BU asked by multiple sources to circulate the following:
Please circulate this as widely as possible. The Empire’s WEAPONS OF MASS DECEPTION are spewing out fake news and false narratives 24/7. This constant misinformation campaign is one of the most potent weapons in their arsenal when it comes to destabilizing and overthrowing progressive and revolutionary regimes. Let us resist this with all of our collective might in the case of Venezuela.
In unity and struggle,
Gerald
What’s REALLY happening in #Venezuela – from someone who knows
10/08/2017 · by SKWAWKBOX · Bookmark the permalink. ·
Mike Prysner and Abby Martin recovering from tear gas in Venezuela
Mike Prysner is a former US Army soldier turned documentary-maker, who produces and co-writes The Empire Files for Latin American broadcaster teleSUR English with Abby Martin. He was, until recently, in Venezuela covering the troubles there.
Mike generously gave the SKWAWKBOX his time for a lengthy interview from Los Angeles on the real situation in Venezuela from his first-hand experience. What he related is eye-opening.
And it’s very different from the line we’re being fed by the UK’s press, broadcasters, pundits and right-wing MPs – and it’s startling from the outset.
You’ve heard about attempts by the UK Establishment to weaponise Venezuela against Jeremy Corbyn?
When I heard that Jeremy Corbyn had condemned violence on both sides in Venezuela, I was angry at first – because 80% or more of the violence is being committed by anti-government protesters. Their violence has far surpassed anything committed against them – and what has been done to them has been deliberately provoked.
But then I began to recognise the skill in his statement – forcing everyone to confront the reality of what’s happening on the ground there. The reality bears little resemblance to what’s being presented to people.
You recently returned to the US from Venezuela. What were you doing down there?
I was there with a team from teleSUR, meeting government leaders, people on street, chavistas [supporters of the socialist government, after late President Hugo Chavez] and in opposition areas, seeing what’s it like in different areas.
And it’s not like we’re being told here in the UK?
The BBC is responsible for some of the most disingenuous portrayals. They’re showing violent protesters as if they’re some kind of defenders of peaceful protesters against a repressive police force, but in reality peaceful protests have been untouched by police.
What happens is that the guarimbas [violent, armed opposition groups] follow the peaceful protests and when they come near police, they insert themselves in between the two. They then push and push and push until there’s a reaction – and they have cameras and journalists on hand to record the reaction, so it looks like the police are being aggressive.
We were once filming a protest and a group of guarimbas challenged us. If we’d said we were with teleSur, at the very least they’d have beaten us and taken our equipment. But we told them we were American freelance journalists – they need Americans to film them and publicise them, so we were accepted.
But they said to us, “Don’t film what we do – just what they do to us.”
The battles with police are actually quite small, but they’re planned, co-ordinated to disrupt different area each day to maximise their impact – but in most places life is pretty normal. It’s all about the portrayal. The US media mobilise everything for guarimbas – there will be maybe 150 people but it’s made to look bigger and tactics are 100% violent – trying to provoke a response.
And the level of police restraint is remarkable – the government knows the world is watching. One evening protesters were burning buildings for around two hours, with no intervention by the police. They only react when the protesters start throwing petrol bombs at the police or military, or their bases – but as soon as they do react, the guarimbas film as if they’re victims of an unprovoked attack.
Guarimbas throwing petrol bombs – ‘Molotov cocktails’
The Supreme Court was set on fire, lots of government buildings have been destroyed – all by the supposed ‘victims’.
The targets of protesters have been the government’s low-cost city buses, beating the bus drivers; they’ve attacked food stockpiles – which is odd when they claim to be protesting about food shortages. One government food stockpile of 50 tonnes was burned. They even attacked a maternity unit, forcing the women to flee.
We saw people on the highway pulled out of vehicles and the vehicles taken to build barricades – even then the police response was extremely restrained, even minimal. I’ve seen protests far more harshly policed in the US.
Telesur English has been keeping a running tally of deaths. So far there have been well over a hundred – and 80% or more have been from opposition violence – a female national guard officer shot in the throat by snipers, people set on fire [warning: graphic video] for supporting the President, a lot shooting at the police and military, along with random shootings of civilians. There have been at least two roadside bombstargeting police convoys.
Graphic by teleSUR
Some protesters have real guns but there are home-made guns and rocket-launchers as well. Some protester deaths have been caused by their own home-made weapons blowing up on them. Lots of people have been killed at the burning traffic barricades.
There have been well over a dozen chavistas who were followed away from peaceful pro-government rallies and killed on their way home or in restaurants by guarimbas.
