Home › Forums › Costa Rica Living Forum › Costa Rica’s Elections – 2014
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December 4, 2013 at 12:00 am #199205johnnyhMember
I have somewhat been following the candidates for presidente through La Nacion, and although I favor the libertarian candidate Otto Guevara, I have also noticed that some candidates are ganging up on the broad front candidate Villalta with attacks as being an socialist in the likes of Chavez and Maduro.
It seems that Villalta is leading in the polls, and I guess my question is how do you guys see what’s going on? Stands to reason that one attack in particular comes from the ruling party candidate Johnny Araya. Nice guy, eh? 🙄
December 5, 2013 at 2:58 pm #199206AndrewKeymasterVillalta is a full blooded Communist and IMHO would be a TOTAL, unmitigated disaster for Costa Rica.
Johnny Araya is very popular although a few well connected attorney friends of mine seem to think he’s not quite as crispy clean as he appears…
But realistically, has anything actually improved from one election to the next in the U.S?
Does anything actually improve from one election to the next in the U.K?
Does anything improve from one election to the next anywhere?
I don’t believe the political and economic problems in Costa Rica and in most places around the world can solved by replacing one talking head for another, we need a new system free of the cancerous Central Banks, their City of London/Wall Street bankster buddies and all the Shylocks running them!
Scott
December 5, 2013 at 6:04 pm #199207johnnyhMemberI had my suspicions about Villalta as sounding to good to be true. But then socialist pinkos never identify themselves, and a good example is Mr. Obama here in the states, as well as the Demopublicans.
I also feel your frustrations at governments that no matter who is in power are leading us to that eventual collapse.
I’m curious if you have been following a diputado named Oviedo, who recently I think was censured for speaking against a group of people. I’d really like your opinion.As you recall, I was born in Puerto Limon of an American father and a Tico mother, and have been living in Southern California since 1961; Orange County to be precise, and also qualify for C.R. citizenship, which I’m looking into right now.
As a matter of fact, my older sister also qualifies, and I’m trying to convince her to move to Costa Rica as her $4500.00 benefits from her ex-husband will be reduced to $2500.00 sometime next year.
My sister lives in the normalcy bias, which means that she is in for a rude awakening, if you know what I mean.
December 5, 2013 at 11:10 pm #199208ImxploringParticipant[quote=”sweikert925″][quote=”Scott”]But realistically, has anything actually improved from one election to the next in the U.S?[/quote]
Yes.[quote=”Scott”]Does anything actually improve from one election to the next in the U.K?[/quote]
Yes.[quote=”Scott”]Does anything improve from one election to the next anywhere? [/quote]
Yes.It sometimes doesn’t seem that much changes from election to election but if you compare life now versus what life was like for most 100 years ago the change has been dramatic and positive.[/quote]
The majority of the improvements in everyday life over the last 100 years have to do with advancements in science, technology, and medicine. And before you say it… all had little or nothing to do with the politicians that were elected in any given year or generation. Even the scientific advancements obtained by way of the space program came at a questionable economic cost/return.
We can however thank the politicians for the massive public debt that’s been accumulated for the programs they promised and used to secure the votes they needed to get themselves elected and reelected. The “gift” that will never stop giving!
December 6, 2013 at 10:36 pm #199209johnnyhMemberHo ho ho! No doubt about Villalta being a commie Scott. I can understand the apprehension, specially after reading La Nacion today. So will it come to a choice between a “socialist” and Araya? 😯
December 11, 2013 at 6:57 pm #199210AndrewKeymaster[quote=”imxploring”]The majority of the improvements in everyday life over the last 100 years have to do with advancements in science, technology, and medicine. And before you say it… all had little or nothing to do with the politicians that were elected in any given year or generation. …. We can however thank the politicians for the massive public debt that’s been accumulated for the programs they promised and used to secure the votes they needed to get themselves elected and reelected. The “gift” that will never stop giving![/quote]
Couldn’t agree with you more imxploring…
Scott
December 12, 2013 at 7:49 pm #199211puravidatexanMember[quote=”sweikert925″][quote=”imxploring”]And before you say it… all had little or nothing to do with the politicians that were elected in any given year or generation.[/quote]
That is so blatantly wrong it is obviously no use at all to argue the point.[/quote]
[b]Sorry that I’ve been missing the “Forum” for the last few months. If I had known our Chicago Elicitor General has begun to NOT argue the point occasionally, I may start reading WLCR again! I was expecting the usual Ten Point Plan![/b]
December 13, 2013 at 12:25 pm #199212daviddMembersweikert925
Your right!!! geeezz how in the world did you become so smart????:wink:
[quote=”sweikert925″][quote=”imxploring”]The majority of the improvements in everyday life over the last 100 years have to do with advancements in science, technology, and medicine.[/quote]
[quote=”Scott”]Couldn’t agree with you more imxploring.[/quote]
To someone who is a member of the privileged class (and who would have also been a member 100 years ago) I suppose you tend to think of progress purely in those terms. You both probably even think you got where you are today with absolutely no government help.
