I just tweeted that everyone in Venezuela should withdraw all of their bank funds.

[Dreamer Tatum]

Come and get me. I broke the LAW.

[myrna minx]

1. ?

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

2. Actually no, you didn't.

Since you're not in Venezuela.

[Dreamer Tatum]

5. You mean I'm freer here than I would be in Venezuela? nt

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

7. It would seem so.

Unless you're 20 years old and want to have a beer.

[Dreamer Tatum]

9. Buying alcohol while underage brings federal charges?

Nope. Just gets you kicked out of the liquor store.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

17. So it's state instead of federal. Regardless, the reality is a bit harsher than that. -nt

[Dreamer Tatum]

23. Reality might be 1% harsher.

But 20 year olds with beer ending up in state prison? Give me a fucking break.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

26. I didn't say prison.

Only that a 20yo out to get beer is freer to do so in Venezuela. No more and no less.

[Dreamer Tatum]

28. And beer is more valuable than free speech, as we all know. nt

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

30. Another thing I didn't say. Typical.

[AngryAmish]

46. I like beer.

[msanthrope]

63. That sounds like something from Poor Richard's Almanac....n/t

[Bacchus39]

42. good experiment!! n/t

s

[Hosnon]

45. You sure about that?

It's similar to standing in the U.S. and shooting someone dead in Canada.

It's not as black and white as your post implies.

[villager]

3. As should everyone here, actually... At least, from the big, vampiric banks...

n/t

[villager]

60. Left out a whole clause from my post: "As should everyone here with *American* banks!..."

;-)

[dipsydoodle]

4. Why would you do that ?

Does the fact you've broadcast you tweet whatever make you feel big ?

Twit.

[Dreamer Tatum]

6. Because I can, without fear of being arrested. nt

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

16. For your next exercise in freedom, I'd like you to try the following:

1) Organize a bunch of people, don't go it alone.
2) Take a high-profile company in the US.
3) All of your group twit intensely that something very bad is going to happen to company X.
4) For bonus points, buy Company X stock when it dives.

See what happens.

[Dreamer Tatum]

19. Boy, do you ever need to search Twitter sometime.

People tweet about the demise of companies X, Y, and Z ALL DAY LONG.

FAIL.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

36. Regardless of the inefficiency of prosecuting market manipulators in practice...

...isn't that ILLEGAL?

[Ignis]

51. Not unless the prosecuting government is ... *cue dramatic music* ...

SOCIALIST! :scared:

"Reds under the bed! Booga-booga! Dominoes! Vital essence!"

It just doesn't have the same kick it did in the '80s, does it?

[Hosnon]

55. Is it?

Honest question.

Shorting stock is common and I've read countless stories of traders spreading false rumors about companies in an effort to make money.

[girl gone mad]

58. Yes, it absolutely is.

Look down for an example. The SEC is lax with enforcement of these laws, just as they are on many other laws (insider trading), but it is a crime.

[girl gone mad]

56. And those people could face criminal charges if their intent is to manipulate prices.

SEC Charges Wall Street Short-Seller With Spreading False Rumors

Washington, D.C., April 24, 2008 - The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged Paul S. Berliner, a Wall Street trader formerly associated with Schottenfeld Group LLC, with securities fraud and market manipulation for intentionally spreading false rumors about The Blackstone Group's acquisition of Alliance Data Systems (ADS) while selling ADS short.

The SEC alleges that five months ago, Berliner disseminated the false rumor through instant messages to numerous individuals, including traders at brokerage firms and hedge funds. The false rumor also was picked up by the media.

"The message of this case is simple and direct. The Commission will vigorously investigate and prosecute those who manipulate markets with this witch's brew of damaging rumors and short sales," said SEC Chairman Christopher Cox.

"Today's action makes clear that the Commission will act swiftly and decisively against those who would seek to profit by disseminating false information to the marketplace," said Linda Chatman Thomsen, Director of the SEC's Division of Enforcement.

http://www.sec.gov/news/press/2008/2008-64.htm

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

62. OMG the SEC are communist dictators!!!11(atan(pi/4))1!!!

[EFerrari]

8. Your thread didn't go as you expected. That's a shame. nt

[Name removed]

10. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[EFerrari]

21. You seem to have a very troubled relationship to facts. Sorry about that.

[Dreamer Tatum]

27. Once more, a fact isn't a fact unless you agree with it.

Otherwise it's right wing blahblahblahblahblah.

