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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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To: neverdem

Plenty.

On Fox News.


21 posted on 02/22/2014 12:14:21 PM PST by martin_fierro (< |:)~)
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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.”

I laughed so friggin hard my teeth fell out!!
CNN leans so far to the left that they are horizontal! Never met a socialist or left winger they did not like. If they are out of favor you know things are going to hell in Venezuela!


22 posted on 02/22/2014 12:18:57 PM PST by SECURE AMERICA (Where can I go to sign up for the American Revolution 2014 and the Crusades 2014?)
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To: neverdem







Don't cry for me Venezuela!!!!
23 posted on 02/22/2014 12:34:27 PM PST by Kartographer ("We mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.")
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To: neverdem

An America revolution could make the French revolution look like a Petting Zoo.. at a birthday for a three year old..

Feeding movie stars to great whites off the mexifornia coast..


24 posted on 02/22/2014 12:48:05 PM PST by hosepipe (This propaganda has been edited to include some fully orbed hyperbole..)
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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.

I stopped reading right there because thanks to Fox News -- the fairest and most balanced news source on the planet -- and elsewhere (for example 1 | 2 | 3), I can appreciate that CNN's reporting is a crock.

Statements like that italicised above cause me to question young Master Stanley's assessment as being not nearly bleak enough.

25 posted on 02/22/2014 12:51:16 PM PST by martin_fierro (< |:)~)
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To: GeronL

That has to be nearly a million people.


26 posted on 02/22/2014 1:03:33 PM PST by Carry_Okie (Islam offers us three choices: Defeat them utterly, die, or surrender to a life of slavery.)
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To: hosepipe
Feeding movie stars to great whites off the mexifornia coast...

One can only dream, but I'd rather feed the sharks to the sharks first (lawyers).

27 posted on 02/22/2014 1:05:42 PM PST by Carry_Okie (Islam offers us three choices: Defeat them utterly, die, or surrender to a life of slavery.)
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To: Carry_Okie

They should just invade the Presidential Palace and Capitol and get this crap over this.


28 posted on 02/22/2014 1:06:26 PM PST by GeronL (Vote for Conservatives not for Republicans!)
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To: neverdem

Nothing to worry about. 0bama will send the communist dictatorship our hard-earned money.


29 posted on 02/22/2014 1:10:54 PM PST by I want the USA back (Media: completely irresponsible traitors. Complicit in the destruction of our country.)
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To: GeronL
They should just invade the Presidential Palace and Capitol and get this crap over this.

Once they're done, I want to know more about how Chavez' vote rigging system is used. Given his stake in Diebold, I'll bet the Democrats are using it here.

Hey, maybe that's why they're so quiet! ;-)

30 posted on 02/22/2014 1:23:40 PM PST by Carry_Okie (Islam offers us three choices: Defeat them utterly, die, or surrender to a life of slavery.)
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To: neverdem

Now playing at a nation near you. :)


31 posted on 02/22/2014 1:38:33 PM PST by Tzimisce
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To: GeronL
They should just invade the Presidential Palace and Capitol and get this crap over this.

The President of Venezuela is living in the Vice President's residence because Chavez's kids won't leave the palace and he doesn;'t have the power to kick them out. Ironically the Vice President is married to one of the Chavez brats so he's living in the Big Hut.

32 posted on 02/22/2014 1:40:44 PM PST by Pan_Yan (Who told you that you were naked? Genesis 3:11)
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To: hosepipe

Obama is trying to control 100% of the American Media... It seems that Obama is also Taking a Page Out of the Castro/Chavez Playbook.

“Socialism, disguise it how we may, is the negation of Freedom. That it is so, and that it is also a scheme not capable of producing even material comfort in exchange for the abnegations of Freedom, I think the foregoing considerations amply prove.” EDWARD STANLEY ROBERTSON

— Thomas Jefferson “The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.”

— Thomas Jefferson “No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms.”

CUBA, Venezuela.. A disarmed people are an easy prey for tyrants... AMERICANS DON’T ALLOW ANY APPRENTICE OF TYRANT DISARM YOU!!!


33 posted on 02/22/2014 1:55:25 PM PST by Dqban22
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To: Pan_Yan

lol


34 posted on 02/22/2014 2:04:18 PM PST by GeronL (Vote for Conservatives not for Republicans!)
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To: Kartographer

Don’t cry for me Venezuela!!!!

Someone tell Jim - we need a “like” button.


35 posted on 02/22/2014 2:10:37 PM PST by rsobin
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To: GeronL

Wouldn’t you just love to drop Sean Penn off right in the middle of that. “Here ya’ go, Sean. Tell them how to fix it.”


36 posted on 02/22/2014 2:11:12 PM PST by VerySadAmerican (".....Barrack, and the horse Mohammed rode in on.")
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To: sinsofsolarempirefan; dennisw
Capitalism is the unequal distribution of wealth.

Socialism is the equal distribution of poverty, (with the exception of the ruling elites, who of course do very well for themselves )

Winston Churchill , with addendum by sinsofsolarempirefan

37 posted on 02/22/2014 2:12:53 PM PST by boxlunch (Psalm 2)
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To: rsobin

we do.... BTT

It preceeded the like button by eons of cyber time


38 posted on 02/22/2014 2:13:00 PM PST by bert ((K.E. N.P. N.C. +12 ..... History is a process, not an event)
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To: VerySadAmerican

lolz


39 posted on 02/22/2014 2:13:59 PM PST by GeronL (Vote for Conservatives not for Republicans!)
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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.

Really? The author also seems to be longing for the good old days when Chavez was in charge.

40 posted on 02/22/2014 2:16:35 PM PST by Moonman62 (The US has become a government with a country, rather than a country with a government.)
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