But the external perception is being controlled. Lopez and the others have their own media apparatus, coordinating the perception-management. There’s a wealth of evidence that lot of protesters are getting paid, people arrested and then trying to get out of charges by confessing to being paid to cause trouble.
Also bringing kids out to protest – cynical to bring kids out and put them on front line to get photos and blame govt.
So it’s safe to say that the opposition protesters are not fighting for democracy?
Democracy is absolutely not their aim. This is a small group of people led by the owners of large monopoly corporations. The opposition can’t win at the ballot box – they’ve tried but can’t reverse the left-wing gains and a huge majority of the people are behind the government. So they’re trying to bypass democracy, that’s why violence is the tactic.
The political motives are clear – they don’t like the government giving benefits to poor people and they want the huge corporate monopolies back. One man interviewed said he was protesting because he wants to be entrepreneur and make money, not have the government giving money to the poor.
There are no anti-government protests in poor areas, only in the well off areas, protesters are wearing expensive jewellery – the rich areas are also where most of the deaths have occurred.
There’s also economic violence. The opposition leaders are owners of large corporations and they are trying to tank the economy. If Maduro lines up international finance, they have intervened to prevent the loans going through.
The one loan that did go through recently – Wells Fargo, I think it was – became the subject of big PR campaign against it – the opposition is trying to make things worse for people.
They’re even creating shortages – of the nine commodities in shortest supply in Venezuela, a single company owned by an opposition leader is responsible for seven of them – and there are stockpiles, but they’re kept out of circulation to create shortages. And of course, where the government has warehoused supplies ready for distribution, those have been attacked – like those 50 tonnes of food that was burned.
Diapers and toilet paper are shown as in short supply – they are in the stores, but it’s easy to get both on the black market. There’s no shortage, it’s just being channelled elsewhere – again, by those opposition-controlled corporations.
The violence is to create the perception of a failed state to set the scene for outside powers to make ‘humanitarian’ interventions. They’re claiming a Maduro ‘dictatorship’ – but these are same people who overthrew the government in 2002, installed a dictatorship, cancelled the legal system and immediately set about reversing social gains.
The only way they can rule in Venezuela is a fascist-style dictatorship maintained by huge force and that’s what they’re aiming to create.
The two opposition leaders that were arrested at home the other day were involved in an attempted coup that resulted in 30-40 deaths in 2013/14 – and end up on house arrest, which shows the lie of the repressive regime. They’re still actively working to overthrow the government – they were on the phone day before they were re-arrested, planning to overthrow the government.
There’s a lot of evidence of foreign assistance, too. The US, of course, but also Colombia and other right-wing South American regimes. Police have found stockpiles of gas-masks, explosives, weapons. Chavez’s success inspired left-wing governments in Brazil and other countries and the right-wing governments are determined to roll back those gains. Weapons and supplies have been seized coming over the border from Colombia, they’re a key player.
The US government has given around $30 million since 2009 but funds are also channelled via NGOs.
So if the opposition protester numbers are small, what are the rest of the people doing?
The vast majority of people are solidly behind the government. For every big opposition demo there’s at least one huge pro-government, peaceful chavista demo.
The ordinary people are extremely active in combating the economic war – volunteers from poor areas producing/distributing goods that are in shortage. The people are extremely politically aware and educated and they’re absolutely committed to overcoming this attack on their society.
One side is fighting with democracy while the other side is fighting with lynchings and violence – but it’s not what is being shown outside.
People are also organising huge mass meetings about the new constituent assembly to educate, explain what it is, how it works, how to run for it – there’s a lot of effort to build democratic engagement.
The US/European media has portrayed the Constituent Assembly as an anti-democratic measure – you’re saying it’s not?
On the contrary, it’s an attempt to entrench the democratisation of Venezuela by creating a body that can amend the Constitution. The government is trying to make it harder for the right wing to roll back the democratic revolution, the concept of local communes, LGBT rights etc.
It’s exactly the democratic process that’s called for in the constitution – the big lie is saying the government has banned the opposition from taking part. On the contrary, the government has made huge efforts to get the opposition to participate but they decided to boycott it because it doesn’t suit their aims.
Maduro has even been delaying the vote to give the opposition more time to engage but they’re not interested.
All the Constituent Assembly is is just real, radical, grassroots democracy. The western media are saying Maduro will ban other parties but it’s completely untrue. They’re portraying a repressive, violent regime – but dozens of national guard and police have arrested and charged for excessive violence, even though they faced extreme provocation. This is not what it’s being made to appear.