Zzzzzz.

[EFerrari]

29. The Faux defense.

[AngryAmish]

47. No, it's a mistranslation.

[Cleita]

11. Facts are so inconvenient. n/t

[Dreamer Tatum]

12. I think "fact" in Spanish must translate into "opinions I like." nt

[Cleita]

13. There were other articles posted in English or don't

you know that language either?

[Dreamer Tatum]

15. And those are factual, too, I suppose...

What a coincidence. You agree with them, and they just happen to be factual.

[Cleita]

20. They say there is a law against spreading lies

about banks with the purpose of undermining them. The law is easy to look up. Try it.

[Dreamer Tatum]

24. So again, we are much freer here than in Venezuela, as no such law exists here.

Thank you. My point is proven, by you.

[EFerrari]

32. You might want to check with the SEC about that before you tweet again.

[Dreamer Tatum]

34. If the SEC had issues with people disparaging public companies. Walmart would own DU.

So please, revise and resubmit.

[Cleita]

39. Wal-Mart is a bank? Go figure. n/t

[AngryAmish]

48. Wal Mart is a bank

They created one when the government was giving away money to banks. Really.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

40. Call me back when somebody posts something like...

"OMG sell all your Wal-Mart stock NOW! They're about to announce Chapter 11!"

[Dreamer Tatum]

35. If the SEC had issues with people disparaging public companies. Walmart would own DU.

So please, revise and resubmit.

[EFerrari]

41. Disparaging public companies is not the same

as incitement unless you use the Faux "everything is everything" which you do, all the time.

[Cleita]

33. Really, just how free are we?

We are free to allow the banks to charge us usury rated in interest, to foreclose our mortgages and to engage in any number of banking practices that are considered gangsterism in other countries. Yeah, enjoy those freedoms while you are going through the trash to find something to eat. Oh btw you haven't proved anything except that you refuse to accept the truth.

[Dreamer Tatum]

37. "Hey, look over there!" nt

[frylock]

54. now translate clueless fuckwad

[wuushew]

14. Political spam must pay well

Why not start a third topic so you can have a trifecta of zero recs?

[Dreamer Tatum]

18. My self-esteem depends not on recs, alas.

Sorry to disappoint you.

[Catherina]

22. What a childish OP. It's disturbing to see something this vacuous on DU

Are you Venezuelan? No

Are you in Venezuela? No

Are you tweeting to Venezuelans? No

Are you supporting rightwingers trying to destablize their government? At least you got three out of four.

[Dreamer Tatum]

Just posting my opinion on Twitter, as I am free to do, unlike in certain other places

that are held as paragons here on DU.

[Catherina]

50. Tweet away. This is most amusing. The comic relief is priceless n/t

[Cleita]

44. I don't think the OP could tell us what Hugo Chavez

or Venezuela has done to him to hate them so much. I don't think he knows why he should hate Hugo Chavez or Venezuela, just that some one told him he should.

[Catherina]

53. You noticed that too?

They know nothing about the man except what's reported in US news by the US government and in by the Venezuelan opposition that takes great care to conventiently translate everything into English for gringo consumption.

HANDS OFF VENEZUELA YANKEES!

[EFerrari]

57. If Dreamer was such a huge human rights defender

you'd think his journal would be overflowing with Colombia and Honduras. Go figure.

[Forkboy]

25. I remember when I was 7. Those were great times.

[Ignis]

49. We had to make prank calls with a landline, though. Ah, ancient history!

[Call Me Wesley]

52. You ate my play-doh, remember?

It wasn't great times for me. :P

[On the Road]

31. I've Got a Serious Question for You

I am also disturbed by some of the more recent actions of the Chavez government in the last couple of years.

The problem is that the alternative would seem to be a guy like Carmona.

Is there any realistic alternative to the two ends of the specturm?

[Cleita]

38. Actually, a better test would be to tweet to everyone

that they should withdraw all their money from the big banks like Goldman Sachs and see how far you get before getting a knock on the door.

[EstimatedProphet]

43. Is it OK with you if we fix the problems in the US first?

You know, instead of trying to mind Venezuela's business for them?

