[Rummyfan]

Everyone wants to bring up Venezuela but not Denmark, Norway or the other relatively successful socialistic states around the world.

Denmark, Norway, and I would add Sweden... all relatively small (populations of less than 10 million), homogeneous (at least until their recent opening of doors to refugees), where there was a cultural ethic to abide by the system and not abuse it. Here we have a polyglot population of almost 350 million over a vast highly differentiated geography. It will not work here.

[semimojo]

...all relatively small (populations of less than 10 million), homogeneous (at least until their recent opening of doors to refugees), where there was a cultural ethic to abide by the system and not abuse it.

I think that's right.

Venezuela shares the first two traits but I'm not so sure about the third.