Venezuela is finally abandoning communism

Just last week, reports surfaced that Cuba is going to allow private businesses again, effectively abandoning communism. Now we have reports that:

Bloomberg: Venezuela Turns to Privatization After Being Bankrupted by Socialism

I wonder what the boards socialist contingent has to say about this? At this point, Communism is pretty much totally dead. China might still call itself a communist country, but anyone with even the most tangential connection to the business world knows that these days they're ruthless capitalists.

At least it didn't take Venezuela several decades of relentlessly trying to polish a turd before they finally admitted that they'd FUBARed everything.

originally posted by: AndyFromMichigan
I wonder what the boards socialist contingent has to say about this?

They would probably say it wasn't real socialism.

Although I am not one of them, I would be inclined to agree. It would seem to me that no matter the labels, things always end up in oligarchies.

a reply to: AndyFromMichigan

wait until you see how great "democratic" socialism is. it's way better than the old kind. Totally different as well. Actually, "totally" might be the wrong word, but you get the point, right?

a reply to: AndyFromMichigan

The CCP reap the benefits of Capitalism.

The regular folks suffer in a despotic, communist hell hole.

Now just wait for the American news headline: Terrorists seize power in Venezuela!

: Venezuela now a danger to world peace experts say.

: Dangerous, bizarre actions taken by Venezuelan government.

:Why we need to go to war with Venezuela. They are the worst.

Not even a joke this is how contrived our mainstream news is and nobody even has a second thought about it. Like you seriously need an iq in the single digits to believe it yet here we are.

related thread in re: Cuba

www.abovetopsecret.com...

they're learning what Vietnam and others have learned; communist economies don't work.
so some capitalism must be allowed to produce enough to pay the bills.

if you aren't free to own a business or own a house,
you aren't free.

And here at home we have the educated elite believing that THIS time they will do it right here in the states...

some days I just want to walk into the wilderness and see how long I can make it.

All the animals get eaten?

originally posted by: AndyFromMichigan
I wonder what the boards socialist contingent has to say about this? At this point, Communism is pretty much totally dead. China might still call itself a communist country, but anyone with even the most tangential connection to the business world knows that these days they're ruthless capitalists.

Said the guy who has no clue what capitalism is.

The Chinese are ruthless fascists, pure and simple.

originally posted by: AndyFromMichigan relentlessly trying to polish a turd

What does not make any sense is
why do you care ?
All while hell is freezing over in texass,
in debt and dying.

I feel like there is alot of deeper agendas going on in Venezuela. Lots more than just communism = fail. Unfortunately, American media has really dropped the ball on accurately reporting. Then again, the whole of American mainstream media has failed on foreign journalism.

I reccomend Empire Files on YouTube for an alternative look.

a reply to: blueman12

There's definitely more going on then we're aware of. I'll bet it's probably our old friend oil. Venezuela is a member of OPEC. Or at least it used to be until the refineries stopped working, because Chavez's people seized ownership of them and then promptly let them grind to a halt from neglect & incompetent management.

a reply to: AndyFromMichigan
Can't forget about the pressure placed on them by sanctions.

In the OP you said that at least it didn't take them decades to figure it out, like cuba. Some would say they couldn't fight against the american "empire" as long as cuba did.

a reply to: tanstaafl

But Fascism is just another form of Socialism. NAZI-National Socialist German Workers' Party.

Socialism, Nazism, Communism, all failures. All based on government control of the economy. Though the Nazis did get their rears handed to them in a war though. The only "sucessful" socialist systems have a mostly capitalist economy holding it together.

originally posted by: ntech
a reply to: tanstaafl
But Fascism is just another form of Socialism. NAZI-National Socialist German Workers' Party.

Socialism, Nazism, Communism, all failures. All based on government control of the economy. Though the Nazis did get their rears handed to them in a war though. The only "sucessful" socialist systems have a mostly capitalist economy holding it together.

I actually agree... almost all of the 'isms are just different faces of the same tyrannical power structure, some try to hide the jack-boot and gun a little better than others, but they are always there as the enforcement arm of whichever ism it is.

But... I did say 'almost'. I actually differentiate 'Capitalism' (with a capital 'C') and capitalism (lowercase 'c') as two different beasts, just like many people distinguish between 'Libertarian' and 'libertarian'.

Capitalism is basically Corporatism, which is just another name for Fascism. However, I consider 'capitalism' to just be short for 'free market capitalism', which also entails legal protections from fraud, coercion and manipulative monopolistic behavior - you know, those things that governments are actually supposed to be providing protections for, but currently are actually promoting and providing protection to.

I probably should use a different term altogether... 'free enterprise'? free market enterprise?

Philosophical question about free markets...

Should it be illegal for a company to simply sell its products or services below their actual hard costs - if they can afford to do so based solely on their available capital on hand - in order to undercut a competitor?

I personally think that is unethical - but should it be illegal? If so... why?