Yes, Venezuela Is a Socialist Catastrophe

New York Times ^ | Jan. 25, 2019 | Bret Stephens

[shanover]

The true believers will go to their graves believing that Socialism/Marxism and all great “progressive” “isms” can only be done right as the new Americansim.

[sparklite2]

They also have Douthat and David Brooks. It’s a regular GOP over there! :P:

[AndyJackson]

You have to come up with a way to acquire wealth and power without ending up in jail or dead and with lots of people helping you. Hmmmmmmmm?

Become a congresscritter?

[Sergio]

The difference between Nazism and Socialism/Communism is that you never hear anyone say; “Well, the reason Nazism failed is because you didn’t have the right people in charge.”

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

Why does socialism never work? Because, as Margaret Thatcher explained, “eventually you run out of other people’s money.”

The fundamental of socialism is cynicism towards society, used to justify large, intrusive government.

But the fundamental rule of good management is that you must "never separate responsibility from authority.” When you support socialism, you are supporting precisely that kind of abusive mismanagement. Under socialism, government has arbitrary authority, but deflects all responsibility onto society (in the form of employers and companies).

The result is arbitrary punishment of the leaders of society, while the bureaucrats centralize all authority for themselves.

It's not my place to run the train
The whistle I can't blow.

It's not my place to say how far
The train's allowed to go.

It's not my place to shoot off steam
Nor even clang the bell.

But let the damn thing jump the track
And see who catches hell.

[Gumdrop]

The difference between Nazism and Socialism used to be that Nazism was anti-Semitic and pagan, i.e. - anti-Christian.

Now, even those differences have faded away.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

And Bret is a HUGE ANTI-TRUMPER!

. . . who once said (my words, but) that conservatives think that the Constitution is so perfect that it doesn’t need to be defended.

Which is precisely the opposite of what conservatives actually think.