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Venezuela: the Left's favourite 'socialist paradise' is sliding into poverty and dictatorship
Telegraph (UK) ^ | February 21st, 2014 | Tim Stanley

Posted on 02/22/2014 11:35:37 AM PST by neverdem

How are things coming along in Venezuela, that paradise of democratic socialism? You must remember Venezuela. That's the country that Diane Abbott said was showing "a better way", which Owen Jones told us had proven that "you can lead a progressive, popular government that says no to neo-liberalism"? The apple in the eye of Marx, the last hope for humanity in a world of fat cat banksters and austerity Scrooges. The Copacobana of the international revolution. Viva!

How is Venezuela doing? Well, tens of thousands of protesters are in the streets, the army's been sent to crush revolt, an opposition leader has been arrested and supporters of the government just shot dead a former beauty queen. It's going to hell in a handcart, that's how it's doing.

After Hugo Chavez died he was replaced by Nicolas Maduro, a man of considerably less talent who bears a striking resemblance to an obese Burt Reynolds. A Venezuelan friend explains that Chavez's titanic personality held his revolution together, reconciling its various contradictions with his charismatic nationalism. By contrast, "Maduro has let the worst people take over" – surrendering authority to radical mobs and corrupt officials in a bid to keep them all on side. The result? Bad economic management, inflation at 56 per cent, rising unemployment, food shortages, shocking levels of crime and an increasing reliance on government control of the press.

The Left always insisted under Chavez that some meddling in the media was necessary because it was otherwise controlled by dark, foreign forces (read: people who disagreed with Chavez). But Maduro is now threatening to expel CNN, which is about the fairest and most balanced news source on the planet. CNN's crime was to report on the recent protests that have engulfed the capital. And good for CNN. Coverage on what's...

(Excerpt) Read more at blogs.telegraph.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: hugochavez; leopoldolopez; nicolasmaduro; venezuela; venezuelacrisis
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Coverage of Venezuela has been scanty from what I have seen in the American BS media.
1 posted on 02/22/2014 11:35:38 AM PST by neverdem
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To: neverdem

Sliding?

That ship sailed a long time ago.


2 posted on 02/22/2014 11:37:41 AM PST by dfwgator
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To: neverdem

Socialism.

Taking a nation with massive oil deposit and amazing farms to:

People starving in the dark...


3 posted on 02/22/2014 11:41:27 AM PST by 2banana (My common ground with terrorists - they want to die for islam and we want to kill them)
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To: dfwgator
Sliding? That ship sailed a long time ago.

Sailed, hit the iceberg of corruption and sank in the sea of stupidity, you know the same course that captain ahabobama is steering America.

4 posted on 02/22/2014 11:42:00 AM PST by Mastador1 (I'll take a bad dog over a good politician any day!)
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To: neverdem
But Maduro is now threatening to expel CNN, which is about the fairest and most balanced news source on the planet.

Yeah, I stopped reading right there.

5 posted on 02/22/2014 11:43:05 AM PST by martin_fierro (< |:)~)
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To: neverdem


"Huh? Wha hoppen?"
6 posted on 02/22/2014 11:44:19 AM PST by LostInBayport (When there are more people riding in the cart than there are pulling it, the cart stops moving...)
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To: neverdem

I thought Cuba was the left’s darling. Or was that El Salvador? Or Vietnam? Or North Korea? Or East Germany? Or the USSR? I get my worker’s paradises mixed up.


7 posted on 02/22/2014 11:54:25 AM PST by ozzymandus
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To: neverdem

Coming soon to a banana republic near you.


8 posted on 02/22/2014 11:54:43 AM PST by Defiant (Let the Tea Party win, and we will declare peace on the American people and go home.)
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To: neverdem

CNN fair and balanced? HUH?


9 posted on 02/22/2014 11:55:57 AM PST by mongo141 (Revolution ver. 2.0, just a matter of when, not a matter of if!)
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To: neverdem
Capitalism is the unequal distribution of wealth. Socialism is the equal distribution of poverty. ” Winston Churchill
10 posted on 02/22/2014 11:57:39 AM PST by dennisw (The first principle is to find out who you are then you can achieve anything -- Buddhist monk)
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To: dennisw

Churchill was being too kind about socialism, the ruling classes tend to do very well for themselves financially...


11 posted on 02/22/2014 12:01:04 PM PST by sinsofsolarempirefan
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To: neverdem

CNN, the fairest, most balanced, ...if you have a left nut for a brain. Things must be bad when CNN can’t find a way to cheer lead for radical left thugs. The toilet paper rebellion has grown into rioting on the streets and wholesale crime, and people still can’t get a decent piece of paper to wipe with.


12 posted on 02/22/2014 12:01:21 PM PST by pallis
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To: martin_fierro
"But Maduro is now threatening to expel CNN, which is about the fairest and most balanced news source on the planet."

Yeah, I stopped reading right there.

I didn't think you were one of those folks who find a single error and stop reading. How much have you seen of reporting on Venezuela?

13 posted on 02/22/2014 12:02:15 PM PST by neverdem (Register pressure cookers! /s)
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To: ozzymandus

Don’t forget North Korea


14 posted on 02/22/2014 12:02:42 PM PST by Maine Mariner
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To: neverdem

Venezuela blogs show that this has gotten very ugly


15 posted on 02/22/2014 12:03:02 PM PST by GeronL (Vote for Conservatives not for Republicans!)
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To: neverdem
Pics posted on the Caracas Chronicles blog


16 posted on 02/22/2014 12:05:08 PM PST by GeronL (Vote for Conservatives not for Republicans!)
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To: Maine Mariner

I didn’t.


17 posted on 02/22/2014 12:05:26 PM PST by ozzymandus
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To: GeronL

oops

Venezuela News & Views not the Caracas Chronicles


18 posted on 02/22/2014 12:07:05 PM PST by GeronL (Vote for Conservatives not for Republicans!)
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To: ozzymandus

You are right. My mistake. You did mention North Korea
I read right past it.


19 posted on 02/22/2014 12:07:50 PM PST by Maine Mariner
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To: GeronL

Thanks for the pics!


20 posted on 02/22/2014 12:12:30 PM PST by neverdem (Register pressure cookers! /s)
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