Mike, you’ve been incredibly generous with your time. How would you like to round off your comments?
The perception outside Venezuela is completely at odds with the reality on the ground. The whole ‘failed state’ thing – it’s just issues in economy being blown up. Unemployment in Venezuela is only 6.6%, foreign debt payments are being made on time. GDP is rising.
Venezuela is not in an economic crisis, it’s in an economic war.
Of course there are problems from the fall in oil prices, but all the things being portrayed big in the media are created by the opposition – the violence, the shortages. There’s an attempt to create an opportunity for the western, mainstream media to say ‘this country is screwed’ so it can be ‘rescued’.
But it’s not the government screwing up the economy – that’s being done by big corporate monopolies. It’s not the government instigating the violence – that’s originating with the protesters, who are backed and even paid by corporations and even outside governments. And it’s all for the purpose of overthrowing democracy, not saving it.
Follow Mike Prysner on Twitter here and his Empire Files colleague Abby Martin here.
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Preview YouTube video Man set on fire in Venezuela protest
Man set on fire in Venezuela protest
I saw a post a few weeks ago where the CIA did say they were going to remove the present government, so this article is no surprise.
The greedy UK will be looking to steal something from somewhere to sure up their own dwindling reserves, as they have been doing for centuries, so they will lie and spread disinformation about Venezuela, as they always do about everything,, no surprise there.
http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/08/07/democracy-die-venezuela-implosion-hannah-dreier-215467
Different opinion here
The government of President Nicolas Maduro blames the U.S. and right-wing business interests for the economic collapse, but most economists say it actually stems from government-imposed price and currency distortions. There often seemed to be a direct line between economic policy and daily hardship. One week, the administration declared that eggs would now be sold for no more than 30 cents a carton. The next week, eggs had disappeared from supermarkets, and still have not come back…. People started digging through the trash at all hours, pulling out vegetable peelings and soggy pizza crusts and eating them on the spot. That seemed like rock bottom. Until my local bakery started organizing lines each morning, not to buy bread but to eat trash.
Venezuela’s Attorney General, Luisa Ortega, criticised the election.
“This is the end of freedom of expression, and this freedom has been battered for some time now,” she said. “This is a smokescreen to hide the corruption and crisis that Venezuela faces. But they will have to climb over the institution that I represent, the people of Venezuela and our constitution.”
She was fired soon after making this statement.
Venezuela has been a political basket case despite being blessed by God geographically speaking. Had an uncle that managed his own successful business there in the oilfields and had to run and leave everything because he was reliably informed of a pending Coup whose leadership hated foreigners of any kind.
Trump said yesterday that removing the Govt is under consideration.
Is the average person better off than 10-20 years ago?
Are jobs being created?
Are the oilfields being properly developed? Please note that even the Saudis are eager to sell plenty oil asap as they can see that oil demand could be cut viciously by Electric cars. Saudis are planning the World’s most massive IPO of their Oilco, Aramco. This is no coincidence, they want to cash in as best they can, as quickly as they are able to.
Ven better have their act together or be left with massive undeveloped reserves that they have to give away.
Trump should focus on his backyard. Venezuela is no Grenada. It was interesting listening to him a few months a go when he hinted in an interview that the USA is no saint when it comes to matters of a geopolical nature. He should ask North or one of his Generals about CIA covert operations in Venezuela over the years. It is well documented in the US media.
David, the question is whether Venezuelans want to become Cuba 2.0 or not. Has Ven ever had a good Govt that sincerely tried to improve the country for the people?
I am fully aware of CIA activity in Latam, remember Allende in Chile. The key is whether Maduro can manage the country correctly for the good, I know that there are opposition forces that dont want Maduro to succeed.
U should know by now that I believe in an Incentive system ie Socialised Capitalism, where the poor are assisted / developed and have the opportunity to rise to the top but not in the wasteful method of most Socialist countries—-Disciplined in every way.
It seems like if Ven requires a Reset from the outside as people are suffering, who is going to help solve it?
Hopefully Trump will withdraw from Afghanistan very soon, the escalation of which was one of Barry’s many foreign policy errors. (Libya? Egypt? Syria?) No foreign force has ever been able to change Afghanistan not even the British or Russians. Fragmented “country” with a different Warlord over every mountain.
@Money Brain
Is there one country the US has invaded in the last 50 years that has resulted in prosperity post invasion?
