Results of so called Progressive Policy

VENEZUELA, LATEST FAILURE OF SOCIALISM

WHERE IS THE FAWNING HOLLYWOOD CROWD NOW?

 

 

 

Venezuela, a country of 31 million residents, the largest oil reserves in the world, and the eighth largest gas reserves in the world has been in news, not for prosperity, but for malnutrition, riots, and shortages of most basic necessities. How can this be in the 21st century, that a country with many natural resources, a well educated population, and universal healthcare is having a hard time just providing food, and basic necessities to its population

 

In 1998 Hugo Chavez was elected to the presidency of Venezuela. He ran on spreading the wealth from oil revenues to the poor and underprivileged of the country. This was all well and good and he became the darling of the Hollywood left, he was publicly praised by the usual suspects, Sean Penn, Michael Moore, Naomi Campbell, who called Chavez a, "rebel angel", Harry Bellefonte, Jamie Foxx, Danny Glover, Susan Saradin and Oliver Stone, all did the talk show circuit, praising Chavez and encouraging the U.S. to adopt his policies. Its interesting that now all they do is trash talk the current U.S. President, but not a word about Chavez and his successor Nicolas Madura.

 

Chavez began his presidency by nationalizing the oil companies, Exon Mobile, Conoco Phillips, Total SA, Norway's Statoil, BP, Chevron, also put a surtax of 50% on all oil sold at over $70. a barrel, The country was sued and forced to pay billions in reparations. He also took over gas fields, and confiscated drilling rigs of foreign companies, took over a rice mill owned by Cargill, Inc., an argentine Fertilizer plant, expropriated unproductive farms and seized land and redistributed millions of acres to boost food production and ease rural poverty. He seized the glass plant owned by Owens, Illinois which was in operation for over 50 years. took over dozens of small banks, cement mfg. companies, telecommunications, electric producers, and private homes to be used for state run tourism, finally just in the last week, his successor Madura seized the General motors plant and all its inventory. All these seizures were justified by irregularities or social justice for the workers.

These actions led to a flight of capital out of the country, followed by currency controls to keep the money in the country. Price controls in an attempt to counter the 100% inflation rate, led to shortages of most products or complete unavailability. In 2016 a state of emergency was declared and citizens are compelled to work up to 6o days in the fields to produce food. The economy declined 18% in 2016, the 3rd year of double digit declines. Riots and deaths are now an every day occurrence. Incidences of cannibalism have been reported in the under funded prisons. With the escalation of more government control and more chaos  it appears the country is headed for civil war or complete anarchy.

While the policies of Chavez and Madura are in the extreme of government control, it is the same playbook of progressive ideology, which is really Marxist ideology, whether it armed forced control or subtle control by regulation, taxation, and government extortion by fine and penalty, that was common in the Obama administration, it all ends the same if  allowed to become  the economic policy of the government. The U.S. was founded on the principle of liberty and freedom, and a right to opportunity. When it is supplanted by a right to prosperity insured by the power of the government it is a slow decline to poverty and slavery.