latin America," according to the UN Economic Commission on Latin America and the Caribbean), to build thousands of homes for the poor and for flood victims, to reconstruct a flood-destroyed town, to build a funicular up into the hillside barrios of Caracas (to include those folks in the larger society, who don't want to abandon their long-standing, shantytown communities; to ease the lot of the poor in those areas, with transportation), to build the new Orinoco Bridge to Brazil, to train new farmers and support them as they try to recover farm land and make farming viable again in Venezuela, to provide computers for every school child, to support and greatly expand the awesome Venezuelan Children's Orchestra program (most revolutionary classical music program in the world), to extend health care to communities that have NEVER had health care before, to nationalize vital industries so that they cannot be sabotaged by the fascists and their allies, to create a new, professional police academy, to put the Venezuelan military (equivalent to our National Guard) on the streets to reduce crime, and other "common good" policies.
What is the WRONG IDEA is to give all the oil money to Exxon Mobil--THE richest corporation on earth--and to put the selfish, greedy, mind-bogglingly malfeasant oil elite back in charge. It is utterly laughable to suggest that that would result in "green" policies, and that that would result in a "sustainable" economy.
Venezuela has huge oil reserves. WHAT ELSE SHOULD THEY BE USED FOR but to educate the poor majority, provide health care for all, and to try to UNDISTORT Venezuela's economy with long term projects and goals?!
Venezuela's oil elite got quite vicious in the latter days of "free trade for the rich" and slaughtered hundreds of poor protestors, just prior to the first Chavez election. They remained vicious throughout Chavez's tenure--including their failed coup d'etat in 2002--and are still vicious, today. They will do anything to regain control of Venezuela's oil and re-start their malfeasance, their neglect, their selfishness, which so well serves entities like Exxon Mobil.
Green? Sustainable? What utter nonsense! But that is characteristic of "Big Lie" propaganda. It is NONSENSE repeated so often that people come to believe it.
If Venezuela is ever going to get beyond an oil economy, this is only going to happen by using the oil profits NOW to educate and uplift people, while they have the chance. That is the environmentally unsound reality of Exxon Mobil's world. Venezuelans don't have the option of "keeping it in the ground." So, WHO should benefit from it? The Chavez/Maduro government has answered that question resoundingly in favor of the poor majority and the country of Venezuela as a whole.
Understand that the vicious lies of Venezuela's oil elite pervade the corporate media, which has NEVER reported the SUCCESSES of the Chavez/Maduro government, which include not only remarkable poverty reduction, remarkable fair and transparent elections, and remarkable social/political inclusiveness, but ALSO remarkable economic growth in the PRIVATE sector (not including oil)!
Venezuela had a very long way to go, to recover from the oil elite's malfeasance, greed and irresponsibility--their lack of care for their country, their lack of investment in their country and their obliviousness to widespread poverty and its heavy, long term toll on the Venezuelan people--and Venezuela still has problems, as any country does that has undergone extensive looting by multinational corporations and local rich elites, and, indeed, as any country does that has people in it--for people are never perfect. But Venezuela is on the right path, put their by its own people and their political activism and vision, and their luck at producing leaders who share their social conscience and goals.
The corporate media--and their echoing 'apologists' here at DU--grossly exaggerate and over-report anything that goes wrong in Venezuela, and utterly ignore and suppress anything that goes right. Their goal--the goal of the corporate media, and the transglobal corporate and local elites--is to smash this "New Deal"-like experiment into dust and restore Exxon Mobil rule.
Their goal is not a better Venezuela.
Their goal is not a "green" Venezuela.
Their goal not an economically sustainable Venezuela.
Their goal is to UNDO all the gains of the poor majority--in education, health care, wages/benefits, honest elections, et al--and regain control of one of the biggest oil reserves on earth.
Remember that when you read, over and over and over again, in the corporate media, and here at DU by some posters, the one-note "Big Lies" about Venezuela falling apart. They WANT Venezuela to fall apart. They are allied with evil-doers who are trying to MAKE Venezuela fall apart, just as Nixon and Kissinger did to Chile in the anti-Allende coup, with the goal of "making" Chile's economy "scream" so they could more easily overthrow its popular government. There are banksters, corporations, Pentagon and CIA dirty tricksters, massive forces of ungodly wealth and local cabals targeting Venezuela's socialist government. And, as in Chile, propaganda "news"--"Big Lie" news--is part of the war.
Bookmarked!
like all the people in the exodus from South Florida after they started streaming in and taking over.
Quote from Jorge Mas Canosa, the nasty little scum who envisioned himself as the next President of Cuba after the U.S. invaded Cuba and seized control of it again. Jorge Mas Canosa died, or he would still be controlling events in South Florida today, as he did far too long earlier.
Published Tuesday, November 25, 1997, in the Miami Herald
ROBERT STEINBACK
Mas Canosa's caricature had character, too
I had but one extended conversation with Jorge Mas Canosa, in the summer of 1994, shortly after the Cuban exile leader seemed to reveal a shocking contempt for native-born Americans in an article in the Spanish newspaper El Pais.
The reporter had asked if the Americans would ''take over'' Cuba after Fidel Castro's fall. Mas Canosa reportedly replied, ''That's bull----. They haven't even been able to take over Miami. If we kicked them out of here, how could they possibly take over our own country?''
More:
http://www2.fiu.edu/~fcf/caricature112497.html
[center]
Dr. Orlando Bosch and Luis Posada Carriles,
mass murdering Cubana airline bombers,
big Miami "exile" heroes
and their flunkie, Ricardo "Monkey" Morales [/center]