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Economists use beer as measure to document failures of socialism
Posted on 7/31/19 at 10:46 am
Posted on 7/31/19 at 10:46 am
LINK
Shouldn't be a surprise to anyone that has ever studied socialism/communism, or ever read a book where the subject matter was referenced. Communist Russia has plenty of historical data proving this, by the way.
Shouldn't be a surprise to anyone that has ever studied socialism/communism, or ever read a book where the subject matter was referenced. Communist Russia has plenty of historical data proving this, by the way.
quote:
“Socialism Sucks: Two Economists Drink Their Way Through the Unfree World,” by Robert Lawson and Benjamin Powell, is billed as a “worldwide tour guide written in plain English” which takes readers on a not-so-luxurious expedition into three countries that have embraced socialism – North Korea, Venezuela, and Cuba – using beer as an indicator of economic concern.
“In Cuba, there were only two types of beer, almost the same in alcohol content and both tasted like skunky Budweiser. In North Korea, it was just god awful,” Lawson, who is also the director of the William J. O’Neil Center for Global Markets and Freedom at Southern Methodist University, told Fox News. “And, in Venezuela, the country has basically run out of beer because the government planners couldn’t import enough barley.”
quote:
“We were on the border of Colombia and Venezuela, and the Colombian side was awash with all kinds of beer. On the other side, Venezuela had nothing for sale and people had to cross into Colombia just to get the basic necessities,” said Powell, who is also the director of the Free Market Institute and a professor of economics at Texas Tech University. “It’s an important lesson for ‘Democratic Socialists’ in the U.S. to remember that (Hugo) Chavez came to power in free and fair elections, but socialism centralizes economic power and the system starts nationalizing farms, factories, even hotels. When oil prices were $100 a barrel, Venezuela could mask the dysfunction, but as oil prices went down over the last five years, they couldn’t hide the reality.”
quote:
Nonetheless, Lawson also observed that even in a country like Sweden – often cited as a shining example of socialism – beer is widely available, but the cost is typically very high.
quote:
“Our last trip was to the country of Georgia, and basically that was a socialist as it gets. But, it is now one of the highest countries in economic freedom,” quipped Powell. “And, using alcohol as our economic measure – when Georgia was under the USSR and their wine industry was under Soviet control, it was a disaster. Now, it’s a wine mecca, produces really unique wines that don’t exist anywhere else in the world, and it's where wine snobs from across the globe now go to taste.”
quote:
“Socialism is a disaster everywhere it has been tried, historical evidence illustrates this,” added Lawson. “The freer the country is, the more it prospers.”
Posted on 7/31/19 at 10:51 am to BugAC
If there was ever a reason to hate AOC, Bernie and Pocahontas.
No one messes with my beer.
No one messes with my beer.
Posted on 7/31/19 at 10:52 am to 20 ton
quote:
If there was ever a reason to hate AOC, Bernie and Pocahontas.
No one messes with my beer.
It's not just beer. It's literally every product would suffer the same fate. Venezuela can't even produce enough grain to make beer.
I've still never heard a single argument of how socialism lifts people up out of poverty and just doesn't drag down everyone within the country it is tried.
Posted on 7/31/19 at 10:54 am to BugAC
Hipsters will be oblivious until it hits them right in the ironic mustache
Posted on 7/31/19 at 10:58 am to BugAC
I can't find the link - it was on one of the wine blogs I read often (total wine geek here) - but Georgia lays claim to having possibly the oldest wine production in the world. Since the fall of the USSR their wine renaissance has been truly staggering.
Posted on 7/31/19 at 11:05 am to BugAC
USA was very capitalistic and only had one TYPE of beer really, pilsner.
Posted on 7/31/19 at 11:08 am to Stingray
quote:
USA was very capitalistic and only had one TYPE of beer really, pilsner.
Prohibition (one of the more uncapitalistic things our country ever did) did a real number on US alcohol production that took about 50 years to overcome.
Posted on 7/31/19 at 11:12 am to Stingray
I think I've read somewhere where we just rather recently surpassed the pre-prohibition number of different breweries operating in the US.
Posted on 7/31/19 at 11:17 am to Stingray
quote:
USA was very capitalistic and only had one TYPE of beer really, pilsner.
Strange... my local supermarket has hundreds of types of beers spread across multiple aisles.
Inb4 you hide behind the word "had"
Posted on 7/31/19 at 11:19 am to Y.A. Tittle
quote:
I think I've read somewhere where we just rather recently surpassed the pre-prohibition number of different breweries operating in the US.
Not to mention the fact that bootleg distilling of all sorts of alcohol boomed during prohibition as well.
USA has always had an excellent assortment of alcohol, with quantity and variety of supply driven of course by consumer taste and demand.
Posted on 7/31/19 at 11:21 am to DeusVultMachina
Yeah, I'm not quite sure what the guy's point was there, unless to somehow imply that "capitalism" can be bad for beer too -- which I don't think is historically borne out here at all.
Posted on 7/31/19 at 11:25 am to Y.A. Tittle
My point was made by you, that prohibition (and regulations after), killed beer.
Posted on 7/31/19 at 11:26 am to Stingray
And brainwashed dumb Americans.
What's your favorite beer?
Cold!
Lol
KYS
What's your favorite beer?
Cold!
Lol
KYS
Posted on 7/31/19 at 11:28 am to Stingray
quote:
And brainwashed dumb Americans.
What's your favorite beer?
Cold!
Lol
KYS
I'm willing to bet there are products that you view as a simple commodity that others see as specialized goods.
Posted on 7/31/19 at 11:30 am to Y.A. Tittle
Artificial market due to regulations and marketing, that was our past.
This post was edited on 7/31/19 at 11:30 am
Posted on 7/31/19 at 11:36 am to Stingray
I get it. I just wouldn't assert that is the ONLY reason a large number people see beer as a simple commodity (sure, it may play a part with some), as essentially that is the case with just about every widely distributed product known to man. Even though, it was ONLY produced as a commodity for a good number of years.
Posted on 7/31/19 at 11:39 am to BugAC
I understand but was attempting to be funny.
I believe that many young people through out history are attracted to socialism because it helps take the fear from an unknown future. Socialist sell them on big brother making everything fair and easy. Politicians never deliver as well as free market. Three days for FEMA to get water to the super dome. Some people die harder.
Throw in the people that won’t complete or would rather complain rather than move to where there are jobs and you’ll get the numbers for socialism.
Most left wingers and people that are unhappy with America today are comparing us to their dream utopia that has never existed. What they refuse to understand is capitalism is the best way to get there.
I believe that many young people through out history are attracted to socialism because it helps take the fear from an unknown future. Socialist sell them on big brother making everything fair and easy. Politicians never deliver as well as free market. Three days for FEMA to get water to the super dome. Some people die harder.
Throw in the people that won’t complete or would rather complain rather than move to where there are jobs and you’ll get the numbers for socialism.
Most left wingers and people that are unhappy with America today are comparing us to their dream utopia that has never existed. What they refuse to understand is capitalism is the best way to get there.
Posted on 7/31/19 at 11:39 am to Y.A. Tittle
I think a large percentage of people saw it as alcohol only. There wasn't even the thought that it might taste different or even good.
Like might as well shoot vodka.
Like might as well shoot vodka.
Posted on 7/31/19 at 11:41 am to Stingray
And a different type of beer other than pilsner isn't a specialty item any more than pilsner is a specialty item.
This post was edited on 7/31/19 at 11:42 am
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