Replies

....FReeper Kroll....

Haha..I probably had that coming :) so kudos.

But regarding dear Hugo and his many machinations, I've spent many weeks perusing the Venezualan constitution (and its not uninteresting five-cameral, but powerless, legislature) and its systematic "evolution" under Chavez. But to compare Venezuela and America is hardly appropriate. Venezuela can be appropriately compared to Bolivia, and other Latin American countries but the US? hardly. Apart from having radically different histories and socio-economic thos, there is the simple matter of having a republic for much longer and a considerably more self-aware electorate, the sheepleness of the progressiveness notwithstanding... .

In fact, a better comparison, IMHO, is with American history, especially the depression era. The New Deal under FDR was far more sweeping, unilateral, Keynesian (socialist if you please) than Zero's administration. And that was a period of far greater poverty and strife than the recent recession. Generally, the worse the crisis, the greater the chances of someone usurping power. I don't see that happening here.

In general, comparison with histories of other nations while instructive is problematic. For example, Sweden is a welfare state and far more Keynesian than we are but has lower national debt/GDP but has fewer social complexities, is more homogeneous and there is little possibility that someone there is going to usurp power. Unfortunately it means little to us....

Another interesting example is Spain where I spent a couple of weeks last month for work/vacation. And by all accounts the locals think it is very cool to be socialist even though they Should know that their troubles have a lot to do with those very beliefs (and a massive real-estate bubble). But the shift in Spain is almost certainly towards a market economy and they are not about to be usurped in their moment of doom.

I think you need to make a more convincing case for a commie takeover than point in the general direction of Hugo.... At least better than the DUmmies did for Bush's "police state".