Elected in 2009, Mujica spent the 1960s and 1970s as part of the Uruguayan guerrilla Tupamaros, a leftist armed group inspired by the Cuban revolution.

Nice to see he didn't turn into a nasty, selfish dictator.

Does he dress up for official visits to the UN or Washington?  I sense a sitcom in the making. He's the poor president of a country nobody has heard of. She's the Secretary of State of the richest country in the world. Tune in Click for this week's wacky hijinks.

ZAZ: She's the Secretary of State of the richest country in the world. Tune in Click for this week's wacky hijinks.

The first episode chronicles her being infuriated that he isn't returning her texts... only for her to discover he doesn't have a cell-phone, leading to a heartwarming apology/forgiveness scene.

FTFA:
In 2010, his annual personal wealth declaration - mandatory for officials in Uruguay - was $1,800 (£1,100), the value of his 1987 Volkswagen Beetle.

This year, he added half of his wife's assets - land, tractors and a house - reaching $215,000 (£135,000).

So he married money.

Uruguay rocks!

/oblig

You know how I know Uruguay?

Too bad he's a communist. He seems like a good guy.

ZAZ: He's the poor president of a country nobody has heard of

For anyone with an ounce of interest in European soccer or the World Cup, Uruguay is not a country no one has heard of.

"Does this planet have enough resources so seven or eight billion can have the same level of consumption and waste that today is seen in rich societies?" 

No, of course it doesn't--at our current level of technology. Fortunately, ever-advancing technology may allow more people to live at a higher standard of living.

Rev.K: For anyone with an ounce of interest in European soccer or the World Cup, Uruguay is not a country no one has heard of.

OK: He's the poor president of a country nobody in North America has ever heard of.

I mean, North America north of Mexico. Because technically Mexico is part of North America.

North America north of Mexico and south of Canada.

ilikeracecars: You know how I know Uruguay?

Mistymtnhop: Uruguay rocks!

Legalized pot, abortion and maybe soon gay marriage.

AverageAmericanGuy: Too bad he's a communist. He seems like a good guy.

I'd like to see Morales or Chavez put their money where their mouth is and do the same thing.

TastyEloi: "Does this planet have enough resources so seven or eight billion can have the same level of consumption and waste that today is seen in rich societies?" 

No, of course it doesn't--at our current level of technology. Fortunately, ever-advancing technology may allow more people to live at a higher standard of living.

youreSeriousLetMeLaughHarder.jpg

AverageAmericanGuy: Too bad he's a communist. He seems like a good guy.

Imagine 90 years of propaganda being wrong.

ilikeracecars: You know how I know Uruguay?

Uganda be kidding me, what a terrible pun.

Heamer: ilikeracecars: You know how I know Uruguay?

Uganda be kidding me, what a terrible pun.

Bolivia me, it's just going to get worse.

See, every so often, wiser men emerge and they say "You know, I don't really *need* much.

I got love, I got a car that runs, a few bucks in my pocket, the utilities are on, the fridge is full."

And they use whatever position they attain to make things better, if they can, instead of using violence, lies and corruption to jam as many bank notes up their ass as possible before they get fitted for a toe tag. They don't get a come up and then blow a lot of money trying to affect the posture of somebody they aren't and do not feel comfortable portraying.

This guy isn't a failure, he's a life lesson.

AverageAmericanGuy: Too bad he's a communist. He seems like a good guy.

Stupid democratic elections.

Hero tag hiding Subby?

I consider myself a capitalist because I find socialism to just be a way for the power hungry fascists to control the masses, however for this man, I would gladly be a socialist.

Rev.K: For anyone with an ounce of interest in European soccer or the World Cup, Uruguay is not a country no one has heard of.

Seriously. What few memories I have left of the 2010 World Cup mostly consist of Diego Forlan and Luis Suarez clowning damn near every poor defender in their path.

/and the entire Premier League will trip all over themselves to bid on Edinson Cavani in a couple months
//Uruguay does the whole 'soccer thing' very well.

AverageAmericanGuy: Too bad he's a communist. He seems like a good guy.

I may be asking a dumbass question here, but is this a troll account, or what?

My wife is from Uruguay, and she's never met him but much of her family has. He had lunch with her grandmother a few weeks ago. Her father (who has also met him) could be his younger brother, they are in many ways cut from the same cloth.

oh, an independently wealthy landowner doesn't need all his official government salary?

shocking. give the man an award or whatever.

the USA is shiat compared to most other nations

Sadly, "average" isn't too bright.

'Interesting' trumps the 'Hero' tag?

