Stop Helping, Please
Venezuela's poor during a prolonged oil boom and under Chavez's rule: Doing fairly well.
Venezuela's poor during a prolonged oil boom without Chavez: Could have been a lot better.
The question will remain, in some minds, how much Chavez drew strength from the failed coup attempt and the crisis of 2002-03 to set himself down the path to personality-cult socialist totalitarianism. And whether that was another example of how it might be better if world-power America leaves the little irritants alone to fall over their own untied shoes rather than using our clumsy diplomatic toolbox to try to remove them.
Venezuela's poor during a prolonged oil boom without Chavez: Could have been a lot better.
The question will remain, in some minds, how much Chavez drew strength from the failed coup attempt and the crisis of 2002-03 to set himself down the path to personality-cult socialist totalitarianism. And whether that was another example of how it might be better if world-power America leaves the little irritants alone to fall over their own untied shoes rather than using our clumsy diplomatic toolbox to try to remove them.