100 years ago women couldn’t vote. Blacks were strung up from trees to the utter amusement of the local white citizens. Children were forced to work 16 hours a day in sweatshops or hellish factories. Tainted food, water and medicine killed thousands every year. 2 people of different races (not to mention 2 of the same gender) were forbidden by law to marry. The talents of bright children with poor parents were squandered due to inability to access higher education. Farmers whose crops failed starved or hung themselves from the barn because they had no recourse. Banks failed and the savings of thousands who had their money there was just lost. Old people routinely died of starvation and curable diseases.
Of course to many on the right, mention all that and the reaction you get will be “Ah, the good old days!”. (Some are doing everything they can to recreate that world). To them mention progress and they only think in terms of flat screen TVs, cell phones, Viagra and internet porn. But guess what? Progress is a whole lot more than that to people who occasionally think about more than their own comfort.[/quote]
December 13, 2013 at 12:36 pm #199213daviddMemberScott
I would never thought to say this but I think it would be good for costa rica if Villalta wins
but ONLY 1 term this will balance things a bit
Arraya is a corrupt crook pure and simple.. and I have pysical prrof of this but that is another story
but if I had my way.. I would have you be president and sweikert your vice president.. just to keep him in check 😀
[quote=”Scott”]Villalta is a full blooded Communist and IMHO would be a TOTAL, unmitigated disaster for Costa Rica.
Johnny Araya is very popular although a few well connected attorney friends of mine seem to think he’s not quite as crispy clean as he appears…
But realistically, has anything actually improved from one election to the next in the U.S?
Does anything actually improve from one election to the next in the U.K?
Does anything improve from one election to the next anywhere?
I don’t believe the political and economic problems in Costa Rica and in most places around the world can solved by replacing one talking head for another, we need a new system free of the cancerous Central Banks, their City of London/Wall Street bankster buddies and all the Shylocks running them!
Scott
[/quote]December 14, 2013 at 1:19 am #199214johnnyhMemberhttp://mises.org/daily/6599/Inflation-Shortages-and-Social-Democracy-in-Venezuela
I sure hope Costa Rica doesn’t follow in the footsteps of Maduro with an election of Villalta. These socialist termites can do a lot of harm to a nation. Look at Nicaragua and Venezuela with the link above. Once elected, these parasites are like a cancer. I wouldn’t wish Villalta on any country!
December 14, 2013 at 11:18 pm #199215ImxploringParticipant[quote=”davidd”]sweikert925
Your right!!! geeezz how in the world did you become so smart????:wink:
[quote=”sweikert925″][quote=”imxploring”]The majority of the improvements in everyday life over the last 100 years have to do with advancements in science, technology, and medicine.[/quote]
[quote=”Scott”]Couldn’t agree with you more imxploring.[/quote]
To someone who is a member of the privileged class (and who would have also been a member 100 years ago) I suppose you tend to think of progress purely in those terms. You both probably even think you got where you are today with absolutely no government help.
100 years ago women couldn’t vote. Blacks were strung up from trees to the utter amusement of the local white citizens. Children were forced to work 16 hours a day in sweatshops or hellish factories. Tainted food, water and medicine killed thousands every year. 2 people of different races (not to mention 2 of the same gender) were forbidden by law to marry. The talents of bright children with poor parents were squandered due to inability to access higher education. Farmers whose crops failed starved or hung themselves from the barn because they had no recourse. Banks failed and the savings of thousands who had their money there was just lost. Old people routinely died of starvation and curable diseases.
