(OR: Watch the collapse of socialism all over again.)
Most with common sense understand. If that’s you, pay special attention to the collapse of socialism in Venezuela. Pass on the information to those who need to know. As this is written the Socialist State of Venezuela is in its final days. Yesterday the WSJ byline was “Showdown Looms as Venezuela’s New Assembly Meets.” The fact that there is a new Assembly is remarkable.
Let’s refresh our memories. This little country has bumped along, since the 40s, with a sometimes on and sometimes off democracy. A couple of dictators broke up the process. Like so many South American countries it to has been plagued by corruption. This was especially bad when oil revenue became a big deal. Venezuela does have a Constitution and set of laws that should work, but the one thing that makes the difference between the U.S. and South American Countries, is their lack of a popular demand for the rule of law. Corruption and good ole family obligations run deep in most South American Countries. It is just so much easier to pay someone off, than to force a system of law to work. Ok, in 1998 with the party system in disarray, a Mr. Hugo Chavez was elected Presidente. Immediately he declared a “ Bolivarian Revolution” and set about by Executive decree, to establish a communist/Socialist system. (Obama has been doing the same thing .) To show how common sense deficient Hugo was, his hero was Castro, the leader of a failed socialist system in Cuba. Decree by decree Hugo took the law into his own hands and jailed the opposition. He shut up the critics, and essentially, like Castro, became a dictator. He did it all in the name of Socialism. He saw to it that his buddies took office in the Assembly He spent the tax dollars to bribe the people to shut up and be his buddy. He did this to such an extent that he broke the country and its debt began to spiral out of control. Even his death did not dent inflation. His side kick Nicolas Madura had the packed Assembly put him in charge and he continued the stupid socialist agenda of spending more money than exists.. Debt and corruption simply got a lot better. Madura is a rough and tumble dictator. He also is dumb. He allowed the normal election cycle to happen. That is he did not institute enough control to fake elections. It is tough to explain dumb. The upshot was that the people fell into more and more poverty, the middle class simply became a minority, and people took to the streets. When the election happened, not enough of his buddies made it back into the Assembly, even with fraud. Now he has a legislature with a voice and he does not like it. He has packed the Supreme Court, and is now doing everything he can to silence the Assembly. He would do more but his military is weak and his police are only partly effective in the big cities. Point is he squandered so much of the tax income on keeping the people quite, that he does not have enough to demand total control. To do that the dictator must decide who lives and who dies. Madura is not there, but we shall see.
In the mess he and Hugo created, Madura will find the only way he can hold on to power is to slam down the opposition. Right now he is keeping the leading opposition members from attending the assembly. His poor foresight has left him little wiggle room. He will push as far as he thinks he can. If the people take to the streets he is done. If they do not, and accept his slavery, then he will continue to do what Socialism always does. It will dispirit the people by removing motivation, and suck them down with the sinking ship of State.
The failure of Socialism is dramatically displayed in History. So few seem to understand that fact or care. Just the other day Rooster was watching a poll taken of people on the street, and like so many he has seen before, most did not even know the name of our Vice President. Dumbing down the people is how political charlatans win. We must demand education and participation of every student as a major weapon against the con. Political education is so important. Who is in office affects every one of us. Americans must talk politics to protect their liberties and freedoms. PROTEST: Fly the Betsy Ross flag. It is the one flag where all the States supported the Constitution. Wc: 719
Rooster Bradford gives up all rights to this article and seeks no compensation for its use. 1/5/2016