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hack89

(39,171 posts)
Wed Aug 10, 2016, 10:17 AM Aug 2016

Witnessing a ‘Complete Collapse of Society’ in Venezuela

The photographer had just returned from one of his latest trips to the South American nation when he talked to TIME, and he was visibly affected by the chaos he had witnessed there. “There’s a complete collapse of society,” he said.

Once an example for the continent, Venezuela is now a country in freefall. “It’s hard to find food, there’s no medicine,” said Ybarra Zavala. “If you have to have surgery, you need to bring everything with you: the bandages, the gloves, everything. There are no anesthetics.”

Security has also become an issue. “There’s now a very strong element of luck,” he said. “Access is a real nightmare. Not only do you need to be careful of the government, but also from the colectivos [militant groups] and the local militias. You’re limited on time, you’re limited in access. It’s a continuous fight.”

In fact, says the photographer—who’s worked in Iraq, Afghanistan and Colombia—Venezuela is the “hardest place I’ve worked in,” he said.


http://time.com/4419186/photographing-venezuela-collapse/

There are few places in the world more violent than Venezuela.
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Witnessing a ‘Complete Collapse of Society’ in Venezuela (Original Post) hack89 Aug 2016 OP
Viva la Revolucion! orwell Aug 2016 #1
Yes. It takes a lot to destabilize a nation, but Hortensis Aug 2016 #2
Not related to Revolution, directly related to NOT creating a sovereign fund to save money for oil JCMach1 Aug 2016 #4
Price controls don't help either Loki Liesmith Aug 2016 #5
It's not the price control, but the subsidy that sits behind it... JCMach1 Aug 2016 #6
The Venezuela team didn't go to the Olympics to compete. NuclearDem Aug 2016 #3

Hortensis

(58,785 posts)
2. Yes. It takes a lot to destabilize a nation, but
Wed Aug 10, 2016, 10:33 AM
Aug 2016

reality is that we people in modern societies all depend for our lives on highly complex, highly interdependent structures that can fail. Even here in the country few grow enough food to even begin to sustain themselves.

Syria, Egypt, Venezuela, and so on. I am not more accustomed to working plumbing and supermarkets filled with abundance than urban residents there were.

JCMach1

(27,559 posts)
4. Not related to Revolution, directly related to NOT creating a sovereign fund to save money for oil
Wed Aug 10, 2016, 10:49 AM
Aug 2016

downturns...

No government... capitalist, socialist, whateverist could survive the situation Venezuela is in due to lack of foresight.

In this case Chavez and the Chavistas are guilty of incompetence and mismanagement.

JCMach1

(27,559 posts)
6. It's not the price control, but the subsidy that sits behind it...
Wed Aug 10, 2016, 11:37 AM
Aug 2016

As I said, it's lack of economic foresight to create a sovereign fund. For example, is Norway, or even Saudi Arabia experiencing huge economic dislocation right now.

No, because they invested in their future whichever type of government they have.

In fact, Norway is currently making a killing off of Pokemon Go:

http://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Pokmon-Go-Fuels-Norways-Oil-Fund.html

 

NuclearDem

(16,184 posts)
3. The Venezuela team didn't go to the Olympics to compete.
Wed Aug 10, 2016, 10:33 AM
Aug 2016

They just wanted to have toilet paper and food for a little while.

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