I guess I do not understand people, meaning the problems our very own country, and ones like Venezuela, voted for exactly what they got.
I bet there is a minority in Venezuela just like us at FR, just hating every moment of what’s going on, feeling so helpless. Fortunately we now have a chance, being Trump. But if a Trump version came along for Venezuela would they vote for him, or are they so brainwashed that socialism will work under the right leader?
Exactly. Wasn’t their economy booming just a few years ago?
“The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people’s money.” M. Thatcher.
It says right in our own Declaration of Independence that “mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed”; so they understood the tendency of people towards inertia.
Venezuela has described as a dictatorship, but it really isn't. It is a perfect democracy, the kind our founding fathers specifically didn't want and didn't implement, for the exact same reasons we are seeing in Venezuela.
Venezuela is a democracy where Chavez got over 50% of the vote each election, because he stole from the 49% that didn't vote for him and gave things to the people who did. He was supported by the 50% because they got things for free that they couldn't have gotten from working.
But he bought that 50% by diverting money from other things, like maintaining their power grid, and oil infrastructure. So now the bills are coming due for the lack of maintenance, and relying on high commodity prices. Maduro can't buy 50% anymore.
I hope that the Venezuelans get rid of him, but that they do it legally, like Honduras did a while back.
“so brainwashed that socialism will work under the right leader?”
I believe so.
There is - I have many friends from high school who still live in Caracas and they’re doing everything they can to survive and fight, but it’s tough when the Guardia has all the guns.
Likely the latter.