Hugo Chavez, cryptocapitalist

[maradydd]

I am not the world's biggest fan of Hugo Chavez, but sometimes, the dude comes up with some really good ideas. I don't agree with his blanket-condemnation sentiments about capitalism -- they make more sense interpreted as a slam against mercantilism, the belief that a nation's power depends on its supply of capital -- but bartering goods and

Comments

[slimnerd]

Well, I have heard from time to time on how our money is becoming worth less and less and how some major catastrophe is on the horizon. Even without the money becoming worth less and less I have often tried to keep recurring expenses within my income(very small) and spend the surplus on nonrecurring expenses and new very useful items. When I hear again on how the money may crash in value I start thinking I need to spend any surplus I have because I think I might as well get the value of the money now rather than the diminished value later. I think many are going to start thinking along the same lines once it becomes clear the money is going to crash in value rather than slide down a slope slowly. It would be nice to have something else than this but what else is there? What else can most people in this world or even most in certain parts of the world use to barter with? Gold, oil, and other commodities are not really an option for most people. What is there that retains value that can be purchased(or otherwise acquired) by practically anyone? That is likely what is needed when the financial crash that is feared occurs. Anything else that requires some substantial wealth I think is just not going to be of use in such circumstances.

Meanwhile, speaking of recurring expenses, can you confirm one way or the other about whether higher octane gasoline is better for one's car or not? I hear conflicting opinions and so far use the medium grade instead of the lower one because I hear it will extend the life of my car which I am inclined to lengthen as much as possible due to the status of the available other transportation options available where I live in Houston. Certainly longer machine life can be a value one wants. Also, is it also a value to purchase goods from companies that behave in ways we would like rather than ways we would not. If so, perhaps I am not wasting dollars by purchasing almost always at Citgo, the distributor owned by a Venezuelan oil company that distributes substantial revenues back to its low income population.