No Pasarán!

Submitted by Mark on 9 April, 2008 - 11:54.
No Pasarán!

1984 Witten on back: "I've wanted to cry about what the US and the Contras are dong to this country. If you get the chance, come here - I could stay forever".

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sandinistas

Submitted by acc724 on 9 April, 2008 - 14:46.

i want to cry at what the sandanistas are doing to this country now

just curious . . .

Submitted by arlington on 9 April, 2008 - 18:22.

where are they going off track in your opinion as opposed to the three previous administrations. From my own standpoint I'd say for the disadvantaged there have been major improvements with regard to land title and food subsidies, for the middle class I've read investment is up 18%, and for myself as a pensionado, life is good. They can do no more to control oil-flation than any other government.

but

Submitted by Che Guevara on 9 April, 2008 - 16:52.

you have to cut them some slack? there is a worldwide slow down? they have good intentions, don't they?

when government grows, liberty yields, thomas jefferson

Serious question

Submitted by fyl on 9 April, 2008 - 17:51.

To me, that is a very serious question. While I think the FSLN has done some strange things (and the MRS calls them on it all the time), I am not sure it makes a big difference at this point. Most of the problems in the eyes of the MRS seem to be aimed at abuse of power. A real issue but it is a real issue in lots of countries.

The question at hand is how to keep Nicaraguans eating and, eventually, how to make the Nicaraguan economy grow. In the U.S., there is a large middle class and while they may end up eating hamburger instead of steak and just have to drive that five year old car for another year, that is not the case here. If the price of beans goes up 20%, people will end up eating 20% less beans.

A "free beans for the poor" program has the same problem as anything that targets a specifid group—it won't be supported by the majority. Raising salaries doesn't help if there is no added value. Even "let's encourage tourism" has a couple of problems: 1) your customers need money to travel and 2) if you are "the better destination" you are just stealing tourism dollars from somewhere else.

Basically, you need to "invent something". That is, make something new that people need, doesn't steal customers from other places, doesn't cut the cost of another country's products, ...

The old approach (practiced in the U.S.) was to increase productivity. Well, making more widgets when the world can't afford them doesn't help and making the same with less labor just exacerbates the problem here. Growing more beans/manzana sounds good but the way that is done is by adding agrochemicals (that cost external exchange), or tossing more equipment at the problem (external exchange again).

I don't have an answer but I don't think that suggesting the way Daniel Ortega is running the government is the problem is very realistic either.

For what it´s worth, the US

Submitted by expat on 10 April, 2008 - 14:21.

For what it´s worth, the US economy isn´t doing too well either. A major banking crisis is developing, which most people (especially Americans) just don´t even want to know about.

The countries which I expect to be doing best economically in the next decade are those that are major oil producers. Sadly, that does not include Nicaragua (or the USA). Venezuela holds a major trump card (the Nicaraguans better remain on good terms with them).

i agree

Submitted by Che Guevara on 9 April, 2008 - 22:21.

with a lot of what you say. 1. nica does need to productive. 2. but, while i think ortega worked both side of the street for aid from the usa and chavez, ahmadenijad. 3. and that is what i think was counter productive - it scared off potential pensionados from usa. don't know that, but a gut feeling...

when government grows, liberty yields, thomas jefferson