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RE: Why is Latin America so poor?
... What exactly happens around you? Do people starve and lose their homes? What is with water and energy supply? Do you have food shortage? What is with forest- and river maintenance where you live?
Can do people things on their own? Do you have a community center where you gather and solve things locally? How much are you allowed to do with your hands and minds? Did you witness people who are interested in governing their local needs that they start projects or something?
I would like to know things which are physical reality to you. I know little about South America or Venezuela.
The conditions that currently exist in Venezuela are extraordinary and exceptional to explain in a simple comment, or to relate to other South American countries, because they are not in the same conditions.
What I can tell you easily is that in Venezuela, if there is a famine, that the supply of water and energy is controlled by the State and it is bad, that there is also a shortage of medicines, gas or gasoline (in an oil country), and that even the cash money is scarce.
On whether people are really free, I would say that depends on the definition and their interests, there are many people who are freer, not only in Venezuela but throughout Latin America, than in the United States or Europe, and this is because there is not enough institutionality, and many people are out of the system, so they live in complete anarchy. But this freedom is completely lost in the matters in which the State gets involved, because regulations of all kinds abound, especially, but not only, in Venezuela, where you can't even sell your house at a price that seems to the government unfair, to mention just one of the absurd regulations.
I could leave my house, take a gun, shoot someone in the middle of the street, go back into my house, wait for an ambulance and the police patrol to arrive to pick up the body, and leave. Believe me, I would not be imprisoned. But if I decide to do something publicly and hinder the government, then regardless of whether it is my right, then they will give me an ultimatum, if I do not do what they say, then I will pay the consequences. In short, I can do everything as long as it does not bother the government.
And finally, no, people don't organize themselves, and they don't form communities or anything similar, because as I said in the post, they have become accustomed to serving the government, if things go wrong, there will be no innovation on the part of the people, the only solution will be to change the government. If the government can not be changed, some leave the country, as is happening on a large scale, and some others will live far from the state, in anarchy, as is happening with most of the population.
I feel that there is a kind of infantilism and irresponsibility, accompanied by a strong victimization, which prevents people from taking charge of their own affairs (for this is that socialism is chosen in the first instance), so that much less will be formed a communal government or a form of organization that has real results. Maybe only a few exceptions. And far from being taken steps to eliminate these evils, are increasing with paternalistic governments, an increase that is not only occurring in Venezuela or Latin America, but also is taking place, from what I can see, in Europe and the U.S.
Everything I said, although I refer mainly to Venezuela, would happen in any other South American country if it were in the same situations as this one. Because the real differences between countries are very few.
However, as I said at the beginning, the situation is much more complex to explain in a comment.
I'm very sorry to hear that. What are your own considerations? Would you leave your country and know where to go? Do you have a wife or children, parents, siblings? Where are the many who have already left?
Whether a government is actually exercising its separation of powers in a fair manner can actually be seen, as I see it confirmed, in the way the police behave towards the people. Germany cannot be compared with the USA and I would be careful with other European countries. The police here are well trained and you can't just do violence to someone and get away with it. I often see cops who are decent and behave reasonably. You never hear anything about policemen shooting someone or being afraid of them. On the contrary, I have often received friendly help from them. There is certainly a lot to criticize and the fear of state authority is always evident in large demonstrations, where, however, the people themselves behave heatedly and imprudently, so that fronts arise. Last year's G8 summit was one such example. I don't think much of the hate-spreaders and the pessimists who never see a way out and spread their resignation everywhere as if the world has already perished.
The paternalistic aspirations of the state may be wanted by the majority of my fellow men and so it is up to me to put up with it, because I will not change it if people feel ineffective. This is a problem and I think the most realistic way to deal with it is to do what I think is right and to bear as much responsibility as possible for those I get hold of.
In fact, I assume that people long for leadership, even if this is considered negligent or wrong, because it's only in such a short time that we've come through a rapid technical development that the mentality doesn't fit with the technology. Once fear is the driving factor, many decisions may not be very wise or well thought out.
As I understand from your words, you personally see no room for manoeuvre. You spoke of exceptions: Do you have opportunities to support there? Would you put your life in danger and be willing to sacrifice it? I don't ask for an answer to these very personal questions, because I have no right to your response.
The Venezuelan State, and everything that touches, especially the security forces, conspire against people. The State has a life of its own despite the people, and by controlling natural resources lives without really caring about the streets.
The problems in Venezuela are not due to lack of capacity or training, they are due to lack of will.
If similar situations occurred in Germany, the results would be different, because the wealth of Germany does not reside in natural resources but in human resources, as in all of Europe or North America, so they are disparate situations that can not be compared. From there to tyrants in developed countries are more destructive and oppressive than the tyrants of less developed countries.
I am not pessimistic about the future of Venezuela, as they say, the longest day must have its end, what must happen will happen, nature is not unfair.
Good that you say that. People actually get kind of pessimistic reading and seeing what is bad in the world. We need to attach some hope to it.