http://time.com/venezuela-brink/
Thanks to its abundant natural resources, Venezuela used to be the richest country in Latin America.. . That was before socialists took power.
NOW
In 2016 Venezuela became the poorest nation in the Western hemisphere, sinking below Haiti and Cuba, according to new statistics released by la Encuesta Nacional de Condiciones de Vida (Encovi).
According to these statistics, 82% of Venezuelan households are poor.
If Hugo Chavez and Nicolas Maduro could do this to Venezuela, Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren and whoever comes next could do it to the USA by applying the same devastating ideology. It may take awhile longer but in the long run it could still happen..Nothing is free someone always pays for it..
Why is America so RICH? Short answer: Because Americans have found out that economic freedom works, and coercion does not. It’s a lesson we have learned more than once or at least some of us have..
You are confusing Socialism and Social democracy. Venezuela has been destroyed by on-going conflicts, and its society has always been led by the very wealthy with huge income gaps. . . .basically what is happening to the US!
Like so many Right wing people, it seems that you have very little knowledge about the different politics in this world. It seems that some people believe that, if you're not a capitalist society, you must be a Communist. . .which too many equate to socialist! So silly!
Europe has had social democracy for ever, and it would behoove you to LEARN about social democracy. This might help you realise that social democracies are FULL democracies, that balance the SOCIAL needs of the people with CAPITALISM. It is in fact Capitalism. . .with a social conscience. This is the kind of "socialism" that Sanders has been advocating. . .NOT full blown socialism, certainly not communism, but a sustainable type of Capitalism, with narrower income gaps, with more support for those who risk to fall through the cracks of society, with a partnership between private industries and government.
Industries, commerce thrive in this kind of environment, and people experience les traumatic unmet needs, healthcare being one of them, but not the only one. Education, is another, protection from the uncontrolled greed of the very wealthy is also part of the system.
No, Social democracies are NOT PERFECT. . .but they have demonstrated that they are SUSTAINABLE and that the people in those countries thrive, that research and development thrives, that children are protected from deep poverty and poor health.
Yes, Social democracies requires (generally) a higher tax. . .but then again, it USES those taxes to better the life of its people (including through universal healthcare. . .which is established in partnership with private healthcare insurance), the infrastructure is less likely to fail, workers have more security and, if they lose their job, there is more protection to help them to continue meeting their financial obligations and to feed their family. Sure there are excess. . .like people staying on unemployment longer than reasonably needed, but as I said before, it is not perfect. . .but it is a hell of a lot better than the runaway capitalism that has taken us to the 2008 crash, or that chooses to give huge tax break and corporate welfare to the wealthiest, while ignoring the needs of the poor, the elderly, the disabled, and even the middle class.
You really should learn a little more about social democracies. . .and preferably from a NON-PARTISAN source!
