[Social_Critic]

Read the sources I posted for you. If you refuse to study and do your homework then it's difficult to teach you. Regarding your support for "Venezuela", you are only supporting the existing regime. The majority of Venezuelans are opposed to that garbage government run by Maduro. Evidently you are, at least at this time, quite ignorant of events if you have to ask simple questions. Study.

[Social_Critic]

Is there anyone, anywhere, anyplace you haven't seen and don't have first hand ....

Answer: Yes.

Do recall I pick my Spotss. It means that when I write about something I'm likely to have a lot of knowledge about the subject. And quite often I choose to discuss here my personal experiences I think may be of interest. It's not my fault many of you are college students and haven't had a chance to get around much.

[Far-Right Sage]

Sensationalist title - Obviously it's Venezuela's "most violent city". It's one of the more dangerous cities in terms of crime per capita in the world.

I agree with Sol in that both Maduro and his predecessor are/were admirable in their desire not to see Venezuela returned to its status as a non-sovereign neoliberal backwater as was the case in the 80's. I also don't believe crime in Caracas can be chalked up to "failed economic policy". Crime is an outgrowth of poverty yes, particularly poverty in such a sprawling urban jungle as Caracas, but Venezuela and Venezuelans are not poor because of Chavez or Maduro; quite the contrary. Venezuela was poor when a liberal puppet government existed in Caracas as well, but hey, at least there were more jobs in "tourism" like Venezuelan women servicing foreigners in more ways than one (similar to Cuba of the Batista era before the revolution). It's a poorer country, as is much of Latin America. Honduras is a hell of a lot poorer and that's a thieving capitalist's paradise.

I would say that crime rates in Caracas seem to have been impacted negatively by a failed set of policies Chavez had on crime, in which he was far too soft on it, partly in an effort not to feed neoliberal propaganda from abroad about the authoritarian nature of his government and partly because the Bolivarian socialists believe crime to be the logical conclusion of poverty which will resolve itself once poverty is eliminated. The problem on the latter point is that while the PSUV has admirably alleviated some of the worse effects of poverty on Venezuela's peasant laborers and working class, the end game of mass poverty reduction, elimination, and equalization of wealth is still a long way off. Plus, Venezuela is still a capitalist state with an essentially left-oriented democratic socialist party in power which is trying to effect a transition. Maduro should reverse some of Chavez's policies on crime and law and order, but then, he should also be more assertive in strangling the life out of the foreign-backed domestic opposition. Hopefully he has what it takes.

[Social_Critic]

Venezuela is undergoing a serious economic, social, and political crisis at this time. This is caused by the sheer incompetence, venality, corruption and criminal mindset of the red mafias which today can be considered a Venecuban tyranny.

It's easy to keep your minds enclosed in a box loaded with stale and outdated ideas, based on imagination and the garbage you have been fed over the years. The ugly reality is that Venezuela has always depended mostly on oil exports to sustain its economy, oil prices today are about six fold what they were in 1999 when Chavez took over.

And what did they accomplish with that enormous cash flow? They increased debt to such an extent today Venezuelan bonds are junk. They also mortgaged future oil production to the Chinese in exchange for more loans. They destroyed the criminal justice system, allowed massive distribution of weapons, and created such a climate of impunity the murder rate more than quadrupled in these 15 years.

I posted the video to show you the ugly reality I saw with my own eyes. Yes boys and girls, it's like that. Caracas is a city where one can drive out in the early morning hours and find naked corpses lying on the sidewalk. It's a place where one sees people walking around with bullet wound scars, and where a red clad imbecile issues orders to sell flat screen TV sets at subsidized prices one tenth of the international price...whole at the same time there are food shortages, and one can't find toilet paper to wipe a baby's ass.

Crime in Venezuela is the cumulative result of 15 years of sheer idiocy, imbecility and mentally retarded policies. And the bullshit about "sovereignty" is pure garbage. Today Venezuela is ruled by Havana's fascist dinosaurs.

[Social_Critic]

The Venezuelan government has declared Dec 8, the day elections are held for city councils nationwide, the Day of Love and Loyalty to the Eternal Leader Hugo Chavez.

This appears to be a clear violation of electoral law and the Venezuelan constitution. However anybody who wishes to join please do so. An acceptable ritual would be to say a prayer to Chavez then bow three times towards Caracas as you suck your finger.

[Far-Right Sage]

How does the declaration of a day of joint mourning and deference directed toward a former head of state violate the Venezuelan constitution?

This is an honest question.

[Social_Critic]

How does the declaration of a day of joint mourning and deference directed toward a former head of state violate the Venezuelan constitution?

This is an honest question.

Venezuela election law specifies activities involving political propaganda are strictly forbidden about two days before the Election Day ad until it ends. The day isn't a day of mourning, it's a day to pay loyalty to Chavez. It isn't related to his death, his birth, the day he was elected or the first time he burped. It was selected a few weeks ago to allow illegal posters and propaganda, plus a lot of TV adds which reminded voters they should be loyal to Chavez.

In most countries picking Election Day as a day of worship for a dead political leader, and festooning the city with his face plus having this mentioned on TV would be considered a gross violation. In Venezuela it breaks the law. But the Chavistas are outlaws. A lot of what they do is a gross violation of the existing legal code. Face it, Venezuela is an autocracy run by a sock puppet who follows orders from Havana.

[Social_Critic]

Most of the country experienced a blackout. Some sectors are stii without power. The government blamed sabotage.

But I wonder if maybe all those over stressed electricity networks may not be overloaded by the appliances sold at extremely low prices by the military after they took over stores. All those stores are empty, some were looted. So if the power cut burned your fridge you are out of luck.

[The Immortal Goon]

What a bunch of fascists. Fortunately the United States has never celebrated Washington or Lincoln in any capacity and remains free.

[Social_Critic]

What a bunch of fascists. Fortunately the United States has never celebrated Washington or Lincoln in any capacity and remains free.

The key element is the date, it doesn't coincide with Chavez' birthday, death, high school graduation, first tooth or first time he got laid. It does happen to be Election Day. And I don't recall a holiday being called the day of remembrance and loyalty for a dead politician. Maybe in North Korea?

If we couple their ongoing propaganda to create a religious cult to Chavez, and constant violations of the constitution justified "because Chavez would have wanted it", the regime has descended into a world of political shit. They are desperate.

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