Because loyalty has its own rewards:
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said he will expand the number of civilians involved in armed militias, providing guns to as many as 400,000 loyalists.
The announcement came as Maduro’s opponents are gearing up for what they pledge will be the largest rally yet to press for elections and a host of other demands Wednesday.
It would be easy to feel bad for the long-suffering people of Venezuela. But it would also be unkind, for this is the future they chose. Not even twenty years ago, they freely elected socialist Hugo Chavez, who ran on a platform of “I’ll steal all the gringos’ money and capital and give it to you.” Now that free stuff has all run out, and the people are still hungry. Too bad.
But the lesson here is not that democracy is often an idiot, nor that socialism only works until you run out of other peoples’ money. It’s that when the chickens come home to roost, the government is not going to protect the average person, but those in power. The operative words in the story quoted above are not guns or even armed militias, but loyalists.
Those loyal to the government get guns. Those disloyal do not. Unless you already have your own, that is. The solution may still be messy, but at least the mess won’t all be on your side of the street.
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Venezuela is repeating the same story of every failed attempt at socialism. I’m amused that the True Believers keep saying it’s not “real socialism” even when the people in power keep using the Marxist playbook.
Progs truly believe that results are determined by intentions; ergo the good intentions of Socialists (i.e. them) must lead to prosperity and peace. That Venezuela and Argentina have not led to those is not evidence that Socialism is a farce, but that the rulers’ intentions are bad. I.e. the rulers are not Real Socialists.
The Father of Lies is good at his job.
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