You all will know just now Barbados next and live,
Fake news from Venezuela. Ignore the BBC and all the other non Venezuelan news media (including this one posting on BU). However we should not ignore the opinion of Luisa Ortega the former Attorney General of Venezuela who blamed the authorities for the deaths of protestors or the recently dimissed Minister of Health of Venezuela who let it be known that maternal mortality and infant diseases had increased under the present regime.
Unfortunately Trump’s recent comments will only serve to validate Maduro’s claim of US involvement in Venezuela. If Trump really wants Maduro to be removed then all he needs to do is stop his friends in the oil industry from conducting any business with Venezuela. As long as Maduro is resticted or contained to Venezuela I don’t believe that the US cares what happens there.
The flash point may however come should Venezuela seek to stop the US oil companies activities in that area offshore of Guyana to which Venezuela has a claim.
David
Has there been any country in the history of mankind for which invasion was beneficial to the indigineous population? Invasion is usually to the benefit of the invader. What does the US have to gain by invading Venezuela ? Trump and Pence may not be very intelligent but I believe the leaders of the US military industrial complex do not see their interests being served by invading Venezuela. Please don’t mention oil. Venezuela is IMPORTING oil to refine.
@Ping Pong
Surely you are aware Venezuela is blessed with some of the largest oil reserves in the world. Also the other minerals like gold for example. Unlike you some of us will not try to predict #45’s behaviour. Before the invasion of Libya and Iraq the Western media was predictably proWest. Some of do not pretend to know all about what is causing strife in Venezuela, what we know is that it s a country torn from within.
I find it unbelievable that after Chile, Nicaragua, and Grenada, there are still socialist leaders in the Hemisphere who think they can run a capitalist economy without a charismatic leader and without the collaboration of the capitalist class.
It cannot be done. Maduro should cut his losses and bow out as graciously as he can.
David
The world is weaning itself off oil. There is an oversupply of the stuff. Hence the present low price of oil. Venezuela crude is very heavy and expensive to refine so much so that Venezuela is IMPORTING oil.
I do not predict Trump’s behaviour. So far he is all talk. He hasn’t achieved anything new. He is squabbling with his own party who ignores him mostly. Trump is probably regarded as a nuisance because his presence encourages fringe groups to come out of the woodwork which then causes a PR problem for the elites that may wish to portray the US as the home all that is good and noble.
Venezuela’s problem is easy to diagnose. With the drop in oil revenues there is simply not enough money to go around. Maduro is incompetent and corrupt and cannot simultaneously satisfy the needs of the common folk and the rapacious elites of which the military and members of Maduro’s party are members. It is very similar to what is happening in Barbados.
The solution to Venezuela problems would be the development of a truly socialist political economy or a liberal capitalist economy, one or the other. This would not suit the elites of Maduro’s party who would not be able then to operate the back room deals with private business men. It would be difficult to explain the trappings of wealth in a socialist economy or to argue for government interference in a liberal capitalist economy. These half baked arrangements where no rules are followed , secrecy from the public about public works is maintained, and much posturing about acting for the “good of the people” only serve to facilitate the corrupt.
@Ping Pong
Can’t fault your analysis of the situation, S America has always been comfortably with ‘maverick’ systems of government. Not sure if you will see the kind of orderly system outlined by you. Let the chaos continue!
David
Like many lawyers, you seem to think that gold, diamonds and other precious stones are, or ought to be, some guarantee of economuc prosperity.
Not so. Energy resources like coal, oil and gas are the best assets a country can have because they can be used to fuel machines that do most of the work in society more efficiently and effectively than human beings can.
Gold and diamonds are rare commodities. Their total value is insufficient to underwrite an economic development program unless a country has a small population ( e.g. Botswana).(South Africa is the exception, because it has unusually large gold deposits)
@ Well Well I’m Such An Illiterate Moron..
“The greedy UK will be looking to steal something from somewhere to sure (SIC) up their own dwindling reserves, as they have been doing for centuries, so they will lie and spread
disinformation about Venezuela, as they always do about everything,, no surprise there.”
Beyond moronic. The word you were looking for is SHORE – surely you knew that, even if you know nothing else?
You had better hope that some of that Chavista socialism doesn’t come to Barbados, or you won’t have time for your sad racist scribbling – you’ll be in the gutter (where you belong) scrabbling for something to keep your wuffless body and what passes for your soul together.
@ Ping Pong
“Has there been any country in the history of mankind for which invasion was beneficial to the indigineous population? ”
Yes, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Holland, Italy and most especially Germany and Japan- by the Western Allies in WWII.
@ Ping Pong August 14, 2017 at 1:32 AM
Brilliant and succinct summary of Venezuela’s plight. (and of Barbados’s)
But does this not conflict with you general attitude to the current impasse?