I wish the US had a leader who knew what it was like to live on just the basics...

bulok: Hero tag hiding Subby?

I consider myself a capitalist because I find socialism to just be a way for the power hungry fascists to control the masses, however for this man, I would gladly be a socialist.

Agreed.

Not a greed.

AverageAmericanGuy: Too bad he's a communist. He seems like a good guy.

Honestly, if he's a Communist, he's the first Communist who has actually lived as a proletariat while holding the highest office in his nation that I've heard of, and one that I could respect for his beliefs even if I don't agree with them.

Though I'm not going to disagree with his perspective on the rat race most of us participate in. My wife and I have chosen to live below our means and we've watched friends and associates crash and burn when hit by comparatively minor setbacks while spending every dime trying to keep up with Madison Avenue's suggested lifestyle, and we've weathered it by actually figuring out what we want and moderating our acquisition of it. It's not much of a hardship to refrain from buying new TVs or new cars or new computers when what we have still works. I played that game for awhile, and I learned that regardless of how many new video cards I bought, there would always be a better one out shortly.

So, we buy things when we need them. We use tube TVs. My 'new' car six months ago is seventeen years old, though admittedly had only 6500 miles on it. Her laptop still has a built-in optical drive, but is a Thinkpad and will easily last another five years, probably more like eight tp ten. I replaced my T-Mobile G1 smartphone when the keyboard finally fully croaked. She replaced her analog cell phone when the provider started charging extra for analog service, and it probably would still work if there was service available.

Live for yourself, not just for appearance sake or because advertisers say to do something.

Hot Carl To Go: Heamer: ilikeracecars: You know how I know Uruguay?

Uganda be kidding me, what a terrible pun.

Bolivia me, it's just going to get worse.

Columbia over here, let me show you the way

/Syriasly

Rev.K: ZAZ: He's the poor president of a country nobody has heard of

For anyone with an ounce of interest in European soccer or the World Cup, Uruguay is not a country no one has heard of.

Forlan ftw?

/PES6
//possibly obscure

Rev.K: ZAZ: He's the poor president of a country nobody has heard of

For anyone with an ounce of interest in European soccer or the World Cup, Uruguay is not a country no one has heard of.

And the US is not the richest country in the world. It hasn't been since the mid-80s.

Link

I don't trust people that say they don't need money and I'm twice as distrustful of a politician that isn't interested in money.

ZAZ: Rev.K: For anyone with an ounce of interest in European soccer or the World Cup, Uruguay is not a country no one has heard of.

OK: He's the poor president of a country nobody in North America has ever heard of.

I mean, North America north of Mexico. Because technically Mexico is part of North America.

North America north of Mexico and south of Canada.

yeah -but "a country americans have never heard of" is pretty much all of them except for like, what - 9 places?

RTOGUY: I don't trust people that say they don't need money and I'm twice as distrustful of a politician that isn't interested in money.

Then you must think the American congress is Christ Jesus returned.

miniflea: AverageAmericanGuy: Too bad he's a communist. He seems like a good guy.

I may be asking a dumbass question here, but is this a troll account, or what?

My wife is from Uruguay, and she's never met him but much of her family has. He had lunch with her grandmother a few weeks ago. Her father (who has also met him) could be his younger brother, they are in many ways cut from the same cloth.

i'm pretty sure what you experienced was called a joke. lighten up a bit

EyeHateOnlineIdiots: the USA is shiat compared to most other nations

No, it's definitely not. But it's sure lost a lot of ground in the last 30 to 40 years. Or rather stayed still while other countries kept moving forward.

bulok: Hero tag hiding Subby?

I consider myself a capitalist because I find socialism to just be a way for the power hungry fascists to control the masses, however for this man, I would gladly be a socialist.

I am in agreement with this sentiment. If only all people could keep there greed in check the world would be a better place.

//sadly most humans are greedy.

/and lazy.

You don't always drink beer, but when you do, you drink "Red,White & Blue."

TastyEloi: "Does this planet have enough resources so seven or eight billion can have the same level of consumption and waste that today is seen in rich societies?" 

No, of course it doesn't--at our current level of technology. Fortunately, ever-advancing technology may allow more people to live at a higher standard of living.

Technologist. :)

I'm not so sure that always works, but I get the underlying concepts.

As for our family, we're doing well enough to not have to tight-budget but my god I'll be glad when any extra money doesn't go to my damn teeth. That is my next fiscal goal.

BeerGraduate: Hot Carl To Go: Heamer: ilikeracecars: You know how I know Uruguay?

Uganda be kidding me, what a terrible pun.

