Blogger Daniel keeps us well-apprised of the everyday aspects of Venezuela’s descent into communism. Today, the grocery stores are demanding ID for even the purchase of bread and water. This is the beginning of rationing.

Daniel also gives us a rundown on Venezuela’s state oil company and Hugo Chavez’s mysterious unwillingness to open the books on it, and wonders if might be the real reason he wants to cut off oil from the U.S. Americans keep very good tabs on how much they buy and how much they pay, and Hugo Chavez probably doesn’t want anyone to know how badly he’s mismanaged things, how much money’s been ripped off or how low production’s gotten due to neglect and lack of investment.

The weird thing is: Chavez keeps saying he doesn’t want to cut off oil, but the antiamerican ravings of his lieutenants suggest otherwise. More significantly, a massive power outage at Venezuela’s huge Paraguana refinery this week rocked world oil prices to a zenith this week. Can it be he’s stolen so much money from the oil company that it’s literally falling apart? All of these things put together suggest yes. Read the whole thing here.