Once corruption steps in, it becomes VERY difficult for the incumbents to escape its clutches.
What do they do?
….admit their crimes and beg pardon?
….arrest the bribe masters whose money they had been taking when they thought they could safely do so?
….hope that everyone forget the past?
Do you REALLY think it a coincidence that the shelves are bare? .. or that this is possible without the businessmen refusing to put the items up for sale AS A MEANS OF PUNISHING THE COUNTRY?
We have the identical problem here in Barbados.
….except that, as brass bowls, we have the ability to pretend that all the stealing and bribes and sellouts and inefficiency is ‘par for the course’ – so that when this set of crooks are voted out, we will embrace them as genuine millionaires and models of success….. like Parris….. even while widows have to eat wind pies and air puffs because their money has been handed to the rich bribe masters.
In REAL countries …with REAL people, there is that matter of RIGHTEOUS INDIGNATION which would drive serious calls for JUSTICE…..
Who knows,…perhaps there are benefits to being brass bowls with the ability to absorb piss.
Democracy Under Siege in Maduro’s Venezuela.
The headlines around the world said it all in describing the bogus July 30 election in Venezuela.
“Venezuela heading for dictatorship after ‘sham’ election,” wrote the Guardian, quoting Nikki Haley, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
“Venezuela faces more isolation after controversial vote,” read an article published in the Latin American section of Aljazeera’s English online news service.
Boycotted by the opposition, the vote further distanced Venezuela from the free and democratic world.
International condemnations were sharp and swift.
The U.S. slapped immediate sanctions on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro — in addition to previously imposed sanctions on 13 other Venezuelan officials.
In the face of the new sanctions, Venezuela’s dictator reportedly asked a strange, almost childlike question, in response, wondering out loud: “Why are they sanctioning me?”
Given that the democratic rights of the Venezuelan people were ignored in the election, opposition leaders were arrested for voicing dissent and voting was held in an undemocratic manner, what other choice was there, besides slapping sanctions on Venezuela?
Maduro doesn’t get it and he is no exception.
Few dictators anywhere in the world have ever respected the democratic rights of the people they rule, held elections in a democratic manner, or handed over power in a timely fashion to democratically-elected representatives.
Maduro’s intentions became clear when he came up with his controversial proposal to create a 545-member Constituent Assembly, to replace his country’s duly elected 167-seat National Assembly.
He proposed a new election to create his new assembly, even though the vote for the National Assembly was held relatively recently in December, 2015.
Few observers in or outside Venezuela had much difficulty understanding why the Venezuelan president was interested in doing away with the country’s National Assembly.
This was due to the fact Maduro had little influence on it, as it was dominated by his political opponents.
They held a total of 112 seats, vastly outnumbering his United Socialist Party members in the 167-seat assembly.
Since winning elections in 2015, Venezuela’s opposition leaders have tried to gain legitimate political authority, but Maduro was always reluctant to grant them that power, for fear of his being impeached.
Instead, he hurriedly came up with the idea of setting up his own Constituent Assembly, with its members chosen by his administration, in place of the opposition-controlled National Assembly.
Maduro’s Constituent Assembly will have sweeping powers to do virtually anything it wants, including rewriting Venezuela’s constitution and holding a “truth commission”, as reported by media, to prosecute his political opponents.
Obviously replacing the democratically-elected National Assembly with Maduro’s so-called Constituent Assembly, following an opposition-boycotted “sham” election, will not promote the cause of democracy in Venezuela.
It will, instead, push the oil-rich nation further along the path to total dictatorship, awarding broad-based authority to the Venezuelan president and turning his administration into an anti-people, authoritarian regime.
In such a situation, the Trump administration will call for more sanctions against Venezuela, targeting its oil industry, the most important financial lifeline of the national economy.
Whatever happens next, it’s important that it not punish the ordinary people of Venezuela, because they are the real guardians of democracy in that troubled nation now.
Bushie,
Maduro instructed that a dozen Eggs be sold for 30 cents. Who produces anything at a known LOSS? If that made sense then set up a Co-op of small producers and hand them the market at 30 cents.
Reminds me of the 1970s when the Bdos Govt wanted businesses to bring in a variety of items at a loss—the shelves were soon bare. Why should I lose $$$$$$ but still pay my employees, not lay off any, when the problem was created by bad Govt Policy and ME oil shytes!
Money Brain
The ordinary people are not without sin. Venezuela recorded 28 000 murders last year alone. The ordinary people are the supporters of Maduro.
