Venezuela sells oil to the world and receives US dollars in exchange. Dollars are NOT freely available for the common citizen. They are granted through much bureaucratic processes (institutions named CADIVI, SICAD and so on). Foreign exchange controls have set an official rate of 6,3 BsF per 1 US dollar, which are hardly obtainable as previously mentioned. A black market that widely operates outside the foreign exchange controls have set the price at around almost TEN times that amount (60,00 BsF as of today). Since Venezuela's inflation rates are going through the roof, people want to protect their money by obtaining dollars instead. Small businesses have imported goods using black market dollars [again, dollars are seldom available to the common folk], thus having to inflate prices ten times to protect their investments. This workaround upset the government and a crackdown ensued. Thus, many of these businesses are forced to sell at ludicrously low prices and subsequently shut down for good. Protip: there's a hefty election day in less than a month. With a raging food shortage that has been going on for many months, this was seen as a populist move to turn the balance back on their favour at the expense of dozens of legit businesses that got caught in this loop. Greetings from warm, sunny, and recently HDMI'zed Venezuela.

- A 10-hour transatlantic flight at night. [Assuming it's all like Wonder Woman's invisible jet) all you'd see is people sitting down and flashing lights at the tip of the wings. Like some ill-conceived postmodern disco. Good luck with your nap. I don't wanna say there was recreational drug use at Airbus HQ, but someone down there likes Pink Floyd a lot. Seriously though, you can't do that with a couple of cameras and some HD tv's inside the plane? Hey kinda tacky, but sure gets an amen from the DIY crew!

Since I'm Venezuelan too, I suppose I might give this a try, taking into account a modified Frank Zappa axiom that nationality alone (instead of the original item, 'drugs') shan't be a license to behave like a douchebag or justify bogus attitudes. For those who don't like him, let's just say I'm trying to stay neutral here. Now, what I saw from the Youtube videos, one of the main reasons violent videogames should be banned (according to The Man himself) is because, besides not being representative of our own culture and the purported peace the current government preaches (somewhat randomly when you hear every now and then the colorful, Official, motto of Peaceful yet Armed Revolution, grrrr), "the Empire [the US] is inciting hatred by designing videogames that want to assassinate me". The latter of course, was wrapped under lighthearted tones, which is the preferred method of the Latin American populist formula. But if you're thinking 'oh gee I think this gentleman here is toying around with legislation to cater to his delusions of grandeur', well, if you're thinking that, then you might as well agree that Arrested Development is undoubtedly one of the best series ever. Bring it back, folks. I don't live in Venezuela because I love me some adventure. If you notice though, the first words from the original poster, there's seemingly an institutionalized view that those Venezuelan citizens who don't currently live in their country of origin are prone to commit treason of some sort [citation needed], because duh, there's no better country than the fifth exporter of oil worldwide that houses a ludicrous amount of people that, by majority (and this I fathom devoid of sarcasm), frown upon free enterprise, and pretty much upon the entirety of the American Pie institution, living in pretty shabby conditions, and gee, being happy with it. According to even the most favorable of statistics, there's still an awful lot of poverty and an abyssal lack of education. A little bit of insecurity here and there, a buncha crammed ghettos. Brazilian folk affectionately call it 'Favelas'. Point in case, have you read those books (hint, Huxley, Orwell, or the dystopia of your choice) where some fellas have the relentless need to identify their colors loud and proud, no matter the context? Some things are more important in life. For me, it's Hot Pockets and Coors Light (to your potential surprise, I have a full-blown London cockney accent. You never thought the day would come where someone who talks like Hugh Grant would crave Hot Pockets, did you?) Most Venezuelans like Chavez. 51% at least. Many European left-wingers ADORE The Man. If I can tell you anything about the people ruled by The Man, is that they've been socially polarized (and I can't stress that enough), and it's a lovehate thing all along. Some love videogames being banned (as curious as watching hookers debating on Theosophy). Some don't. Either way, this is the will of the people, or the majority of it. Or is it? I like The Man sometimes, though. He is quite an entertainer. And politics - quoting Mr. Zappa again - "is the entertainment branch of industry". So in that sense he's [He's] doing one hell of a job. But it's just that he is progressively, steadily leaving me without options when I have to defend him from foreigners that ask an innocent question about Himself. Even my Eurobeatnik friends are losing faith in The Man, that's how low it's gotten. D: If this looks like a hideous fat block of text on your monitor, I'm sorry. It was a good 3 pints.

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