Bolivia me, it's just going to get worse.

Columbia over here, let me show you the way

/Syriasly

You know, by now, you'd think I'd learn to spend my time better than to Peru these threads with all these bad puns.

TWX: AverageAmericanGuy: Too bad he's a communist. He seems like a good guy.

Honestly, if he's a Communist, he's the first Communist who has actually lived as a proletariat while holding the highest office in his nation that I've heard of, and one that I could respect for his beliefs even if I don't agree with them.

Though I'm not going to disagree with his perspective on the rat race most of us participate in. My wife and I have chosen to live below our means and we've watched friends and associates crash and burn when hit by comparatively minor setbacks while spending every dime trying to keep up with Madison Avenue's suggested lifestyle, and we've weathered it by actually figuring out what we want and moderating our acquisition of it. It's not much of a hardship to refrain from buying new TVs or new cars or new computers when what we have still works. I played that game for awhile, and I learned that regardless of how many new video cards I bought, there would always be a better one out shortly.

So, we buy things when we need them. We use tube TVs. My 'new' car six months ago is seventeen years old, though admittedly had only 6500 miles on it. Her laptop still has a built-in optical drive, but is a Thinkpad and will easily last another five years, probably more like eight tp ten. I replaced my T-Mobile G1 smartphone when the keyboard finally fully croaked. She replaced her analog cell phone when the provider started charging extra for analog service, and it probably would still work if there was service available.

Live for yourself, not just for appearance sake or because advertisers say to do something.

you sound poor.

Hot Carl To Go: Heamer: ilikeracecars: You know how I know Uruguay?

Uganda be kidding me, what a terrible pun.

Bolivia me, it's just going to get worse.

Oman, Alaska you one more time to stop this for the sake of everyone India country. Costa Rica get richer and the poor man complains that Egpyt while we sit here making jokes about your mother's Djibouti. Syria's lee

Rev.K: ZAZ: He's the poor president of a country nobody has heard of

For anyone with an ounce of interest in European soccer or the World Cup, Uruguay is not a country no one has heard of.

Diego Forlan is all I know, but I only watch soccer for a few weeks, every four years. He dominated in 2010

Socialism, capitalism, and a couple of other isms being touted, fought over and stapled to various nation states are not absolutes. They are not all in one, One True Ways™. They are useful components of something that, when stewarded by honest man, mostly work to the benefit of everybody. Until we get a call from Diogenes saying "Touchdown!", it's largely a moot point whether or not you subscribe to ANY of them but please know that if you subscribe, all in, patch-sewn-on-my-coat to ANY of them exclusively, you've already missed the part where our ideas are supposed to serve us, not give other men leverage to make us serve them.

If he were a real man of the people he would have named his dog Tripod.

legion_of_doo: oh, an independently wealthy landowner doesn't need all his official government salary?

shocking. give the man an award or whatever.

I think that the point is that he's not looking for an award.

Additionally, if the farm and the assets are worth about $500,000, he's got less resources than the average true family farm in the United States. I wouldn't be surprised if a couple of the bigger pieces of equipment to work my extended family's farm exceeds this man's net worth, and that the bulk of that net worth is tied up in the farm, not liquid for his immediate spending. He could certainly choose to take more, to consume more, to grab for even more, but has chosen to do the opposite.

bunner: Socialism, capitalism, and a couple of other isms being touted, fought over and stapled to various nation states are not absolutes. They are not all in one, One True Ways™. They are useful components of something that, when stewarded by honest man, mostly work to the benefit of everybody. Until we get a call from Diogenes saying "Touchdown!", it's largely a moot point whether or not you subscribe to ANY of them but please know that if you subscribe, all in, patch-sewn-on-my-coat to ANY of them exclusively, you've already missed the part where our ideas are supposed to serve us, not give other men leverage to make us serve them.

very well said.

bunner: Socialism, capitalism, and a couple of other isms being touted, fought over and stapled to various nation states are not absolutes. They are not all in one, One True Ways™. They are useful components of something that, when stewarded by honest man, mostly work to the benefit of everybody. Until we get a call from Diogenes saying "Touchdown!", it's largely a moot point whether or not you subscribe to ANY of them but please know that if you subscribe, all in, patch-sewn-on-my-coat to ANY of them exclusively, you've already missed the part where our ideas are supposed to serve us, not give other men leverage to make us serve them.

This is the first time I've ever pressed the Smart button.

All the big charity heads with their seven figure salaries say: "Only 90%! You selfish bastard!"

EyeHateOnlineIdiots: the USA is shiat compared to most other nations

Please continue...