David,
Grenada is better off and many during WW2, certainly Germ and Jap.
The Shia of Iraq who are 60%+ of the population and the other minority groups (78% of total pop) were very happy to get rid of Sodamn Insane, they did not enjoy the aftermath years though but they wanted Sodamn gone and then the US gone too. The Shia were eager for payback to the Sunnis.
@ Money B
Is Maduro not a bus driver or some such trade /profession?
As you correctly pointed out, ordinary people who are steeped in albino-centric culture ACTUALLY think that money grows on trees.
In his GENUINE interest to see poor people eat, he probably thinks that setting egg prices (or any other prices) at affordable rates is a good thing.
Do we think any differently in Barbados?
If our university educated ‘leaders’ cannot mark fat with the most money ANY Barbados government has EVER had as income …. why would you expect Maduro to be a guru?
The problem is that at the other end in Venezuela, are selfish, rabid businessman who will drive the poor people back to abject poverty in their quest to accumulate all the money that they can…
What are YOU advocating that Maduro should do…?
…Just hand over power to the business class ..and frig the poor people?
…Do like OUR politicians and JOIN with the vermin to rob the poor people of the country?
…Explain to the poor that they will have to suck salt again – after seeing some light under Chavez?
It is complex.
Saddam built an Iraq that was the economic envy of the west. Extensive university education for citizens, well distributed wealth, ..developed country…. but he was disposed for ‘atrocities’ and for having ‘weapons of mass destruction’…
The USA and allies have gone on to commit multiple times MORE atrocities ….. to amass unprecedented WOMDs themselves…. and all with a country that is now essentially a wasteland and war zone.
ANYONE …. who believes the hype from the albino-centric western press after their history of the last 50 years ..deserves everything that they are bound to get…
Just like Barbados, the BASIC problem in Venezuela is a set of selfish, spiteful, greedy businessmen who only care about owning the whole world….
Do like OUR politicians and JOIN with the vermin to rob the poor people of the country?
Some say this is his game.
Has Ven ever had a good Govt? Probably not.
There is misinformation all bout de place.
Sodamn Insane was a brutal devil dictator who had people physically removed from “parliament” and shot outside on a regular basis. His own daughters and son in laws left the country and he inveigled them to return home and then had the SILs shot.
Soon they will be remembering Kim Un in glowing terms as the dictator that fed his people once a week.
LOL @ Money
Nobody has nominated Saddam for sainthood.
Bushie only ask you how YOUR people are better….?
“Sodamn Insane was a brutal devil dictator who had people physically removed from “parliament” and shot outside on a regular basis”
He did it ONCE.
9999,
When U shoot somebody in the head from close range, U only need to do it once.
He did it ONCE.
+++++++++++++
Well THERE you go…
…and according to Jeff, Adriel Nit and the other bleeding hearts, we REALLY should give Saddam the benefit of the doubt….. 🙂
Although, to be quite honest, one of the responsibilities of a REAL leader is to protect his people and society. Who is to say that this will not require sometimes drastic and summary actions?
Barbados would be well served, for example, by a leader who would have dealt summarily with a Speaker who stole money from an old man in a wheelchair.
….with a leper who robbed thousands of poor widows and gave $3.3M of the money to a politician and hijacked the rest….
….with a minister who sent a text demanding his ‘cut’, and whose mother found $5M in her bank account…
And…if we lived in a society where suicide bombers routinely self-detonated and killed hundreds of innocents, a leader who would terminate their donkeys FIRST …may not be a bad investment either….
I wonder if those who installed voted King Chavez, by thier votes, and then thought of replaced ing him with Big Bufoon…have any “buyer’s remorse”?
‘And just like that, Christmas came early for the strongman in Caracas.’
(Picture by Getty)
Donald Trump’s threat against Venezuela played right into Nicolas Maduro’s hands, analysts say
Mercosur and others call for dialogue and diplomacy not violence
ft.com
http://on.ft.com/2w7xtQX
Vinni, once action to solve is being taken as a result then, it is progressing the desired direction.
Money Brain:
You wrote:…”Do like OUR politicians and JOIN with the vermin to rob the poor people of the country?…’
Do you really mean what you are saying? After this weekend?
What’s happening in Venezuela is what’s always been happening – imperial politics.
It certainly does not help that it has, by far, the world’s largest petroleum deposits. Indeed, if Barbados was so cursed the same thing will be happening here as well. Provided government believed that the resources should be shared among the people.
And the White supremacist in Washington believes he has right, if not might, to take people’s resources through force of arms.
