Unless you have family or friends in or from Venezuela, the country seems far removed from most people’s daily lives. Considering the paucity of geographical knowledge that most Americans possess, it might even be considered a success if many people could place Venezuela on the correct continent. Yet, it would be a mistake to ignore that South American country.
In an incredibly short time political decisions, along with Cuba’s intrusive assistance and specifically socialist leanings, turned Venezuela from one of Latin America’s most prosperous countries into a land where hunger, shortage and sadness abound. We ignore the warnings emanating from this disaster at our own risk. Today, Venezuela serves as compelling evidence of how evil ideologies will gradually impoverish a society and destroy lives. And all this was done in the name of equality and compassion.
Closer to home, I encourage you to watch two videos. (I strongly suggest you not do so too soon after eating.) They show how two cities, Seattle and San Francisco, are no longer jewels of the American west coast, but have tragically deteriorated into rather filthy, dangerous, crime-ridden cities in serious decline.
When our oldest two children where small, our family spent one summer on our sailboat in San Francisco. We had a wonderful time taking day trips from that magnificent location. Years later, when our family had blessedly added another five children, we moved from Southern California to the Seattle area. We rejoiced in the clean air and breathtakingly beautiful views. Not only was crime low but civic pride and respect for the law was high. Only five years ago, in 2014, when the Seattle Seahawks won the Super Bowl, there were articles about how Seattle rioted politely, with joke pages listing posts such as: I rioted by crossing the street on a red light—twice! When a few fans did get out of hand and damaged a pergola in downtown’s Pioneer Square, the public raised funds almost immediately to rebuild it. As you can sadly see in the video, Seattle is unrecognizable today.
The United States is a large country. It can still thrive as a nation even while parts of it wallow in filth. However, there is a tipping point. Increasingly, those citizens who are financially able to do so are voting with their feet, moving from high-tax, high-crime, failing cities and states. Unfortunately, as they move to safer, better functioning cities, they bring their misguided voting patterns with them, potentially setting in motion the eventual destruction of their new homes.
Pay attention to Venezuela, and should you meet newly relocated neighbors, perhaps a showing of the Seattle KOMO news report would make a fitting “welcome to our neighborhood” evening activity.
Yes for several months I have been hearing about the Caribbean country. I am from western Caribbean so the areas are my first love. I am a sub teacher and I have seen the students of this country come in America for refuge. I am sure it will effect them later. I am part of the prayer line and I bring the people as well as the leader of Venezuela to the prayer group. I pray that the leader will care about people he leads and for complete restoration.
Dear Susan,
Thank you for bringing this to our attention. I knew the “homeless” problem in Seattle was bad, but had no idea it had gotten so far out of hand. This is a vivid illustration of the bitter fruits of unfettered liberalism. Will Seattle become a deserted slum before the progressive politicians pull their heads out of the sand? In the meantime we avoid going to downtown Seattle as much as possible.
Eric Johnson , one of the most talented storytellers in journalism and our own KOMO talent, may have just single-handedly exposed Seattle’s dirty little secret to the world. At the very least he’s begun the conversation. And to that I say mazel tov!
Susan and My Rabbi,
I know from personal experience in my family, what the terrible affects drugs can have.
Have you read “Dream Land” by Sam Quines?
And now we have people saying that socialism/communism just wasn’t done right or was interfered with and we can do it better and not have those problems. The arrogance and hubris of some people is breath-taking. You really can’t fix stupid.
Dear Mrs Lapin,
From what you write it seems as if there is a civil war now, or is about to come in future in the US. I would point out that it is a worldwide problem and suggest that going to war over the last 100 years for what at the time seemed sensible reasons is now coming back to bite with all the refugees who are incapable of adapting to the hospitality of the host nations. This is also true in Europe, I don’t have an answer.
Regards Tony
I heartily agree that poor socialist policy decisions can weaken a city/society/country, but the situation in Venezuela is much more nuanced. Simplifying it down to, “They’re socialists, so they failed” is misleading. The current government has made mistakes, but there’s also evidence of covert intervention by the U.S. to hasten the instability of this government most likely in the interest securing access to Venezuela’s vast oil reserves (not overtly but through corporate means). It’s a familiar pattern that has played out across the world throughout the decades–in Iraq, Iran, Syria, Vietnam, Latin America. And the media does its part to make the American public “aware” of why we must step in to “help.” If Venezuela’s main export was broccoli we wouldn’t be having this discussion right now and our media wouldn’t be flooding the airwaves with the crisis.
When you live in an empire where a sizeable portion of your population has gone insane then bad things happen. Sometimes those things (changes) are unpredictable. I would not assume that changes will be necessarily incremental. I would not assume that you can see black swans coming. Looking into the future, the time to get out is precisely when you don’t need to.
President Donald Trump has been questioned on the news about Venezuela. I was shocked he did not say that what the Democrats in Venezuela did there to destroy the richest nation in South America is EXACTLY what the Democrats in America are doing to the formerly richest nation on the planet. The Democrats and leftists are turning America into a hellish prison camp… and we have not seen anything yet unless they are stopped.
This is horrifying. It makes me want to fast and pray.
How wealth is created and the tax base it produces is not understood.
Facebook started at $0 now it’s worth billions. What tax base does it produce.
A $ spent is a $ taxed and its repeated over & over.
Socialism gives a property to a poor person, they can’t pay the taxes or the upkeep. The tax base is disrupted.
Over the last couple of decades, I witnessed my late Father abandon a professional career to reinvent himself as a vendor of manufacturer’s seconds, namely furniture. He testified to me that his best customers were refugees from California, who abandoned ship in the face of rising taxation that challenged the basic standard of living and quality of life. Over the intervening years the pattern has become hideously clear and apparent: the rising tide of socialism on the Left Coast threatens human existence as Americans have come to know it. A great friend in the People’s Republic of Kalifornia-stan tells me that they tax the water he pulls from a well that he himself dug on his OWN property!
I can confirm your assertion that our incoming migrants have grown no wiser. To my infinite dismay, our solid red-state county became purple in the last election, from the influx of blue refugees who fail to recognize that their elective choices are setting up the same conditions that destroyed the locales from which they fled in economic desperation. I would exhort all Americans to look at the cities that have become benighted havens of poverty and violence (e.g. Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit, New York, etc. Any others?). They are ALL strongholds of ‘freebie’ handout Democratic Socialists and have been so for many years. They that have eyes, why do they not see? They that have ears, why do they not hear?
Watched the first video ..WOW in a really bad way
I was taught RESPECT was earned. By your words and action. When did it change to you OWE me respect no matter what isay or do