The Lies Of Socialism

Raul Baduel, former defense minister and head of the army in Venezuela, was a longtime supporter of Hugo Chavez. That has changed. Baduel is denouncing the constitutional "reforms" that Chavez is trying to put in place for what they are: the imposition of a dictatorship. He is also pointing out the massive failures of Chavez and the lies of socialism. Oh, he points out how all the politicians have failed the people, but his scorn is especially harsh for Chavez. It is some pretty powerful stuff.

How is it that we, the people of Venezuela, have reached such a bizarre crossroads that we now ask ourselves if it is democratic to establish the indefinite re-election of the president, to declare that we are a socialist nation and to thwart civic participation?

The answer is that all Venezuelans, from every social stratum, are responsible for the institutional decay that we are witnessing. The elite never understood — and still fail to understand — the need to include, in every sense, the millions who have been kept at the margins of the decision-making process because of their poverty. At the same time, President Chávez led the poor to believe that they are finally being included in a governmental model that will reduce poverty and inequality. In reality, the very opposite is true.

In recent years, the country’s traditional political parties have come to see the Venezuelan people as clients who can be bought off.

During the economic boom years, ushered in by a sustained increase in oil prices, the parties dispensed favors, subsidies and alms. In the end, they taught the people about rights rather than obligations, thus establishing the myth that Venezuela is a rich country, and that the sole duty of a good government is to distribute its wealth evenly. President Chávez has been buying and selling against this idea, continuing to practice the kind of neopopulism that will reach its limit only when the country receives what economists call an “external shock.”

Exorbitant public expenditures, the recurrence of government deficits even at times of record-high oil prices, the extreme vulnerability of foreign investments, exceedingly high import tariffs, and our increased domestic consumption of fuel at laughably low prices are all signs of what lurks on the horizon. It now seems that, even without an appreciable dip in global oil prices, our economy may well come to a crashing halt. When it does, it will bring an end to the populism that the government practices and has tried to export to neighboring countries.

Venezuela's economy is already in trouble. Baduel sees the trainwreck coming quite clearly. The redistribution of wealth is a poor governing principle. As I wrote last week:

That insight is probably one of the best one-line descriptions of the left yet. Because economic egalitarianism does appear to be the main driver for many, if not the vast majority on the far left. No other issue comes close to it and it trumps everything else. Literally any behavior can be excused so long as the economic misery is spread evenly. (And it is misery under the socialist system.) Excusing dictatorial behavior because the dictator promises to spread wealth around until everyone gets a pittance is a horrible standard to use…..

Baduel knows that. Too bad so many just don't get it.

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1. Right Voices » Blog Archive » Hurricaine Hugo Watch — Saturday, 1 December , 2007 @ 12:16 pm