To him it does not matter that international laws of war specifically makes such illegal.
But Trumpism is merely a continuation of the Obama, and others presidents’ Monroe Doctrine, whose foreign policy is firmly located in the notion that America now owns the world. And may do as it wishes.
That’s what’s happening in Venezuela.
If course, the imperial racist Trump has local supremacists of the Iberian typology doing his bidding, in the interest of empire.
Nothing is happening in Venezuela that has not happened in the remainder of the Empire of Chaos which the USA has become. Syria!
Even almost complete defeat in Western Asia – Syria, Iraq, Lebanon – of American sponsored, trained, equipped terrorists does not deter American belligerence, hegemonic intent.
That’s what’s happening in Venezuela.
Their thinking, the Americans, is that if we can’t get our local lackeys to control the country we will use them to descend the whole of Venezuela into chaos. Hoping that out of chaos will come order, lodge talk. An order controlled by them. It’s the worst form of hegemony.
This American war of aggression famously uses illegal sanctions to formally undermine world countries while their CIA and other military operatives infiltrate to further inflame this low intensity civil war their policies have started.
All NGOs, rights groups like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, western media, most foreign embassies, democracy promotion outfits like the Carter Centre, the American Endowment for Democracy and ALL other such civil society agencies are thoroughly infiltrated by CIA operatives, not only in Venezuela but throughout the world.
It is similar to how the British used the fraternal lodges, and churches to spy on the world, to maintain intelligence supremacy. In additional, this American empire has much more powerful tools today.
For example, these Devils now have cyber weapons even more powerful than nuclear bombs. They now have the capacity to destroy ALL the industrial systems of countries – no sewer sytems, no trains – everything come to a standstill. The good news is that even North Korea now has this ability to do the same to the Americans. imperial hubris!
@ Pacha
Amen.
Alvin,
U are quoting Bushie, my mistake for not clarifying that when I replied to him.
Have the DLP totally destroyed Bim yet or is one more try in process?
@chad99999 August 14, 2017 at 12:18 PM “Sodamn Insane was a brutal devil dictator who had people physically removed from “parliament” and shot outside on a regular basis”
Would you have preferred that he shot them inside of Parliament and bloodied the carpets? Do you know how hard it is to get blood stains out of natural fiber carpets?
Stupssseee!!!
@Money Brain, August 13, 2017 at 7:41 PM “It seems like if Ven requires a Reset from the outside as people are suffering, who is going to help solve it?”
And resets from outside tend to work how well?
Simpy,
Ask Grenadians nuh!
Like everything in life it depends on who takes action, how well planned, what they set up in their wake etc etc.
We should all know that leaving things as is in Ven is costing many lives approx 30/mth due to vilence alone, multitudes are suffering literally eating from garbage cans, if U need pharmaceuticals to live or save your life then U are probably going to die—so what would Vens have to lose by a properly well intentioned intervention? Should they just accept Maduro as their dictator? Does he have a clue? EVen if he was pure and meant well he is incompetent.
@Money Brain, August 13, 2017 at 6:15 PM . “One week, the administration declared that eggs would now be sold for no more than 30 cents a carton. The next week, eggs had disappeared from supermarkets, and still have not come back…”
So where have the eggs gone?
Eggs don’t keep more that a day or two without refrigeration.
The hens haven’t stopped laying have they?
Simpy,
Who would continue to supply Eggs where they are losing $$$$$$$$$????? U would have to be INSANE!
Blessed by God or Mother Nature or Evolution GEOGRAPHICALLY. Very rich country in terms of resources like Energy, agriculture, beautiful scenery for eco tourism, beach tourism and much more—-blessed by God et al.
Humans have the uncanny capability to mash up anything fantastic, just look at Bim today.
Simpy, U chose the moniker, ent? The purpose of this site is to debate it should not be a mutual admiration society, different perspectives could lead to better solutions.
@Money Brain, August 13, 2017 at 6:20 PM “Venezuela has been a political basket case despite being blessed by God geographically speaking. Had an uncle that managed his own successful business there in the oilfields and had to run and leave everything because he was reliably informed of a pending Coup whose leadership hated foreigners of any kind.”
So why they do you consider Venezuela to be “blessed by God”?
Can you please explain that in real, real simple terms because as you and the guys on here are never tired of telling me that I am a half foolish body, and I don’t take very well to complexity.
@Money Brain, August 14, 2017 at 9:17 AM “Venezuela heading for dictatorship after ‘sham’ election,” wrote the Guardian, quoting Nikki Haley, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.”
