Venezuela: Capitalist Success, Not Socialist Failure

[Judi Lynn]

by Michael K. Smith / January 29th, 2019

A “democratic” U.S. government legally elected by a minority of the vote is now calling for democracy in Venezuela by attempting to overthrow its government, which was recently elected by a more than two-thirds vote after a highly-fragmented political opposition abstained from participation (on U.S. instructions) because it lacked popular support and felt that it was unlikely to win. The point man for the regime change operation is Elliott Abrams, whose biography tells us everything we need to know to evaluate the alleged democratic intentions of the Trump administration.

A fire-breathing fanatic for imperial Israel who championed the invasion and destruction of Iraq, Abrams was formerly Assistant Secretary of State for Human Rights for the Reagan administration, and famously called U.S./Salvadorean death-squad operations that produced tens of thousands of mutilated civilian corpses (1979-1994) a “fabulous achievement.” He also claimed that the Nicaraguan contras, famous for torture, rape, and murder in a campaign to overthrow the socialist government of Nicaragua, would one day be fondly remembered as “folk heroes.” Today he is a member of the board of directors of the National Endowment for Democracy, which was created to be a continuation of CIA skullduggery by other means, and currently finances Washington’s destabilization efforts not only in Venezuela, but also in Nicaragua, Bolivia, and Cuba. Convicted of lying to Congress about Iran-Contra, Abrams called his prosecutors “filthy bastards,” dismissed the proceedings as “Kafkaesque,” and denounced the members of the Senate Intelligence Committee as “pious clowns.” After hearing Abrams’ testimony, then Missouri Senator Thomas Eagleton expressed a common reaction: “I want to puke.”

So much for Washington seeking democracy, as though we didn’t already know. For the plain fact is that there is more democracy in Venezuela now, where members of the vast poor majority can be routinely found in animated political discussion of the events that shape their lives, than there has ever been in the United States, where the poor are deliberately excluded from representation or even consideration, and have therefore long since dismissed politics as a sensible concern.

But if not democracy, what then is the U.S.’s motivation in Venezuela? Well, Venezuela has large gold and nickel reserves, along with the largest oil supply in the world. Gaining control of such resources is an attractive prospect for any U.S. president, but especially for one under siege from multiple investigations and constant media questioning of his legitimacy. Making America great again by plundering Venezuela oil supplies would be an imperial achievement that the entire U.S. political class would admire. Witness Nancy Pelosi reaching across the aisle to tweet support for the coup right off the bat, to wit: “America stands by the people of #Venezuela as they rise up against authoritarian rule and demand respect for human rights and democracy.” Who says Trump and the Democrats can’t get along?

More:
https://dissidentvoice.org/2019/01/venezuela-capitalist-success-not-socialist-failure/

[EX500rider]

1. Writer is an idiot...where does he think Venz. sends most its oil already? The US. nt

[GatoGordo]

2. Whatever Chavismo "is", it is an abject failure.

And blaming Capitalism for this failure is an absolute farce. Chavismo has punished "capitalists" at every opportunity. Each and every industry that was at one time profitable and employed Venezuelans has been ground to dust by vast nationalizations in the name of Bolivarian Socialism.

And even the golden goose of Venezuela, PdVSA, which once pumped out 3,120,000 barrels of oil per day (1998 BEFORE Bolivarian Socialism) now pumps out barely 1,137,000 barrels in November, 2018 just 20 years later.

So how is that not the fault of Chavismo? They have had absolute political power since 1999 and oil production is about 1/3 of what it was when the vile "Capitalists" ran Venezuela.

No food. No water. No electricity. No medicine. No teachers, doctors, nurses, engineers, farmers, manufacturers... everything needed to keep an economy solvent. GONE.

How is this not laid at the feet of "Bolivarian Socialism"