Of course to many on the right, mention all that and the reaction you get will be “Ah, the good old days!”. (Some are doing everything they can to recreate that world). To them mention progress and they only think in terms of flat screen TVs, cell phones, Viagra and internet porn. But guess what? Progress is a whole lot more than that to people who occasionally think about more than their own comfort.[/quote][/quote]
You seem to have forgotten all the NOT SO WONDERFUL things government has brought about in the last 100 years. Including, in my mind, the dark side of some of the very “improvements” you highlight! It’s a long and very costly list many people, including yourself, seem to have no problem pushing the cost of on to our children and descendants.
Perhaps the biggest issue I’d mention is government’s creation of an entitlement and dependent class. Unlike 100 years ago if government wasn’t there to wipe someone’s bottom they figured out how to do it themselves. Today if government even mentions cutting back on it’s “care” of the public there is a major uproar! And that attitude and cost gets worse each year. At some point, and I believe we are getting close, the system has no choice but to reset or fail!
Just imagine if government cut half the social programs out… there would be anarchy in the streets! Just look at what happens during major black outs or natural disasters! That should give you some idea.
I don’t see it as a very intelligent of responsible government that creates such a situation…. more likely an effort by politicians and a government to enslave it’s people and keep themselves in power. Any doubt just look at what going on in some of the other Central and South American countries. Politicians have only one goal… getting re-elected! Those that speak the truth and tell it like it is and the unsustainable path we are on are mocked as alarmist. Time will tell!
Some readers will remember Scott and the “Perfect Storm” issue we discussed a number of years back. Some folks get it, some don’t. It has nothing to be part of a privileged class, just being part of an informed group that looks beyond the main street media and information that is spoon fed to the public.
December 15, 2013 at 4:37 am #199216ImxploringParticipant[quote=”sweikert925″]If you take the list of horrors that I cited and compare it to the list you cited and asked people to choose which situation was worse, which do you suppose they would pick?
The idea that there is a vast dependent class of Americans is a hugely exaggerated myth. The numbers of people drawing various government assistance (i.e., not Social Security) is tiny – as you can see [url=http://www.statisticbrain.com/welfare-statistics/]here[/url]. The total on food stamps is available [url=http://www.fns.usda.gov/pd/snapsummary.htm]here.[/url]
[Incidentally, almost everyone on food stamps is currently employed, but they make so little – 130% of the federal poverty level – that they qualify for food stamps. 6 million of those 47 million on food stamps are drawing Social Security benefits.]
With the current budget deficit at around $680 bill this year you could cut out [b]every single dollar of welfare benefit spending PLUS every single dollar spent for the food stamp program entirely[/b] and you’d still have a deficit of almost $480 billion.
The widely discussed figure of 47% that Mitt Romney threw around is only that high if you include everyone on Social Security and Medicare. Are those the types of people you are referring to as the “entitlement and dependent class”?[/quote]
I don’t think that anyone would call 47,000,000 people dependent on the government to eat each day a myth or a tiny figure. Nor is it a healthy or sustainable situation.
I wonder what would happen if suddenly government was unable to provide for these folks… do you think they’d all be starting small gardens to provide for themselves… or would they be rioting in the streets?
I have my answer…. I’m interested in yours?
When you make or, through your actions, allow people to become dependent on you it gives you power over them and takes away their will and ability to provide for themselves. Doing so gives you control over people. It gets politician elected and re-elected. Ultimately the money runs out (as we’re seeing now) and things go bad. It’s not the actions of a responsible or intelligent government.
December 15, 2013 at 3:35 pm #199217AndrewKeymasterThis thread is about the Costa Rica’s coming elections…
[size=200]PLEASE POST ONLY ABOUT COSTA RICA’S COMING ELECTIONS OR YOU POST WILL BE DELETED.[/size]
Thank you ….
December 15, 2013 at 5:09 pm #199218ImxploringParticipant[quote=”Scott”]This thread is about the Costa Rica’s coming elections…
[size=200]PLEASE POST ONLY ABOUT COSTA RICA’S COMING ELECTIONS OR YOU POST WILL BE DELETED.[/size]
Thank you ….