Now what else would you expect a U.S. Ambassador to say?
And that election held on 8 November 2016. Was that a sham too?
Simpy,
Unlike U, I have no know connections in Hell so will have to leave such communication to U.
Barry O made it very clear that he was not at all concerned about the election’s authenticity but that was when Hilly was sure to win and the DEMs had million of illegals lined up to ferry from polling stn to polling station. Did U see the lady that voted more than 5 times and received like 8 yrs in prison. They will have to build a new prison to house them all not to mention when Hilly, Jimmy, Loretta, Debbie et al are indicted and found very guilty.
His name said it all—–SODAMN INSANE. Now enjoying a rather warm eternity in Hell, awaiting the arrival of Kim UN, trust they have excellent vision on a sub molecular level cause Kim is likely to be somewhat particulate.
@Money Brain, August 15, 2017 at 9:04 AM “so what would Vens have to lose by a properly well intentioned intervention?”
You know what they say about the road to hell…it is paved with good intentions. Ask those people who are now living in hell as the result of well intended interventions.
@Money Brain, August 14, 2017 at 10:37 AM “Sodamn Insane was a brutal devil dictator. His own daughters and son in laws left the country and he inveigled them to return home and then had the SILs shot.”
The sons-in-law were not inveigled.
They went back to Iraq looking for money that they had not earned, and for power which they did not deserve.
They were hoist on their own petard and simultaneously on the gallows. Lol!!!
You know that your father in law kills people for bare sport and you believe that you are special?
Why?
Now who the hell really loves in-laws? Many of us would be only too glad to get the rid of them.
An interesting read starting pre-Chavez/Maduro……..
The Corruption of Democracy in Venezuela | Cato Institute
https://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/corruption-democracy-venezuela
From 1980 onwards, Venezuelan corruption has remained high. …. The Corruption Perception Index, published by Transparency International, has shown a …
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=17&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwieovi31dnVAhWFRCYKHXWzCyE4ChAWCEYwBg&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cato.org%2Fpublications%2Fcommentary%2Fcorruption-democracy-venezuela&usg=AFQjCNGMoKK8xLRpoTYFPEByz2tPluRspQ
Vinni, I doubt Ven ever had a good Pres,( should be Dictator.)
The poor populace deserves a break.
@Money Brain, August 15, 2017 at 12:41 PM “Simpy, Unlike U, I have no know connections in Hell”
Your slave owing ancestors are at this moment and will forever be at the end of a pitchfork burning in hell. In that place where death will NEVER release them from their torment.
They anxiously await your arrival.
Simpy,
Less than 10% ever owned slaves, get your facts straight ( that was of a few West European countries). Many freed Afro blood people did own slaves to say nothing of many African Kings who treated their underlings quite badly.
Chuckle…..despite enjoying this love fest between MB&SS,with all the loving platitudes and good wishes shared.
The fact of the matter is that the West only does regime change when it benefits its businesses.
Hence….Iraq,Afghanistan,Libya&Panama of recent vintage…..and now possibly Venezuela if allowed.
Forget about Sudan,Somalia,Syria,Ukraine,Rwanda,DR Congo,etc,etc
Vinni,
Sodamn was great friends with the US—for a lil while as agent versus Iran. Which “leader” / Pol is not a corrupt bastard?
Damned if U do and damned if U dont!
U can only reach such heights by having nasties on your resume!
MB
Chuckle…..Interesting point as proven with former CIA operatives,Noriega,Castro,Bin Laden, Saddam to mention a few.
…..Kim understands not to have the USA as friend, as he learnt from Khadaffi what happens.
Vinni,
Kim Un is one lucky man as Seoul is so close to the border hundreds of thousands would likely perish if the Americans attack.
Those Kim bastards would all be dead if Seoul was located on the southern coastline. They should be dead and the top military mofos too as they have been starving the poor NOKOs for years. Hell has reservations for them!
My uncle fought in KO in 1953 for the Princess Patricia’s Regiment, Cnd Military. My family have a number of Korean friends they are clever and very hardworking people.
MB at 1:31 PM #
Valid points……the sad part is that many of the wars of the past were due to wealth creation and the egos of those behind the scenes pulling the levers of power.
I have always felt that wars were unnecessary and that they must be part of our genetic makeup,a sort of a self imposed culling system.
Remember Washington was a terrorist to the english and the became a hero……..todays evil is tommorows hero……even myths like God&Bussa can have hero status.
Humans love a piece a War real bad, especially the Raping and Pillaging part. Has changed ever so slightly in recent times.