[Cleita]

64. As long as Venezuela has all that oil that BP

and EXXON covet and that Hugo Chavez stands in the way of, our puppet government will try to mind Venezuela's business and spread as much propaganda as they can against it to undermine the Venezuelan government until they get a real dictator and oppressive military state more to their liking. Then they can bribe those officials to look the other way while they steal everything.

[EstimatedProphet]

66. Oil Republic, to update an old phrase...

[laughingliberal]

69. Yep. nt

[bvar22]

59. OTOH. in many ways, the Venezuelans have more freedom than we do.

The first and most important:
Venezuelans are FREE to see their votes counted, and elections monitored by independent international agencies.

That ALONE trumps you pathetic little OP.

Venezuela belongs to the people of Venezuela.
Its none of our business.

VIVA Democracy!
I hope it migrates to El Norte soon.

[Cleita]

61. +1000

:thumbsup:

[Octafish]

68. ¡Muchisimas gracias, bvar22!

Something else that's alien: EXXON and BP will never give away oil to poor people in winter.

[laughingliberal]

70. Thank you, bvar22. nt

[leftstreet]

76. "I hope it migrates to El Norte soon."

:applause:

[FreeState]

65. I dont see a single post with "Venezuela" and "bank" on Twitter in the last 5 hours

that fits your description. Got a link?


Real-time results for Venezuela bank
http://twitter.com/#search?q=Venezuela%20bank

mighty_ghost
Apparently some guys jst said smthn bad about Venezuela's bank system on Chavez's Twitter n they ended up in jail. So, yeah #HugoChavezSucks
17 minutes ago via web

nickmarschel
If you open a bank account in Venezuela, they give you a free vuvuzela! #SafeAndSoundBanking
about 5 hours ago via TweetDeck

NeilSanderson

Venezuela accuses pair of tweeting bank rumours: CARACAS - Venezuelan authorities yesterday accused... http://bit.ly/95OFgm (via @nzherald)
about 5 hours ago via twitterfeed

[laughingliberal]

71. Maybe he dreamed he tweeted it. nt

[Lydia Leftcoast]

67. Oh whoopee, another anti-Chavez fanatic arguing like a right winger

I've seen those tactics since I was a teenager. I thought they were clever when I was a teenager. But then I grew up.

[jimmyflint]

72. Cuba and Venezuela aren't big on freedom of speech.

When I came to this site I was shocked. Many people here don't think we should have free speech,press,tv,radio,or internet.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

73. See my post #67

I believe in free speech, but I also believe in calling the right-wing media (and Forbes is nothing but) on their lies and half-truths and distortions. That's part of free speech, too, you know.

[justinaforjustice]

74. Venezuela Has Jailed Its Fraudster Bankers, U.S. Bails Them Out.

President Chavez shut down the banks and financial institutions here in Venezuela that were using their depositors' money to speculate for their own personal gain. The Bush and Obama administrations bailed out the U.S. banks and even funneled money to Goldman Sachs for doing the same thing, to the tune of billions, if not trillions, of dollars.

Meanwhile, in the U.S. the administration claims there won't be enough money to pay full Social Security benefits without raising the age to receive payments. Of course, we can't increase the payments into SS from the very rich, we can only take benefits from the "little people". The U.S. does have plenty of money for two wars and 800 military installations in 75 foreign countries around the world, including seven new ones in Venezuela's neighbor, Colombia.

Venezuela nationalized or shut down the corrupt banks here -- and paid back all their depositors every cent they were owed.

When a government agency here (PDVAL) allowed foodstuffs, intended for the government subsidized markets, to rot in warehouses. Venezuela put the agency top officials in jail and are charging them for their malfeasance.

Americans can worry about Venezuelan bank laws after the U.S. government puts Summers, Geithner and the heads of the SEC who failed to regulate the big banks in jail. Don't hold your breath for that to happen.

If Chavez were in charge in the U.S., the heads of BP who cut corners on safety in order to increase their corporate profits would already be in jail, as would the government mining regulators who allowed BP to carry out its corrupt practices.

In Venezuela, policies are now designed to protect "the little people" not the rich corporations. The same cannot be said for the U.S., where citizens are suffering massive unemployment and now being deprived of even minimal unemployment benefits for the "sin" of being unemployed too long.

[Fast Dude]

75. "President" Chavez is a two-bit dictator

Nothing more. Put your hero worship where your mouth is, book your flight now.