It's quite astonishing how quickly "Venezuela isn't REAL socialism, and it's disingenuous to say otherwise!" has become the conventional wisdom.
I predicted this when I wrote the commie book, but I didn't expect that process to be completed BEFORE the book's publication.
I predicted this when I wrote the commie book, but I didn't expect that process to be completed BEFORE the book's publication.
The commies ALWAYS do this whenever yet another socialist experiment collapses. Been at it for 100 years.
We can, of course, argue forever and a day about the "true" meaning of socialism. But the point is: It wasn't us baddies who said Venezuela was socialist. It was THEM.
We can, of course, argue forever and a day about the "true" meaning of socialism. But the point is: It wasn't us baddies who said Venezuela was socialist. It was THEM.
"The staunchest opponents of neoliberal economics [...] have been winning election after election. Hugo Chávez, running on a platform of “Twenty-First-Century Socialism,” was re-elected in 2006 [...] creating a zone of relative economic calm and predictability"
-Naomi Klein, 2007
-Naomi Klein, 2007
"[W]hat's so exciting about at last visiting Venezuela is that I can see how a better world is being created […] The transformations that Venezuela is making toward the creation of another socio-economic model could have a global impact"
-Noam Chomsky, 2009
-Noam Chomsky, 2009
"Venezuela is an inspiration to the world, it really does show that there is an alternative. I met so many people who told me how their lives had changed since the election of President Chávez"
-Squealer, 2012
-Squealer, 2012
"Chávez […] is the first Venezuelan president to care about the poor. […]
Under Chávez, the poor have become a political power that cannot be ignored […] [H]e has proved it is possible to lead a [...] progressive government that breaks with neo-liberal dogma."
-Squealer, 2012
Under Chávez, the poor have become a political power that cannot be ignored […] [H]e has proved it is possible to lead a [...] progressive government that breaks with neo-liberal dogma."
-Squealer, 2012
"{T]hey have […] demonstrated to the rest of the world that there are, after all, economic and social alternatives in the 21st century. Central to that process has been Hugo Chávez and his Bolivarian revolution in Venezuela."
-Seumas Milne, 2012
-Seumas Milne, 2012
"Venezuela's […] success in bringing resources under public control offer lessons to anyone interested in [...] new forms of socialist politics […]
Venezuela [...] demonstrated that it's no longer necessary to accept a failed economic model"
-Seumas Milne, 2012
Venezuela [...] demonstrated that it's no longer necessary to accept a failed economic model"
-Seumas Milne, 2012
"Venezuela shows that governments that put the needs of ordinary working people first can expect strong support at the ballot box. […] Europe might want to learn the obvious lessons from Venezuela”
-Len McCluskey, 2012
-Len McCluskey, 2012
"This [Chavez's reelection] is a great result for the people of Venezuela, progressive politics, and the democratic process"
-Andy Slaughter (MP for Hammersmith), 2012
-Andy Slaughter (MP for Hammersmith), 2012
"Hugo Chávez helped to inspire a new socialism for the 21st century and provided the spark that lit up the whole South American continent"
-Bill Hayes (Communication Workers Union), 2012
-Bill Hayes (Communication Workers Union), 2012
"Hugo Chávez will be remembered for his continuous struggle to raise up the poor, his commitment to social justice and his dedication to fairness and equality"
-David Prentis (UNISON), 2012
-David Prentis (UNISON), 2012
"Hugo Chávez saw the implementation of an impressive and highly progressive programme"
-Frances O’Grady (Trade Union Congress), 2012
-Frances O’Grady (Trade Union Congress), 2012
"[Chavez was] a titan of a man. Progressive, democratic, garrulous. In turbulent times he made change happen for the poorest"
-Jon Tricket (MP for Hemsworth), 2013
-Jon Tricket (MP for Hemsworth), 2013
"Chávez […] showed us that there is a different, and a better way of doing things. It’s called socialism […]
[I]n his death, we will march on, to that better, just, peaceful and hopeful world"
-Corbo, not present but involved, 2013
[I]n his death, we will march on, to that better, just, peaceful and hopeful world"
-Corbo, not present but involved, 2013
"Chávez is so important […] because he showed another world is possible. He put helping the poor, raising the living standards of the very poorest, at the top of his agenda."
