ADSactly World - Venezuela and the “economic war”
When we hear the term “economic war”, we can think this happens when the economic power of a country is used to attack another country, especially if one of those countries depends on the other one, whether it is because they need to constantly purchase a certain resource for the proper functioning of their society, or because they need to sell their own resources to finance their activities, so what happens is the owner of a particular resource leverage this advantage to hurt the opponent.
In Venezuela, we can see how people from the government have adopted this term to explain the “conspiracies” happening all over the country, where any entrepreneur or businessman are supposedly making “secret plans” with the goal of monopolizing any available food, and hurt the well being of the people. The government say this is a strategy to sabotage their political movement and economic model.
They try to make the people believe any company who “morbidly” offers jobs, do it not for the benefit of society but to reap the benefits coming from the torture and exploitation of its future “slaves”, and they portray themselves as the revolutionary saviors that despite their efforts, haven’t yet manage to completely save the people from the "evil" entrepreneurs. And there are a lot of individuals who actually see the world in this way, in a constant war against anyone who offers a product or a service in the market.
This is why after the expropriations started, pretty much everyone who supported the government also supported the expropriations, these people were probably even feeling happy as those resources were finally going to be used in a “fair” way. Everything from companies producing rice, coffee, countless farms that were productive and efficient, among many other examples, all was expropriated, and the people who took control were obviously officials from the government. They fought and are still fighting against big and small businesses, and they will probably keep doing this until there is no more private owned stores and companies in the country. They are making all the moves that will lead to a final result where starting a new business will be something close to impossible.
Now there are a lot of people who find themselves in an extremely difficult situation with a reduced purchasing power and with little available products due to massive shortages, but when the people who actually are able to keep a productive dynamic started to get attacked, not everyone took the time to do everything possible to stop the government from doing something that was harming the overall production in the country. Abundance has never been achieved through the systematical destruction of those who invest and create goods and services.
The economic problems are also perpetuated because it seems that few people really care about what was happening, I think in Venezuela there isn’t a sufficiently strong tendency to protect private property as long as the government is promising things for free. It is easier to see the problem represented in those who by applying force, end up taking control over a large percentage of the entire national production, but since they didn’t know how to properly manage those companies, a lot of them couldn’t avoid bankruptcy. However, we shouldn’t forget these individuals can do that because at one time, they received popular support that allowed them to enact policies that are now being used to do all kind of abusive interventions in the market.
Venezuela is undoubtedly ruled by the worst kind of people, and most of those who oppose it and are seen as an option for real change, don’t always represent the most attractive proposal because populism is also present in some political leaders that don’t support the current government and are actively trying to change it. For example, there is a very important political party from the opposition called “Primero de Justicia”, and in the past they were giving away free chicken to the people, similar to how the government also gives away free food just to buy votes and make the people believe they are being taken care of.
It is in this perverse dynamic where the individuals lacking real values begin with their strategy to convince the people they are noble politicians without any selfish interests and only living to serve others, as it is clear now, some of them always manage to gain popular support that is strong enough for them to take control over important political institutions, and once they do this their true nature comes to light, full of greed and lies, only using their political position as a tool for personal enrichment through all sort of crimes.
Since this is not the first time something like this happens in Venezuela, it is fair to say there is a collectivist and paternalistic element impregnated in the culture, which makes it easier for any message about the government providing everything to the people to be widely accepted, as if that were how things should be. The problem was the lack of messages that could provide counter arguments with explanations and examples as to why the government should not be doing this type of permanent “charity”, it never ends well. Seeing the government as an entity from which to expect all sort of freebies is the worst that could happen to any population, and this way of seeing things has led Venezuela to the current collapse.
When there are enough people who defend freedom by making full use of their reason, then a change will be inevitable, putting an end to the current misery in a society that has been hypnotized by a destructive ideology. Eventually, Venezuela could become a new example of how the only way to lead a society to its progress is by having all types of freedom, especially economic freedom. The only way for a person to have the opportunity to seek his own happiness is through the defense of his individual rights. Every person should be able to have total control over not only his life, but also of the value he can create with his skills.
Final thoughts
The economic war is an excuse from the government to justify the failure of their economic policies, people who support this type of system never admit their mistakes, they always blame other people, and with Venezuela it is no different.
There should be no excuse for having shortages after so many expropriations took place, promising they were going to offer those same products at the “fair” price, which is something only naive people could believe.
Right now, a small amount of people still have the believe there is an economic war going on, they even do patrols to identify and “punish” any store that isn’t selling at the price they consider is “fair”, I wonder if they have asked themselves what would they do once those stores decide to close and stop selling products?
Feel free to share your thoughts.
Authored by: @dedicatedguy
Image sources
Thank you, @adsactly y @dedicatedguy, for giving visibility to the serious problem we are going through in Venezuela. There is a saying that says, divide and conquer', and that is what the government has done. It divided the Venezuelans and there are those who support it and those who oppose it. Many of those who support it are because they are being benefited or are simply blind. They don't see that the government is the only one to blame for the nightmare we're living. Those of us who are against this nefarious government have been persecuted, humiliated, singled out and even thrown out of our jobs. In the end, all the Venezuelan people are suffering from hunger, lack of medicines, lack of transportation, without discrimination. Because death makes no difference! Researched so that everyone will know about this very well written text and about our serious problem. Again, thank you!
Thanks for your comment @nancybriti!
what is happening in Venezuela is really very complex, alarming and worrying. We are between a rock and a hard place, the world turns its back on us and we see the solution every day further away. It is a good study of the situation you have made; keep on praying for us... God alone has the solution for this country.
