The amount of comments on this thread decrying 'socialism' with very pithy comments is concerning. I guess the whole internet is infected with trolls now, especially political ones...
In a Venezuela Ravaged by Inflation, ‘a Race for Survival’
21–30 of 143 posts
Re: In a Venezuela Ravaged by Inflation, ‘a Race for Survival’
#22The word "socialism" is missing from the article. The situation must be a natural disaster.
That's not socialism. That's a dictatorship and corruption.
Actually, it is socialism. If it hadn't been for the increase in power for government that socialism requires, this situation would probably have been averted. I believe this is one of the reasons why centralization of power in the hands of a government should be avoided as much as possible.
If you think some of your government officials don't have the same thirst for power that would eventually lead the country in a path similar to that of Venezuela's, then you're putting too much faith in humanity.
Re: In a Venezuela Ravaged by Inflation, ‘a Race for Survival’
#23When the solution to every problem is more government, more redistribution, and higher taxes, this is the inevitable result. A tragedy caused 100% by politics
Nah, this is the result of corruption. We should be worried in the US, this could be our future.
Re: In a Venezuela Ravaged by Inflation, ‘a Race for Survival’
#24Earlier quoted context omitted.
Dictatorship is the only natural course of Socialism. Removing/alienating private property go hand in hand with the destruction of elementary freedoms.
Removing private property is the destruction of an elementary freedom.
Yes, but it's not the only one. Hence the "s". And note that Socialists argue that private property is not a natural right as well.
Re: In a Venezuela Ravaged by Inflation, ‘a Race for Survival’
#25The amount of comments on this thread decrying 'socialism' with very pithy comments is concerning. I guess the whole internet is infected with trolls now, especially political ones...
Or those who understand economics and history.
Re: In a Venezuela Ravaged by Inflation, ‘a Race for Survival’
#26Re: In a Venezuela Ravaged by Inflation, ‘a Race for Survival’
#27The word "socialism" is missing from the article. The situation must be a natural disaster.
That's not socialism. That's a dictatorship and corruption.
Socialism, in the Marxist sense, requires a dictatorship. Specifically, the people are supposed to install a dictatorship to seize the means of production. This dictatorial body has absolute power to "rewrite society", including the abolition of traditional notions of justice, and civil, economic and human rights.
How the dictatorship is supposed to be a means of representing the people's will is left unspecified. This is no problem to the Marxist, because their picture of the way the world works is quite different, and the fact that literally every Marxist socialist government became a brutal and incompetent dictatorship is not interpreted as a flaw of their belief system, but a sign that the will of the people was not properly enforced.
Re: In a Venezuela Ravaged by Inflation, ‘a Race for Survival’
#28Earlier quoted context omitted.
How many socialist regimes need to end in "dictatorship and corruption" before the world realises that the latter is the inevitable consequence of the former?
Yep. Chavez started as a proletariat leader. I believe some liberal leaders like Sean Penn publicly supported Chavez (? someone fact check me here).
In the UK Jeremy Corbyn as recently as last January (when all the signs were already clear) was holding up Venezuela as a role model for the UK. He still hasn't denounced the regime there.
Re: In a Venezuela Ravaged by Inflation, ‘a Race for Survival’
#29The word "socialism" is missing from the article. The situation must be a natural disaster.
That's why the New York Times isn't to be trusted.
Re: In a Venezuela Ravaged by Inflation, ‘a Race for Survival’
#30The word "socialism" is missing from the article. The situation must be a natural disaster.
A couple years ago when Venezuela was riding high on the hog people couldn’t wait to talk about this triumph of socialism. Now that reality’s set in, as usual, it wasn’t real socialism.
https://www.salon.com/2013/03/06/hugo_chavezs_economic_mirac...
The money quote:
> When a country goes socialist and it craters, it is laughed off as a harmless and forgettable cautionary tale about the perils of command economics. When, by contrast, a country goes socialist and its economy does what Venezuela's did, it is not perceived to be a laughing matter - and it is not so easy to write off or to ignore.