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Not to discount these people but I was in Venezuela pre Chavez.
I worked for a co that built private cellphone networks. We were met at the airport by an armored car with two guards with submachine guns; we were there to spec out the cost for a cell network for the govt oil company.
We were not to leave the hotel, not to speak to anyone, we had those guards with us the entire time we were there. The people we worked with said they had guards at their homes, they lived in walled compounds, these people were low level IT people.
I have seen poverty in a number of countries but NOTHING like what I saw in Venezuela. There were no birds, not cats, no dogs, they had eaten them. If a car broke down the owner ran away for if they stayed by the car they would be robbed and or killed. In minutes the cars would be stripped.
People lived on the sides of the hills under metal tarps and climbed to them on wooden ladders, I saw almost no one on the streets and didn't see anyone over the age of 40 the entire time I was there.
Problems like this cry out for revolution and they got one.
The problem with Venezuela is many of the most capable have fled, from talking to people from there, it sounds like it's consistently been possible for those who are willing to take on some risk to leave so this has led to a situation where mainly the weakest remain or those who still benefit from the corruption as others fled to other countries
I was there in the mid 90's, in Caracas, Chavez took over in 99. When I was there, anyone who had the money could fly to the US. Don't recall the cost though.
Yup. I’m in Houston and am friends with 3 very capable Venezuelans. They say the same thing, most well educated and capable people leave somewhere. Many immigrated to the US as they saw the horrors of socialism (recently) and globalism (before Chavez). They just wanted to be left alone to succeed.
Yes it was creepy, absolutely no sound at all, no birds anywhere. And there were only two advertisements on billboards, one for birth control the other for cigarettes.
In the hotel I dropped my wallet when we were checking in, a hotel employee picked it up and handed it to me, as he was doing so a guard of some kind grabbed him, the employee was terrified, not scared, not nervous, terrified.
I told him that he had helped me and gave him a hug to show he was ok. The guard walked away, the employee ran, and I mean RAN away as fast as he could.
It was a wild experience. One of the IT workers wives I spoke with said, "We are prisoners in our homes, I have to fly to Miami twice a week for food, there is nothing in the stores here." This is pre-Chevez.
Their home was surrounded by a ten foot high, two foot thick wall, it had a steel corrugated gate that one of our guys said was shell proof, there were two armed guards in the court yard with dobermans, this guy installed commercial radios, just plain old radios.
Venezuela had the one of the highest per capita incomes at that time and it was one of the only democracies in the region. I haven't heard or seen anything like that from any Venezuelans I know.
Furthermore, I can see many reasons why a leftist commie would want to pretend that all of Venezuela's problems existed prior to Chavez and Maduro and capitalism created massive hardships for 'the people" but that simply wasn't the case in Venezuela prior to collapse of oil prices world wide. Commies always try to rewrite history.
Hmm, what year was that? When I was there it was like Guadalajara Mexico. Beautiful, modern, a small amount of homeless (but not nearly as bad as Seattle).
When the wealthy were in the high rises the street people below would wait for their food orders and take the food, starve them out. Same will happen in big cities like NYC they will eat the rich or just starve them out.
Honestly, having seen what happened there and what is happening here, I'd be completely OK with going to Venezuela to fight for their people as a military after we take care of home first. Some things are worth fighting for.
I dont know if this pic is genuine or not. I am not saying things arent horrible in Vnz. Just that she looks awful to be raising young children. Maybe grandkids.
Not to discount these people but I was in Venezuela pre Chavez.
I worked for a co that built private cellphone networks. We were met at the airport by an armored car with two guards with submachine guns; we were there to spec out the cost for a cell network for the govt oil company.
We were not to leave the hotel, not to speak to anyone, we had those guards with us the entire time we were there. The people we worked with said they had guards at their homes, they lived in walled compounds, these people were low level IT people.
I have seen poverty in a number of countries but NOTHING like what I saw in Venezuela. There were no birds, not cats, no dogs, they had eaten them. If a car broke down the owner ran away for if they stayed by the car they would be robbed and or killed. In minutes the cars would be stripped.
