SOCIALISM STRIKES AGAIN: CHAVEZ POLICIES CREATING SHORTAGES AND HAVOC - for "the common good", of course!

AP:

President Hugo Chavez threatened Wednesday to nationalize any privately owned supermarkets and food storage facilities caught hoarding inventories or violating price controls imposed on basic goods. Accusing private companies of hoarding beef and other foods, Chavez warned supermarket owners and distributors that he would nationalize their facilities as soon as they gave him ''an excuse.''

''If they remain committed to violating the interests of the people, the constitution, the laws, I'm going to take the food storage units, corner stores, supermarkets and nationalize them,'' Chavez said during a televised broadcast. ''So prepare yourselves!''

Chavez has been intent on nationalizing ''strategic'' sectors of the economy since winning re-election in December. He has moved quickly to buy out private interests in leading electricity and phone companies since the National Assembly gave him authority to enact sweeping measures by decree and accelerate the country's socialist transformation. Earlier this week the government signed deals to buy stakes in local companies owned by two U.S. corporations - Verizon Communications Inc and CMS Energy Corp. There are no major U.S. interests, however, involved in the supermarket or food storage business in Venezuela.

Chavez said his decree permitting takeovers of food stores and warehouses will take effect upon publication in the official gazette this week.

CHAVEZ IS DOING TO VENEZUELA WHAT KIM DID TO NORTH KOREA, WHAT CASTRO DID TO CUBA, WHAT MUGABE DID TO ZIMBABWE. AND SO ON.

VENEZUELANS WILL BE STARVING WITHIN A YEAR. THEN COME THE FOOD RIOTS. AND THEN CHAVEZ WILL START SHOOTING VENEZUELANS. FOR THE COMMON GOOD. OF COURSE.