[/quote]
The conversation has a lot to do with the coming elections. Should we see a hardcore Socialist/Communist elected that does so by promising the underclass more then he can ever deliver under the current financial system we will all see BIG changes in Costa Rica. As I stated in the previous post when a government allows or makes a portion of the population dependent on it… it controls that part of the population and their votes. Just look at how Hugo got elected, look at who he appealed to, look who put him in power, look what he did once there…. and most importantly look at what is happening in Venezuela today! And we’re talking about a country with oil! Can you guess where a leader trying the same path to power or re-election in a country like Costa Rica is going to get the funds to pull off such a plan?
Already we’ve witnessed the current administration add additional taxes (Corp and Luxury home taxes for example) and requirements for residency (Required CAJA enrollment based on a percentage of income) that impact many of the folks on this board and those thinking about relocating to CR. All directed at what they see as a cash cow that the underclass will have no problem throwing on the sword to get what their elected leaders have promised them. The current conduct of the US government is no different.
This next election in CR has everything to do with what we’re talking about. The same games played by politicians in the US are not restrained by boarders. It’s a game they’ve all played back as far as recorded history and one we’ve seen played on the public over and over, and it NEVER ends well. There is always a reset. History shows us this over and over. You can look back at the Romans, the Nazis, or Hugo… all the same plan. All crumbled in time.
It would truly be a shame to see the good people of CR fall for the same trap. I’ve always admired their pride, determination, and self supporting attitude. Going down the path of entitlement and dependence works for a while… then the money runs out. In fact I’m holding off on a large purchase in CR to see how this election plays out.
With the current fiscal games being played by the big boys on the globe currently we might see a worldwide reset very shortly anyway.
December 15, 2013 at 5:30 pm #199219ImxploringParticipant[quote=”sweikert925″][quote=”Imxploring”]I don’t think that anyone would call 47,000,000 people dependent on the government to eat each day a myth or a tiny figure. Nor is it a healthy or sustainable situation. [/quote]
The figure has reached 47 million as a direct consequence of the Bush depression. Before 2008 the number on food stamps was under 28 million. During the second Clinton administration the figure averaged under 20 million.
In fact since we’re talking about how terrible it is that our debt has reached such high levels let’s talk about why. The Bush tax cuts, the Bush Iraq war catastrophe, the Medicare Part D benefit passed by a Republican Congress with not a dime of funding and then – to top it off – the Bush housing bubble which was directly caused by aggressive and reckless banking deregulation – all that combined to swell the federal debt by $6.5 trillion since 2007. If you are concerned about the debt then the most sensible solution is to make sure Republicans are never again entrusted with the country’s finances.
[quote=”Imxploring”]I wonder what would happen if suddenly government was unable to provide for these folks… do you think they’d all be starting small gardens to provide for themselves… or would they be rioting in the streets?[/quote]
I don’t know, but what makes you think some of these folks aren’t already growing their own food? I’ve seen news reports of local neighborhoods on the south side of Chicago where many lots that had abandoned houses demolished are now put to use as communal gardens. If you’re implying that all SNAP recipients can grow all the food that they need to survive then I have to assume you’re not much of an expert on vegetable gardens.
But as I pointed out above, we could eliminate the SNAP program [b]ENTIRELY[/b] and it wouldn’t put any more than a tiny dent in the budget deficit – total annual funding for SNAP is $76 billion out of a total federal budget of $3.8 trillion and that comes to 2%. Is that you are proposing that we do? If so why, when the results wouldn’t come close to fixing our federal budget problem?
Another myth put out by the right is that we’re subsidizing all the food expenses for those lazy welfare bums but the fact is that SNAP assistance comes [b]nowhere near[/b] to paying for all of the recipients’ food needs. The average monthly benefit per person is $133.08 which comes to $1.48 per meal. How many people do you know that can feed themselves on $1.48 per meal?[/quote]
I’m not on Food stamps… never have been. But yet I take tremendous pride in my produce garden. I even pickle for the future.
Perhaps some internet research will provide you with a source of what percentage of those receiving SNAP produce ANY portion of their food.
The point is when people become dependent it becomes a way of life. When government allows it or encourages it with social programs it serves NO ONE.
THE SOCIAL SAFETY NET WAS NEVER INTENDED TO BECOME A HAMMOCK.
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