Comments by "Geoff Challis" (@Geffo555) on "Channel 4 News" channel.

  1.  @geniusgeneral02  . Figure some more. https://www.cfr.org/expert-brief/can-nigeria-endure-falling-oil-prices I'm not saying that the Venezuelan regime is faultless. Of course not. But the fact is that other countries have also been hot by the drop in oil prices. Was it engineered? Who will gain overall?
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  2.  Be Nice Be Nice. Thanks. The guy is taking a liberty.
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  3.  @rogerbennett9641 . They did benefit. Their whole society benefitted. Had it been a hard capitalist country the profit would have just gone into the pockets of the elite few. Sadly they were severely hit by the drop in oils price and couldn't repay loans they had taken out for investment. Their economy was 90% dependent upon oil exports. Market forces were the chief factor in their downfall whichever way you look at it. Look at it logically. Non socialist countries were also knackered by low oil prices. Basic economics.
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  4.  Be Nice Be Nice.  I certainly hope so. But as is obvious, we are fighting the system here. I did watch the Panorama program and there is something to the anti-Semitism claim. But it's not the rank and file and it's not Corbyn. I suspect in fact that people have been inserted into the party just to destabilise us at this time. The Tories have utterly snookered themselves over Brexit and the country needs a change. The moneyed mafia will do anything to stop it though. We'll see. Fingers crossed.
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  5.  @rogerbennett9641 . You are still not grasping that Venezuela relied almost entirely upon oil as income. Nigeria has a more diverse economy as does Russia obviously. Saudi Arabia is the only real comparison and they were also a billion dollars to the bad. They had years of profit to fall back on though. https://www.brookings.edu/opinions/saudi-arabias-economic-time-bomb/
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  6. "The rapid depletion of Saudi’s foreign exchange funds is rather alarming. During 2015, the Kingdom’s central bank reserves have dropped from $732 billion to $623 billion in less than 12 months." Luay Al-Khatteeb. 2015.
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  7. "Saudi Arabia's actions also contributed to falling 2014 oil prices. Faced with a decision between letting prices continue to drop or ceding market share by cutting production in an effort to send prices upward again, the Middle Eastern country kept its production stable, deciding that low oil prices offered more of a long-term benefit than giving up market share. Because Saudi Arabia produces oil so cheaply and holds the largest oil reserves in the world, it can withstand low oil prices for a long time without any threat to its economy. In contrast, extraction methods such as fracking are more expensive and therefore not profitable if oil prices fall too low. By supporting low oil prices, Saudi Arabia hopes that countries such as the U.S. and Canada will be forced to abandon their more costly production methods due to lack of profitability." Investment Weekly.
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  8. This is supposed to be about a desert island scenario. How did we get side-tracked onto oil and Venezuela? Is it a bit like Lost and they're really all dead?
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  9.  @rogerbennett9641 . And you're just ignoring reality because it does not conform to what you believe. The oil price dropped by two thirds. They had taken out loans for further investment (As all countries and businesses do) They did gamble on the price returning to normal. But when that did not happen they were doomed. Their economy was utterly reliant upon oil exports. What could they do? The price of oil was the trigger of their demise. It was market forces that wrecked Venezuela, not socialism. The proof is in the article above.
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  10.  @rogerbennett9641 . You just want to attack socialist ideals. But it is largely irrelevant. Consider a dairy farm. They have a resource (cows) they sell milk for profit. They are doing quite well and take out loans to expand and modernise. But then the price of milk just plummets and stays low for several years. They default on loans, they lose everything. Just financial reality. It doesn't matter how generous the farmer had been to his workers when times were good. That was just social investment. Nothing would alter the fact that market forces killed the farm.
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  11.  @rogerbennett9641 . But finally, here is the matter expressed in figures. Saudi Arabia had a budget deficit of $98 billion in 2015. They even had to bring in austerity measures. (Stopped buying gold Ferraris I expect) Venezuela ran a deficit of $120 billion in the same period. But Venezuela did not have reserves and foreign investments to fall back on. Were the Venezuelan regime partly to blame? Yes. But the trigger of their demise was market forces. This is just a reasoned argument. End of.
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  12.  @rogerbennett9641 . Oh for crying out loud. A dairy farm analogy is to illustrate the vulnerability of having only one resource. THAT'S THE POINT! Venezuela only has oil. (some gold too) But their economy is 98% based upon oil exports. And dairy farms do go bust. https://www.forbes.com/sites/jessecolombo/2018/11/29/heres-why-more-american-farms-are-going-bankrupt/#6b520c5065a7
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  13. Bluster, bollox, and bullshit. A more honest party motto I think.
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  14.  @emm_arr . Absolutely. Cue the whistle-blower. There has to be one. Someone in the Civil Service with the morals to do the right thing.
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  15. Project Farce stumbles toward the precipice.
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  16.  @jameswhiteley6843 . When you have no defence just deflect the questions. Mogg is good at that. You're not so good though.
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  17.  @jameswhiteley6843 . Not really. He mostly just asks another question in return or gives an answer to a question he wasn't asked.
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  18.  @jameswhiteley6843 . "Paranoia"? You think George Soros is the blame for everything. LOL.