People lived on the sides of the hills under metal tarps and climbed to them on wooden ladders, I saw almost no one on the streets and didn't see anyone over the age of 40 the entire time I was there.
Problems like this cry out for revolution and they got one.
The problem with Venezuela is many of the most capable have fled, from talking to people from there, it sounds like it's consistently been possible for those who are willing to take on some risk to leave so this has led to a situation where mainly the weakest remain or those who still benefit from the corruption as others fled to other countries
Who is john galt?
I was there in the mid 90's, in Caracas, Chavez took over in 99. When I was there, anyone who had the money could fly to the US. Don't recall the cost though.
Yup. I’m in Houston and am friends with 3 very capable Venezuelans. They say the same thing, most well educated and capable people leave somewhere. Many immigrated to the US as they saw the horrors of socialism (recently) and globalism (before Chavez). They just wanted to be left alone to succeed.
So it was pretty bad even before the commies took over
Yep. Very, very bad.
It was the same way when I went to China. No birds in the sky. No fish in the water. Dogs raised like chickens for food. Creepy
Yes it was creepy, absolutely no sound at all, no birds anywhere. And there were only two advertisements on billboards, one for birth control the other for cigarettes.
In the hotel I dropped my wallet when we were checking in, a hotel employee picked it up and handed it to me, as he was doing so a guard of some kind grabbed him, the employee was terrified, not scared, not nervous, terrified. I told him that he had helped me and gave him a hug to show he was ok. The guard walked away, the employee ran, and I mean RAN away as fast as he could.
It was a wild experience. One of the IT workers wives I spoke with said, "We are prisoners in our homes, I have to fly to Miami twice a week for food, there is nothing in the stores here." This is pre-Chevez.
Their home was surrounded by a ten foot high, two foot thick wall, it had a steel corrugated gate that one of our guys said was shell proof, there were two armed guards in the court yard with dobermans, this guy installed commercial radios, just plain old radios.
That's diametrically opposed to what I have heard Venezuelans say.
Were they well off? That could be why. I know what I saw and it was BAD.
Our company installed private systems in Mexico too for US industry, places like Juarez which is also really bad, but nothing like Venezuela.
Venezuela had the one of the highest per capita incomes at that time and it was one of the only democracies in the region. I haven't heard or seen anything like that from any Venezuelans I know.
Furthermore, I can see many reasons why a leftist commie would want to pretend that all of Venezuela's problems existed prior to Chavez and Maduro and capitalism created massive hardships for 'the people" but that simply wasn't the case in Venezuela prior to collapse of oil prices world wide. Commies always try to rewrite history.
I can only tell you what I saw, I was there for a week in the mid 90's, stayed in Caracas.
I am about as far from a leftie commie as one can get :)
Hmm, what year was that? When I was there it was like Guadalajara Mexico. Beautiful, modern, a small amount of homeless (but not nearly as bad as Seattle).
This was probably mid 90's. I was in Caracas.
When the wealthy were in the high rises the street people below would wait for their food orders and take the food, starve them out. Same will happen in big cities like NYC they will eat the rich or just starve them out.
Rewards for nonviolence: starvation
This is the truth. If you can't defend what you have, you won't have it for long when violent people come along. It's just the way the world works.
Honestly, having seen what happened there and what is happening here, I'd be completely OK with going to Venezuela to fight for their people as a military after we take care of home first. Some things are worth fighting for.
We should be protecting the whole hemisphere but yes we need to cleanup our own country first
Make Monroe Doctrine Again
It did not take long. Don’t think for an instant that this isn’t the planned end game here.
Amnesty is a boot on the neck of America. Hopefully this stolen election wasn't the death knell.
Looks like they solved their obesity problem.
I dont know if this pic is genuine or not. I am not saying things arent horrible in Vnz. Just that she looks awful to be raising young children. Maybe grandkids.