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I hate to also add to the cliche, but I think the description of one of the pictures in this article really emphasizes that perhaps it's not just a cliche: "Ove

I hate to also add to the cliche, but I think the description of one of the pictures in this article really emphasizes that perhaps it's not just a cliche: "Over 100 people lined up in Caracas to purchase price-controlled chicken. Chicken is highly sought after, yet very difficult to find for sale at affordable prices in Venezuela." Chickens are absurdly easy to farm. They're basically meat grass. Put them in a fenced area so they don't run away, and they pretty much take care of themselves. It doesn't have to a big area. And they grow just about as fast as weeds - growing naturally from egg to butcher time in 3-6 months depending on breed. What is preventing, or perhaps more likely - disincentivizing, people of even moderate means from doing this? It would be a trivial way to add a substantial side income that would simultaneously help out countless people, again as this article emphasizes. I never gave much weight to the stories or failed social systems, but this does seem to be very much a recurring pattern. Venezuela is obviously far from an ideal example, but reality itself is also hardly ideal. If we end up with these sort of collapses when systems are less than ideal -- then that alone is sufficient reason to doubt their viability.

rory096 9y ago
>What is preventing, or perhaps more likely - disincentivizing, people of even moderate means from doing this? Well that's an easy one. >price-controlled chicken Price controls (caps) lead to shortages. It's an Econ 101 concept that's been proved out dozens of times - from the oil crises to the Great Depression.
friedButter 9y ago
>What is preventing, or perhaps more likely - disincentivizing, people of even moderate means from doing this? Its more of a lack of incentive than disincentive. When making profit is essentially outlawed ( https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/nov/15/venezuela-army-occupy-shops-profiteering https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/nov/15/venezuela-army... ), what would motivate people to work and generate stuff?
pandaman 9y ago
There was a joke in the USSR: Q. How can we eliminate the Sahara desert? A. Establish a socialist republic in the area and wait a bit for the shortages of sand.

rory096 9y ago

>What is preventing, or perhaps more likely - disincentivizing, people of even moderate means from doing this? Well that's an easy one. >price-controlled chicken Price controls (caps) lead to shortages. It's an Econ 101 concept that's been proved out dozens of times - from the oil crises to the Great Depression.

friedButter 9y ago

>What is preventing, or perhaps more likely - disincentivizing, people of even moderate means from doing this? Its more of a lack of incentive than disincentive. When making profit is essentially outlawed ( https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/nov/15/venezuela-army-occupy-shops-profiteering https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/nov/15/venezuela-army... ), what would motivate people to work and generate stuff?

pandaman 9y ago

There was a joke in the USSR: Q. How can we eliminate the Sahara desert? A. Establish a socialist republic in the area and wait a bit for the shortages of sand.