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  19.  Robert Vaughn . Just deal with the topic please. We'll be here all night otherwise. Arron Banks (The fake diamond geezer) funded UKIP and Leave.EU. Where the money came from is still a mystery though. Regardless of that the fact is that he cheated and was fined accordingly.
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  20. Deflection refers to your strategy of not dealing with this issue. I can see why though.
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  21.  Robert Vaughn . You still banging on about Soros? Sheesh! He's just some rich geezer who's turned philanthropic in his dotage. So what? As for "remainer crimes" provide evidence.
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  22.  Robert Vaughn . My eyes are open and I base my opinions on facts rather than bullshit. I have provided details and evidence. What have you provided? (Oops. Just realised. Evidence on other thread.)
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  23.  @thatcherforbrexit1332 . The investigation is ongoing, so we'll see. But it is already glaringly obvious that Banks (The fake diamond geezer) has plenty to hide. And his behaviour following the murder of Jo Cox was appalling.
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  24. Did you mean Moscow?
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  25. Well reasoned. Which is more than can be said for anything Boris says.
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  26. Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
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  27. I despise those involved in exploitation of children, but can we trust this government? Their ban on oil protestors affects all those who want to protest.
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  28. Which every Tory thought was perfectly reasonable at the time.
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  29.  @clairduffy60 . With you Clair. I smell a rat. A lot of them in fact.
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  30.  @lestrem11  The real world is showing Brexit to be an utter mess and the Tories to be corrupt and clueless.
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  31. And where is the evidence? The investigation led by a Tory detective could not find any.
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  32.  @siypic  What's ironic about it. The only party to try this was the Reps. The facts are there.
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  33. I guess it could have gone somewhere else.
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  34.  @V12F1Demon . Why should it be a surprise? Have you read Plato? The Republic? There's a part where Socrates is walking into town engaging young Athenians in debate. In each conversation he takes a contrary view, forcing each challenger to concede. Socrates was merely rejoicing in his intellectual prowess. He did not have to believe a thing he said, only win his point. Peterson is clever, but otherwise empty.
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  35.  @V12F1Demon . Why Demon? Are you telegraphing something?
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  36.  @V12F1Demon . Peterson isn't wise though. Just clever. That Soggy of Ackywhatnot is also clever. But he doesn't have anything of worth to offer either. Once you filter out the snidey remarks and gratuitous controversy he's just a nihilist. And the devil only consumes those who do his work. I'm not actually religious but I'm sure you grasp the point.
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  37.  @V12F1Demon . A journalist's job is to challenge. To examine the facts. It is for the viewer to discern the truth. Would you prefer a controlled media where only state doctrine was heard? Bit like Fox. (Shep excluded.)
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  38. Johnson's regime have corrupted the whole system.
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  39. Truth is the truth. Lies are lies. Trumpists think they can make up the truth as required.
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  40.  Albert Pike . What terrorism? Have they sent bombs to anyone? Have they plotted to abduct a State Governor? Far right crazies have.
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  41.  @turquoiseowl . I think it's all just Trumped up BS. Why hasn't Barr arrested him? How come the FBI had the laptop but found nothing worth investigating? How come it was crazy Rudy who set it up? LOL. The Trump camp are just desperate now. He's finished.
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  42.  TheCausation . A few of the organisers describe themselves as Marxist, but the majority of folks don't really know what Marxism is. BLM is a movement, but those involved do not all share the same political belief. And the black fist symbol goes back to the sixties when I was a kid. It was a salute given by athletes as a protest.
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  43. @GUILHERMY DOS SANTOS SILVA . The right certainly aren't laughing now. Trump is finished and their reputation is in the crapper.
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  44. The evidence was enough to convince the jury. And it looks very clear to most of us.
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  45.  @dnciskkk9037 . The whole Nazis were socialist nonsense is just a ploy to discredit the left. Seriously, anyone can find a video of the Alt-Reich mob seig hailing Trump, and those people hate the left with a vengeance. You're just touting alt-facts fella. It's obvious. God you people are weird.
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  46.  @dnciskkk9037 . "The alt right is socialists" WOW! Left is right and right is left.. Hmm. Are you part of some alt-right doublethinktank? Odd that the Alt-Right supported Trump and opposed Obamacare. Odd that one of their followers sent bombs to progressives. Who are you trying to kid?
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  47.  @dnciskkk9037 . You don't bring logic or truth. The Alt-Right by their own definition are rightist to the point of extremism. They're not called the Alt-Left after all. (Hitler got away with something similar though) Your argument is laughably skewed DNC. But do please keep up with the comments. Of all the derange dialogue I've read on social media yours really do stand out. Someone should record them in a big book of bullshit.
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  48.  @dnciskkk9037 . Still spouting doublethink I see. Does Spencer also run ANTIFA? Wow that guy can multitask. Fascinating approach you have DNC. Utterly deranged but at least you're consistent. What are you hoping to achieve though?
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  49.  @dnciskkk9037 . I don't really have to offer much of an argument DNC. What you write is evidence enough of warped thinking. Next you'll be telling me that Mr Spencer is a radical lesbian feminist. Makes about as much sense as everything else you say.
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  50. Nark larkin. I'm retired fella, so the "boy" remark only comes across as rather juvenile to me. The first time was a typo but then I liked it.
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