Venezuela Destroyed by Socialism

[brucethecollie]

I was reading this post: http://reason.com/blog/2016/01/29/venezuelan-socialism-still-a-complete-di

 

and thinking about how bad things in Venezuela are.  In talking with others about this I've realized that many people have the idea that Venezuela has always been in a similar state to how it is now.  Not true.  Also, the terrible conditions being reported?  Those are accurate.  And the rumors that people are going missing?  Also true.  In my understanding, socialist policies, govt corruption and control, and complete mismanagement of money (and the printing of paper money as wishful thinking) has ruined the country (which was struggling but previously providing a marvelous standard of living to many people, including my family who all enjoyed the time when the free market was being embraced).  Why would people who know this still vote for Sanders?  Wouldn't this country's fall be a good warning to people?  So far, I haven't gotten through to anyone.

 

 

 

 

[Mister Mister]

People who are voting for Bernie think he can make the US like Sweden and Norway and Finland and Iceland, which they presume to be the best places in the world, due to their quasi-socialist policies.

[grithin]

Why would someone promote a system they don't understand in hopes of gaining the reward of free stuff?  Why do you think those voting for Sanders know anything about Venezuela, or anything about the realities of socialism?

Socialism requires massive ignorance of how economies work.  So, two types of people promote socialism:
-    the oligarchs, and their agents, who would end up with the reins on the socialism beast
-    the ignorant masses wanting more but without the intellect to get it

[Cornetto97]

  The problem with socialism is it creates the illusion to the people that they are getting free stuff from the state. socialists have no grasp of economic principles, but the politicians do, but they don't care for them why should they, they get an ever growing cancerous state to do as they please with. The people are under the impression that the state will give them all they need, so why would they care about the simple economic principles that would shatter their illusion of utopia?

[Laforge]

Standard view from quasi educated socialists:

I'm kinda disappointed by the debate in this video. Seems like emotional interruptions from John Stossel instead of well thought out rebutals.

I totally recognise this as many people in my circle (including family) here in europe think like this. And no they're not oligarchs or people that "just want more", they're quite successful people. Somehow the whole Scandinavia-is-great-narrative and the "work together for the whole group" socialist/altruist narrative keep persisting.

Some core socialist arguments:
Without a violent monopoly on force and wealth-redistribution, the super-wealthy will:
1 let people die on the streets during medical emergencies
2 leave the chronically ill or old to suffer in their homes
3 let poor people starve in front of supermarkets
4 use and expand the govt for preferential legislation & licenses (the crony capitalism argument)
5 create a police state in their favor

Points 1 -> 3 are imho testiment to a child-like way of thinking, plus the impirical invalidity of this statement. But this can be tough to explain to people who are well-read and confident in science but know nothing about self-knowledge and economics.

Points 4 & 5 are quite tough to quickly rebut imho. Stefan's fighting-cancer & titanic -analogies can help out here. Plus it kinda proves why minarchism is not enough, full philosophical anarchism is needed (which, unfortunately, can be too much to swallow for ppl).

Hope this helps a little bit but i'd certainly appreciate more vids from FDR in this area. And calm debates with skilled socialist speakers.