Venezuela is a country that has great natural riches. It has enormous oil reserves; in fact, it is the source of roughly 11% of the oil used in the USA. Despite all this wealth, Venezuela has a failed economy; the reason for the failure is the socialist economic system followed by the last two presidents. Hugo Chavez was elected over a decade ago and he made socialist economics and anti-Americanism the twin pillars of his regime. Over time, oil production sagged a bit as Chavez threw out the international oil companies that knew how to develop the oil fields efficiently. Then the rest of the economy started to stagnate and then decline. Slowly at first and then more rapidly, the socialist system imposed by Chavez and his party destroyed economic growth and then economic stability. Today in Venezuela, there is inflation of roughly 180% annually and there are no products left in the stores. The economy has totally collapsed. The current president blames the USA for this, but the mess is self made by the Venezuelans.
At the end of the Cold War, the average American understood that socialism and communism functioned to destroy national economies. Central planning made things first inefficient and then unworkable. Shoddy goods were produced but the things that people needed and wanted were not produced. After a while, the system led to nations of very poor people competing for poor quality merchandise by standing in line for hours or else making use of the black market. It happened in the Soviet Union. It happened in Eastern Europe. Indeed, it happened everywhere that full socialism or communism was tried. China avoided this fate by keeping a nominally communist government but adopting much of the capitalist market system.
Today, there are millions of Americans who no longer understand the end result of socialism is economic destruction. These (mostly young) people have been spoon fed misinformation by teachers who like the concept of socialism but who ignore the actual results of that system. That's why a socialism like Bernie Sanders can prosper to such a great extent in the current climate. In fact, but for the fact that the Democrat party establishment rigged the system in favor of Hillary Clinton, Sanders might well have succeeded in gaining the nomination of the Democrats.
It's important to show the fate of Venezuela to the millions who do not understand the full ramifications of socialism. It's much like having former smokers with cancer making public service commercials to fight smoking. Let's make sure that all Americans know that following a socialist course would be a total disaster for this country. Let's make sure that they see Venezuela.
At the end of the Cold War, the average American understood that socialism and communism functioned to destroy national economies. Central planning made things first inefficient and then unworkable. Shoddy goods were produced but the things that people needed and wanted were not produced. After a while, the system led to nations of very poor people competing for poor quality merchandise by standing in line for hours or else making use of the black market. It happened in the Soviet Union. It happened in Eastern Europe. Indeed, it happened everywhere that full socialism or communism was tried. China avoided this fate by keeping a nominally communist government but adopting much of the capitalist market system.
Today, there are millions of Americans who no longer understand the end result of socialism is economic destruction. These (mostly young) people have been spoon fed misinformation by teachers who like the concept of socialism but who ignore the actual results of that system. That's why a socialism like Bernie Sanders can prosper to such a great extent in the current climate. In fact, but for the fact that the Democrat party establishment rigged the system in favor of Hillary Clinton, Sanders might well have succeeded in gaining the nomination of the Democrats.
It's important to show the fate of Venezuela to the millions who do not understand the full ramifications of socialism. It's much like having former smokers with cancer making public service commercials to fight smoking. Let's make sure that all Americans know that following a socialist course would be a total disaster for this country. Let's make sure that they see Venezuela.
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