Lawless, dictatorial regimes--thank goodness we don't live *there*!!

See if you can spot a pattern.  Dateline Venezuela:

November 30, 2013--Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has ordered the arrest of merchants who have raised the prices of their products after being inspected to make sure they had lowered them.

Just 10 days before municipal elections, which the opposition has framed as a referendum on his government, all the nation's radio and television outlets were ordered to broadcast an appearance by Maduro in which he called for an "economic revolution" to protect the "productive middle class."

"This is an economic revolution that we must carry out, a new, productive economic model. We have what it takes, we have the know-how...and nothing or nobody is going to stop our drive to place the economic revolution at the center of our administration," he said.

"Starting Saturday, all the inspections that are made and clearly show that prices have been marked up following the last inspection, or that despite this national day (of economic revolution) they continue to charge the usual speculative prices in a fraudulent way, we will act with all the severity of the law," Maduro said.

"We have to be very strict with these backsliders," he said, recalling that Friday is the 23rd day since he launched "the economic offensive" to lower product prices by ordering the occupation of a chain of electrical-appliance stores he accused of "speculating."

Next:

HARARE, Zimbabwe –  State authorities have ordered foreign shop-owners to close their businesses by Jan. 1 unless they give 51 percent control to local citizens.  According to state media, owners who fail to comply will be arrested.

A top official of the black empowerment ministry said only Zimbabweans had the right to run shops in the country,

Laws compelling this were passed  in 2007.  Foreign shop owners have been criticized for taking retail trade opportunities from Zimbabwean traders by selling cheap imports.

Finally:

Washington--Officials of the Democratic party have passed a law forcing all Americans to buy government-approved health insurance or pay a fine.  All existing health-insurance policies will be cancelled unless they offer free birth control, substance-abuse counseling and maternity benefits.

Officials shrugged off complaints from males that no health policies for men contained these provisions.

Democrats also ignored critics who complained that the law violated the Constitution since all revenue-raising bills are required to originate in the House, while this bill originated in the senate.  A Democrat spokeswoman laughed and dismissed the complaint as not being worthy of a response.

Republicans also charged that no member of congress had actually read the whole bill.  Democrats replied that this wasn't relevant since "it's the law" and that the courts would determine the provisions.

 Yeah, there's a pattern all right.