Posted on 02/13/2016 7:24:51 AM PST by grimalkin
Dying infants, chronic power outages and empty shelves mark the world's worst-performing economy
CARACAS, Venezuela--In a hospital in the far west of this beleaguered country, the economic crisis took a grim toll in the past week: Six infants died because there wasn't enough medicine or functioning respirators.
Here in the capital, the crisis has turned ordinary life into an ordeal for nearly everyone. Chronic power outages have prompted the government to begin rationing electricity, darkening shopping malls. Homes and apartments regularly suffer water shortages.
Rosalba Castellano, 74 years old, spent hours this week in what has become a desperate routine for millions: waiting in long lines to buy whatever food is available. She walked away with just two liters of cooking oil.
"I hoped to buy toilet paper, rice, pasta," she said. "But you can't find them." Her only choice will be to hunt for the goods at marked-up prices on the black market. The government, she said, "is putting us through savage suffering."
(Excerpt) Read more at wsj.com ...
I hope Trump shares his real thoughts on big government and sell out crony capitalism since those are the two primary enemies corrupting and bringing this country down. Once he squares his subsidy and universal health care conflicts I think he could be a worthy conservative candidate,,, though he has already stated his dislike of conservatives.
My thoughts about the attraction of Bernie & his Socialismo is that we have little RECENT success to show for Capitalism. We have a younger generation raised by committed leftists in academia who have no measurement to see the failures of socialism. We have had compliant and, at times, scared Congresses who have imposed increased government regulations that Big Businesses could readily accommodate but are very onerous to their small to middling peers.
The grass is always greener across the road and without an attractant on this side, many are willing to make the crossing when they see their future so dim. Obama’s ‘recovery’ from 2008-9 is still the worst recovery in modern history. Given the depths that it sunk, we should have been seeing increases in GDP of 4-5%! The employment rate of 4.9% is good only till you look at the decrease in wages from the period before the 2008-9 period.
Venezuela prospered on what seemed to be an unlimited future with ever-rising oil prices. Without that prop, the ‘Caudillo’ government of Chavez/Maduro looks like the naked Emperor and is only protected by an army that has no other choice except revolution. We in the USofA, are not that weak, but we still need to keep our powder dry and available!
I could put a 2 over the 1, but somebody worked hard to make that creation, and I won’t change it. That’s like drawing a wart on the Mona Lisa.
White Venezuelans have been fleeing for years; a friend married one who is now trying to get her family out. 20 years ago my wife worked with a recently-arrived one that was already describing problems there.
The communists will attain the same goal as they did in Cuba: Change a multicultural society with various socio-economic classes into another poor black country.
This angers me, a lot. Marxism causes suffering, and has done so over and over again, yet those on the left keep trying to resurrect it rather than admit the truth. Every campus ‘intellectual’, every ‘activist’ leftist, and every ‘progressive’ politician who has embraced Marxism or even Marxist-light socialism has contributed to this suffering. I am not a violent person, but if I could go back in history and slap someone silly, Marx would be at the top of the list.
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If you don’t think that can and will happen here than make sure you don’t bother to stock up on food.
These people chose it for themselves. It’s their culture.
The situation in Venezuela is the direct result of universal suffrage.
The right wing in this county has to seriously start thinking about a solution to the domestic marxist voter problem.
Anyone casting a vote for Sanders is an enemy of the US Republic.
Disenfranchisement, ridicule, harassment, beatings, reeducation, and gassing are all potential solutions that have worked in other places.
The enemy is all around us, not just in DC.
Who is more dangerous to the USA, ISIS , or the Bernie Sanders voter?
Venezuela WILL happen here unless it becomes VERY dangerous for simpletons to vote for openly marxist or progressive politicians.
Feel the Bern.
Indeed, we need to keep our powder dry.
I continue to suspect that the pro-Bernie vote is largely an anti-Hillary vote or anybody but Hillary vote.
Venezuela has disarmed the populace and the army is controlled by Cuban Advisors.
Very tough to take out El Presidente if he still has the army behind him, and Cuba makes sure that wont change.
Whats coming next is lining up the new government leadership against a wall and shooting them.
Tends to quiet down the opposition, very effective, Maduro is a retarded bus driver, otherwise he would have already done this.
As long as Obama is in the WH, Maduro has free reign.
Coming to Great America. They’re going to have to use the wall to keep us in.
If America’s youth elect socialist, I would suggest divesting of hard currencies ( Gold & silver) and stock up on soft currencies, mainly, Toilet Paper, all you can buy, in ten years, pound for pound ,it will be the best investment.
Hussein’s goal for this country.
Another socialist triumph!
I ran into a lady acquaintance the other night who is from Venezuela. She is trying to get her sister to come to the US and escape what has become a horrific situation. She is devastated by what is happening in her country. Her sister refuses to leave. The lady says it’s like they’ve been brainwashed.
Remember, they don’t have a free press like we do. They are told the problems are the fault of America! This has been beaten into their heads for years.
This lady fully understands because she is here, but she says people there are confused, and many still don’t really understand what’s going on. She can’t even get her own sister to understand that she should get out now. Most people there don’t have the means to leave.
I felt very bad for her and for all people who suffer under onerous governments. This isn’t just the result of foolish voting, this is tyranny.
Scolding these people over it doesn’t sit well with me.
My two cents. The Christian thing to do is to look for a way to help.
I want to know why the Venezuelan stock market is up....Do they have one? Or is it merely the government’s way of shoring up themselves? (Kinda like ours).
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