Venezuela news

[Okeefenokee]

So it's your opinion that the US is currently to blame for Maduro's inability to govern? When Chili has almost become a 1rst world state? Not buying it.....

Venezuela's problems stem from their caste system and from the rich not paying any attention to the needs of the poor for decades....they elected a populist who fucked them harder than the combined medleing of the US in all SA.....

Venezuela is another failed left shithole.....let's keep the blame with those who have governed it for the last 30 years....

Same old story. Blame America for everything.

We have a lot to be blamed for. And often people, and nations, are compared to what they did not what they are doing. Which is often unfair but it's life.

You have failed to identify why it is America's fault that decades of socialist rule in Venezuela have resulted in a nation near collapse. When you thought it needed to be mentioned that America had meddled in SA, you were clearly implying that said meddling is responsible.

You sound like a dumb college freshman with this, "well yeah, but america did a bunch of stuff fifty years ago, maannn."

[Okeefenokee]

Given our near-total level of influence over the world at this point, yeah. Most things that happen now are related to American actions.

Near-total level of influence is responsible for the failings in the nations most resistant to said influence.

[jbird4049]

Same old story. Blame America for everything.

We have a lot to be blamed for. And often people, and nations, are compared to what they did not what they are doing. Which is often unfair but it's life.

You have failed to identify why it is America's fault that decades of socialist rule in Venezuela have resulted in a nation near collapse. When you thought it needed to be mentioned that America had meddled in SA, you were clearly implying that said meddling is responsible.

You sound like a dumb college freshman with this, "well yeah, but america did a bunch of stuff fifty years ago, maannn."

I didn't say the United States being specifically responsible fof Venezuela's current mess. They did that on their own this time. I said that given our country's history of messing with just about every country in Latin America, they will not appreciate us during so yet again regardless of reason or intention.

[SuburbanFarmer]

Given our near-total level of influence over the world at this point, yeah. Most things that happen now are related to American actions.

Near-total level of influence is responsible for the failings in the nations most resistant to said influence.

Venezuelas economy was built on oil exports. You think we don't have influence over that? Do you think the CIA would just chill and let a socialist government take root in this hemisphere?

[Okeefenokee]

Given our near-total level of influence over the world at this point, yeah. Most things that happen now are related to American actions.

Near-total level of influence is responsible for the failings in the nations most resistant to said influence.

Venezuelas economy was built on oil exports. You think we don't have influence over that? Do you think the CIA would just chill and let a socialist government take root in this hemisphere?

Right. It's the CIA. Not the fault of the socialist state run economies.

It's not because state run economies have never been able to hold a candle to free markets throughout history, no no no. Those bloated corrupt regimes would be beacons on progress if only.....what?

How many times do these projects have to end with food riots before you realize they don't work?

And this CIA canard is more bullshit. The USSR had their own spy agency working to undermine capitalism. Wonder why the west didn't fall...

[Hanarchy Montanarchy]

I would love to be pointed in the direction of any 'free market' in history that operated without influence or at least moderate state control before I buy that explanation.

[StCapps]

I would love to be pointed in the direction of any 'free market' in history that operated without influence or at least moderate state control before I buy that explanation.

Why? That's a complete non-sequitur. There has never been an entirely government run national economy anymore than there has been a national economy that runs with zero government intervention involved, that fact is pretty irrelevant to the discussion at hand.

/shrugs

[Hanarchy Montanarchy]

I would love to be pointed in the direction of any 'free market' in history that operated without influence or at least moderate state control before I buy that explanation.

Why? That's a complete non-sequitur.

If we are saying that there is no point in looking at the details of Venezuela's collapse because 'state run economies can't hold a candle to free markets,' then it would be helpful if there was an actual example of a free market.

I mean, China seems to be doing okay for now, and their state is still very much in control of the economy. The US itself probably couldn't sustain it's economic power without the fed, maligned as it is.

Crowing over Venezuelan food riots isn't really an argument for free markets.

[StCapps]

If we are saying that there is no point in looking at the details of Venezuela's collapse because 'state run economies can't hold a candle to free markets,' then it would be helpful if there was an actual example of a free market.

I mean, China seems to be doing okay for now, and their state is still very much in control of the economy. The US itself probably couldn't sustain it's economic power without the fed, maligned as it is.

Crowing over Venezuelan food riots isn't really an argument for free markets.

There are no 100% state run economies. There are no 100% free market economies. It would have helpful to a large scale example, modern or historical, of either pure system for analysis, but there are no such examples.

Venezuelan food riots aren't really a good argument in favor of Venezuela's economic system compared to comparable nations with more free market heavy economic systems, now are they?

[Hanarchy Montanarchy]

If we are saying that there is no point in looking at the details of Venezuela's collapse because 'state run economies can't hold a candle to free markets,' then it would be helpful if there was an actual example of a free market.

I mean, China seems to be doing okay for now, and their state is still very much in control of the economy. The US itself probably couldn't sustain it's economic power without the fed, maligned as it is.

Crowing over Venezuelan food riots isn't really an argument for free markets.

There are no 100% state run economies. There are no 100% free market economies. It would helpful to a large scale example of either for analysis, but there are no such examples. These facts don't say anything bad about more heavily state run economies, or more heavily free market economies, these facts are neutral.

It looks like we are in complete agreement.

Now, a discussion about the tools that states with robust economies and a lot of clout and influence use, or have used might be very interesting, even if some of those tools were employed decades ago.