Everything has fallen apart in Venezuela. Life there is definitely more bizzare than anyone's imagination. And to learn that the culprit (the government)still have some die hard loyalist is even more bizzare and disturbing.
I don't kown how your country can get out of this but I hope it does.
A rich country now is ruins. Honestly how did you guys get here?
Hello @ nicewoody69 I could not help reading and answer your question to the graceleon friend, how do we get here? with effort, courage, gallardia, we still remain Venezuelan fighters friend ...
By believing that government control over everything was better than freedom. A lot of Venezuelans still believe this, although each passing day more people are realizing and understanding the mistake.
must be tough living in venezuela.. i like the beautiful landscape there but.. i hope there's someway to somehow relieve the ease and pain in that country...
Thank you so much for make this post and talk about the situation in my country. Many people think that we're not passing through a rude and awful crisis on the day by day or there's an exaggeration on every topic that the world TV news shows about us.
In my country (Venezuela) we're living like ghosts, we go to work just for eat in a circle that never stops. Here on Steemit is where many Venezuelans have found a way to survive to the crisis and live in a country where the minimum salary actually is less than 1$.
If we go and search for some great facts (on a music meaning) here on Steemit we can found that (at least) the Spanish-speakers artist that have won the Steemit Open Mic on a majority is Venezuelans, too much Venezuelan talents are making an awesome work around and so many people don't support them. That's why I want to thank you for this work because in this way the people can see that what other people see as a trouble in their lives isn't too much compared with the madness that's happening in other parts of the world.
So many blessings and good vibes for you!
This means any small private company doesn’t get a chance to survive, or to prosper. If the government changed this “monopoly” tactics, the economy in Venezuela would start to grow for people and not for the government. And here is the problem. From what I’ve already learned the government’s goal is to keep Venezuelans on a leash. It’s perfect example of communist regime, but even worse. I lived in my childhood in communist regime and it wasn’t even close to what is happening in Venezuela.
Just hypothetically, what if this opposition party is just another creation of the corrupt government? Some kind of plan B. That’s what they are best at, to manipulate people’s mind.
👍 Nicely said!
A lot of people are starting to believe there is a collaboration between the government and some of the opposition political leaders, so you might be kind of right when thinking that way.
There is no economic war, only negligence. It is organizations like Telesur which have been sucking up the money of Venezuelans just to pay for all their "anti-imperialistic" babbling. The country has ran out of money (by wasting it in organizations like Telesur) and yet you carry on and on parroting the excuses of Venezuelan government. If you are so worried about Venezuela's future as you so pretend to be, have some dignity, close down and stop leeching the money that by right belongs to the Venezuelan people.
What do you mean? This article is about explaining the absurdity of the "economic war", and what it is about. In no way I support any excuse coming from the government. Maybe you should re-read the article mate.
Cheers.
Country with the largest oil reserves on the planet is now broke? That makes no sense. US control of Venezuelan oil means they can ship it across the friendly Caribbean in about 4 days, as opposed to several weeks from the middle east including potentially hostile waters. Waters that are guaranteed to be hostile soon in the wars American foreign policy seems focused on bringing to fruition.
It doesn't make sense indeed, unless you realize the current government is a member of organized crime. Then it all makes sense.
In Venezuela there's no socialist regime, only in words. There is just sovereignism and state control of some sectors of the economy, but the 80% of the economy is in private hands like it was in Libya and Syria. American people can't even spot the difference between communism, socialism, nationa-socialism, social-democracy, sovereignism. Fort them is just black and white.
The truth is the current political movement has always called itself a socialist revolution, and with the strong ties between PSUV and Cuba it is normal to see them as socialists.
Of some sectors? Through the implementation of their currency exchange control they can have control over pretty much everything. Then, all the expropiatred companies must be taken into account as well.
Its still Venezuela fault because they still think they can build socialism with the bourgeois. Although you can have capitalism under socialism but only if the capitalist class are the party/the socialist themselves like in China,Vietnam and Laos. You cannot do it with a traditional bourgeois class. No matter how much you comprise with them they will always try to sabotage and destroy the effort in order to return to power. If they really want to have a chinese style socialist society then PSUV itself has to be the bourgeois not Julio Borges, Capriles, or Lopez. A bunch of traditional third world subservient lumpen bourgeois whose loyalty lies more with their imperialist masters than it does with its own people.
Any country who believes that will fail again and again. Freedom is the way forward.
Good afternoon, I like how you have analyzed the current situation in Venezuela, you have expressed it as if you lived in the country, it is good that abroad there is awareness of what we suffer from Venezuelans, the State has been supporting its argument an "economic war" since they took the country to chaos with its wrong policies, in all areas and it is true, there is a small portion of the population that still defends that theory, out of ignorance ... I call it that because I do not see another way to call it at this point of the circumstances ... but on the other hand, more and more we Venezuelans are still struggling contributing to the economy, if the government wants to stop us on the one hand we resolve and leave for another ... the important is to fight and maintain, although the moral and this low, we are still citizens willing to battle without arms or armies against this government, and is showing that the good, the honest and patriotic are more, greetings @ ADsac tly, thanks for talking about my country and being a spokesperson for the durare that happens to us.
Yes, because I live in Venezuela :).
Agree, ignorance for those who are poor, and interest for those who are enriching themselves with the current government.
Too bad, especially as it relates to those who are poor, yet still defending the government. Well they exist in every society.
Exacto, mejor no pudiste haberlo dicho
To many ignorant trolls on this post,still trying to peddle the fear of "McCarthyism" which almoust destroyed their own unions.Socialism is Capitalism shadow,just exactly how many global market crashes to you have to have before you realise,how unstable this system is? it is always the tax payer that has to bail out these corrupt banking institutes.