Galt's Gulch

Man this sounds like Atlas Shrugged!

Posted by evlwhtguy 9 years, 11 months ago to Economics
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They are melting down automobiles to build housing, This sounds just like the "Cash for clunkers" program. They will probably destroying working automobiles to make materials for housing projects that will no doubt ever actually be finished. The people melting the cars down and the construction companies building the "affordable" "worker housing" will however make money.
SOURCE URL: http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/29/us-venezuela-autos-idUSKBN0DF1VX20140429

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  • Posted by straightlinelogic 9 years, 11 months ago
    I noticed the article studiously avoided mentioning the statist idiocy that was behind the shrinking steel industry.
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    • Posted by iroseland 9 years, 11 months ago
      No, but they didn't seem to have a problem with the part where the steel plant was stolen by the state and went and is not even producing half its previous output. It reminds me of Rearden steel post Rearden or Dannegar coal after he was gone.
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      • Posted by evlwhtguy 9 years, 11 months ago
        We actually have that very example in Venezuela with their oil industry. The state stole it from its rightful owners and the output is now a fraction of what it once was
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  • Posted by khalling 9 years, 11 months ago
    many of the autos are probably fine-but abandoned due to shortages in fuel.
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    • Posted by evlwhtguy 9 years, 11 months ago
      I just thought of something else.....How can a bicycle be worn out? Also, why even count something with such an insignificant amount of steel in it! Sounds like a counting process similar to that used by Obamas in coming up with the 7 million signed up for Obama care! It also sounds distressingly like "Eating your seed corn"!
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      • Posted by Herb7734 9 years, 11 months ago
        My bike would never "wear out." By the time I gave it away, the only original part was the frame. Over time, I broke just about everything on it and replaced the parts by buying "junk" bikes, new parts, junkyard parts. The color changed every year, and it became a Herbimobile.
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    • Posted by evlwhtguy 9 years, 11 months ago
      You are probably correct but.....Then this story is even more in line with Atlas Shrugged....IE: government interference, causing shortages that make a perfectly good asset worthless, after which one of the moochers in league with the power elite, makes some money providing the "public service" of cleaning up the trash [That would be the formerly valuable asset]
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      • Posted by teri-amborn 9 years, 11 months ago
        You just explained one of the patterns of evil...(no personal pun intended). 1) Separate the owner out of his reality. 2) Make it look like the owner was a mismanager or evildoer. 3) Make it look like you hold the answer to the problem (that you just created). 4) Take ownership of the innocent victim's property.

        It could actually be said that Donald Sterling is a victim of an evil plot if the dots can be connected properly.
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  • Posted by $ Susanne 9 years, 11 months ago
    A true Orrin Boyle moment in Venezuela... nothing like the wonderful prosperity on the People's Republics... The national government probably has mandated the confisc..., er, "repurposing" of privately owned vehicles to bolster the steel industry, and keeping people gainlessly employed in make-work projects... (Shades of the WPA come to mind...)

    Just goes to prove the point... Ayn was spot on right... ;-)
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  • Posted by Temlakos 9 years, 11 months ago
    The only difference is, this is happening in South America. In AS, Rearden Steel fell into the hands of one of Orren Boyle's cronies, and then into the hands of one of Cuffy Meigs' cronies. That un-worthy sold off the machines and then absconded.
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  • Posted by bassboat 9 years, 11 months ago
    A perfect storm for some enterprising young journalist to report on. 60 Minutes would be ideal but their lefty leaning would never report it. This story needs to be told to the public. Fox might do it but it would never see the light of day after Fox's audience viewed it. The solution? Deep pocketed conservatives should buy one of the mainstream media's outlets and use it as the bully pulpit.
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