I'd be curious to hear from a former resident of Venezuela: Where do you think things went wrong in the country, and why?
I have my own views, but I would like to hear yours.
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I'd be curious to hear from a former resident of Venezuela: Where do you think things went wrong in the country, and why?
I have my own views, but I would like to hear yours.
Well... that could be a long answer. The complexity as you can tell is big. But if I have to try to simplify it I would say it was the cultural revolution that Chavez caused, to prepare a nation to be govern by his leadership only he had to create new enemies and values to unify the people behind him. The division of the population in just two extreme sides, with the permitted violence as a "patriotic" excuse, years and years of this foster the cancer that ills the country: corruption and violence.
Chavez gave the marginalize a purpose and an argument, being poor is good, so if the poor have to steal to survive thats good because that meant the survival of the oppressed. After his death there was a leadership hole, without the charisma of Chavez there was no ideological support to keep the project on the concepts of the "Bolivarian socialism". The anti values exacerbate the corruption, thus the downfall of all the institutions.
Thanks for reading. What do you think @justinchase ?
I think Chavez rose on an "ideal" that was never sustainable. Its easy to rally people behind the initiation of violence when they see short term gains, but it never lasts. Anyone who ever thought that taking from another would benefit them in the long run has never really stopped the think what that would imply - that everything can also be taken from him.
Your views are appreciated, I can't say I've ever really studied how Chavez came to power, I've always focused in the ideas that let him get there.
The problem on study Chavez's ideology is that is a lie. Chavez pretty much came up with it on the run and by the supervision of the Castro Cuban strategists. It wasn't the 98's speech of making Venezuela less burocratic, more efficient and finally redistribution of the oil money. But change afte 2003 with the Cuban influence, we change to Bolivarian socialism. In 2006 it was the war against the Empire (it always sounds to me like a Star Wars plot) so that made it more exttreme. Later it became into de Socialism of the 21st century, with a radical motto that later got to be a mandatory phrase on the public institutions: Homeland, socialism or death. We will win!
But nowadays Venezuela is the biggest debt to China, Russia, Cuban leaders puppeteering the political bureau and now sold its soul to Goldman Sachs! What kind of socialism is this??
It's the same as every other form of socialism or dictatorship - it results in political power that is easily corrupt. And when one has the power of a government behind them, it is easy to continue taking from others until nothing is left.
I just want to point out that Venezuela is not socialist. Its just a corrupted state capitalism. Lets not demonize a political view that has work well in certain areas. I think the left and right is an old fight. Now is about progress, environment, technology and social fairness. Time to come up with new labels for the concepts of our time.