Venezuela Heading Over The Cliff, And The Chavista Voters Cheering Him On

Remember, ya'll... The Obama-ites really really really adore Chavez. Wonder what they'll be doing us?

Second devaluation since 2010...

It was the first devaluation to be announced by Chavez's government since 2010, and it brought down the official value of the bolivar by 46.5pc against the dollar. By boosting the bolivar value of Venezuela's dollar-denominated oil sales, the change is expected to help alleviate a difficult budget outlook for the government, which has turned increasingly to borrowing to meet its spending obligations. 

Does this sound familiar?

OS has seen this before, during his Mexican misadventure (don't  ask...).

Since the government officials and their bankster and political cronies know what's going down, they make damn sure all their assets are in dollars, pound sterling, Swiss francs--lots of liquid cash in hard currencies, or even gold and silver.

Devaluations always are announced on Friday evenings. On Monday morning, thousands of businesses open their doors as bankrupt enterprises, since their debts are denominated in dollars, and their income in the local currency.

In swoop the gangstas with their liquid cash, and snarfle up the assets of the nation at about .20 on the dollar.

Isn't socialism wonderful?

Pushing Back Against The Intrusion Of 'Progessive' Bureaucrats And Litigators: Indiana Advances The Right-To-Hunt-Fish-Farm Amendment

It's a sign of our perverse times that this would be necessary, but in one state after another, similar language is being added into individual constitutions.

The latest is Indiana.

Indiana legislators on Monday renewed debate about a proposed state constitutional amendment that would guarantee the right to hunt, fish and farm and place the issue before voters as a statewide referendum next year.

Indiana would join several other states adopting similar measures that supporters say are needed because wildlife hunting and modern agricultural practices are threatened by animal-rights activists. Opponents maintain the provision isn’t needed and question singling out hunting and farming for constitutional protection.

The state Senate’s agriculture committee voted 7-0 to send the proposal to the full Senate.

Of course the environmentalists are whining, because it means they will be less able to litigate farmers, sportsmen and individual counties into the ground, collecting huge awards in the meantime--all in the name of 'preserving Mother Earth', to be sure.

Tennessee passed a right-to-hunt-and-fish amendment in 2010, and sixteen other states have some version of the same idea now permanently embedded in their Constitutions.

Unsurprisingly, the BigBlue States like Hawaii, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York and Pennsylvania have all rejected similar initiatives.

It's irritating that this needs to be done, but with an overweening gubb'mint that views everything it sees or touches as its property, this needs to be done.

This journal article from Michigan State's Animal Law Institute by Jeffrey Usman lays out a compelling case for it, surveying law and practice from Saxon England forward. There is always someone out there in duh gubb'mint who decides that everything belongs to them, and we little people must ask permission in order to live, work, eat, hunt, fish or farm. 

It's well worth a read.