-Diane Abbott, ≈2013
-Diane Abbott, ≈2013
“[H]e showed the region that it was possible to do things differently […]
I feel particularly passionate about defending the revolution of Venezuela and the Chávez legacy"
-Diane Abbott, 2013
I feel particularly passionate about defending the revolution of Venezuela and the Chávez legacy"
-Diane Abbott, 2013
"[Chávez] lit a spark that really started a firebrand […] Venezuela and the Bolivarian Revolution became an item on the agenda for all socialists […]
here you had the contrast between capitalism in crisis, and socialism in action"
-John McDonnell, 2014
here you had the contrast between capitalism in crisis, and socialism in action"
-John McDonnell, 2014
"[The] protests have all the hallmarks of an anti-democratic rebellion, shot through with class privilege and racism. […]
It's hardly surprising [...] that Maduro regards what's been going on as Ukraine-style US-backed destabilisation"
-Seumas Milne, 2014
It's hardly surprising [...] that Maduro regards what's been going on as Ukraine-style US-backed destabilisation"
-Seumas Milne, 2014
"There is a seismic shift [in Venezuela] that the corporations and their US allies detest. […] They hate the fact that the people are in control and not them"
-Neil Findlay (Member of the Scottish Parliament), 2014
-Neil Findlay (Member of the Scottish Parliament), 2014
"we celebrate – and it is a cause for celebration – the achievements of Venezuela, [...] its role in the whole world as a completely different place [...]
we recognise what they have achieved, and how they’re trying to achieve it"
-Corbo, 2015
we recognise what they have achieved, and how they’re trying to achieve it"
-Corbo, 2015
"the Bolivarian revolution is [...] providing inspiration across a whole continent. […] Venezuela is seriously conquering poverty by emphatically rejecting […] Neo Liberal policies"
-Corbo, 2015
-Corbo, 2015
"As with Cuba the threat to the USA by Venezuela is not military […] It is far more insidious, a threat by example of what social justice can achieve"
-Corbo, 2015
-Corbo, 2015
"Right wing forces have waged an […] economic war [which] has attacked the poorest in society through artificially created shortages, price speculation, and black marketeering in basic necessities, while blaming the government"
-Venezuela Solidarity Campaign, 2016
-Venezuela Solidarity Campaign, 2016
"[B]usiness sectors [...] are waging an aggressive [...] campaign of economic sabotage [...]
hostile sectors have been engaging in acts such as hoarding and price speculation and have purposefully generated scarcity"
-Peter Bolton (Council on Hemispheric Affairs), 2016
hostile sectors have been engaging in acts such as hoarding and price speculation and have purposefully generated scarcity"
-Peter Bolton (Council on Hemispheric Affairs), 2016
"The problems plaguing the Venezuelan economy are not due to some inherent fault in socialism, but [...] a coordinated campaign of sabotage. This […] has resulted in inflation and food shortages"
-Caleb Maupin (Canadian Centre for Research on Globalization), 2016
-Caleb Maupin (Canadian Centre for Research on Globalization), 2016
"a determined campaign conducted by […] oligarchs [...] to plunge Venezuela into an economic, social and political crisis […]
an orchestrated policy [...] of hoarding food supplies in order to foment social unrest."
-John Wight (various shitty outlets), 2016
an orchestrated policy [...] of hoarding food supplies in order to foment social unrest."
-John Wight (various shitty outlets), 2016
"One of the things that Chávez did when he came to power, he didn’t kill all the oligarchs. […] He allowed them to live, to carry on. I suspect a lot of them are using their power and control over imports and exports to [...] undermine Maduro"
-Ken Livingstone, 2017
-Ken Livingstone, 2017
Final note on this. I knew that they would do the not-REAL-socialism thing again this time. They've been doing it for 100 years, and it always works for them.
But even I didn't expect them to go back into Full Lefty Smugness Mode so quickly. Look at this:
But even I didn't expect them to go back into Full Lefty Smugness Mode so quickly. Look at this:
And then read the replies below this tweet.
I'm not remotely surprised by WHAT they are saying. But even I'm a bit taken aback by how people who were so catastrophically wrong so recently can now be so über-confident and full of smug certainty.
I'm not remotely surprised by WHAT they are saying. But even I'm a bit taken aback by how people who were so catastrophically wrong so recently can now be so über-confident and full of smug certainty.
It's not a crime to be wrong about a matter of politics and/or economics. But if you're wrong, then at least, don't be so f***ing SURE of yourself.
Don't do this "Lol, read a book!", "Lol, you don't understand anything!", "Lol, you have no literally no clue mate!" thing.
Don't do this "Lol, read a book!", "Lol, you don't understand anything!", "Lol, you have no literally no clue mate!" thing.
