CSI Venezuela

[Habbaku]

The blue player just bought a topple card.

If only it were Teddy instead of Trumpy.

[Iormlund]

My gf sends food and medicines every couple weeks now. She went back to visit recently. She brought with her little pots of baby food for her godson. She soon learned to avoid feeding him when other family kids were around. They would stare at the food and grab the leftovers as soon as her godson put the pot down.

All her siblings have left now. Most of her friends and classmates as well. Her Facebook and Instagram feeds are full of pictures from all over the world. Those with access to hard currency and good sense are fairly well off, others are pretty much indentured servants.

[Valmy]

I mocked Chavez as being another South American corrupt caudillo who was going to take advantage of popular unhappiness to rob the country and set them back. It turned out that I was giving him way too much credit. I cannot think of any previous tinpot dictator in South America who has caused quite this much harm to his people.

[celedhring]

I'm more surprised Maduro was able to keep the regime going for as long as he's done after Chávez kicked the bucket. All of the famine and shortages, none of the revolutionary aura or political acumen.

[derspiess]

He just needs to keep his militia and most of the military happy.  My biggest concern when Chavez first ascended to power was his formation of 'workers militias' that got combined into the National Militia a little later.  The militia has been Maduro's trump card, and are what will make any significant change difficult and probably bloody.

[derspiess]

Kinda surprised Canada jumped on the bandwagon and recognized Guaido.

[Monoriu]

Those with access to hard currency and good sense are fairly well off, others are pretty much indentured servants.

That doesn't sound too different from the rest of the world. 

[Admiral Yi]

I was going to jump all over Mono for that comment, but then I asked myself if there are any countries currently with capital controls in which people generally have a decent life, and I couldn't think of any.  I say currently because it was pretty common in the 60s and 70s.  When I grew up in Korea the won was not convertible.

[FunkMonk]

The Democratic Socialists of America just put out a statement blaming US sanctions for much of the economic hardship in Venezuela and decrying the US-backed coup going on now.

I'm not too knowledgeable of the current situation, but I thought the sanctions currently in place, which started under Obama, target only regime officials and their assets, and that the current protests are organic and mainly coming from the poorest people in the country.

Can someone enlighten me on this? Am I just completely naive about what is happening in Venezuela right now?

[Admiral Yi]

Can someone enlighten me on this?

Sure.  The Democratic Socialists of the People's Republic of America are wingnuts.

[Oexmelin]

I'm not too knowledgeable of the current situation, but I thought the sanctions currently in place, which started under Obama, target only regime officials and their assets, and that the current protests are organic and mainly coming from the poorest people in the country.

The DSA are right in that the sanctions targeted nationalized assets, which included Petroleos de Venezuela, one of the main way for the government to leverage revenue, which in turn was used to subsidize numerous goods and services.

They are, however, morons about the Bolivarian Revolution.

[Oexmelin]

Sure.  The Democratic Socialists of the People's Republic of America are wingnuts.

I still largely prefer my wingnuts over yours.

[Admiral Yi]

I still largely prefer my wingnuts over yours.

I'm a centrist.  We don't have wingnuts. 

[Oexmelin]

I still largely prefer my wingnuts over yours.

I'm a centrist.  We don't have wingnuts. 

Yeah, right. 

[Valmy]

Sure.  The Democratic Socialists of the People's Republic of America are wingnuts.

I still largely prefer my wingnuts over yours.

Why prefer wingnuts of any variety?