[idDriven]

Im really impressed at the number of downvotes, despite the lack of subsequent replies. Here's another source:

"The first UN rapporteur to visit Venezuela for 21 years has told The Independent the US sanctions on the country are illegal and could amount to “crimes against humanity” under international law.

Former special rapporteur Alfred de Zayas, who finished his term at the UN in March, has criticized the US for engaging in “economic warfare” against Venezuela which he said is hurting the economy and killing Venezuelans."

Per the Indpendent: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/venezuela-...

[super-serial]

History remembers the winners - so even though I actually agree with what you're saying about US government economic warfare, the end result was the Venezuelan government turned to shit. It's become oppressive, their policies have failed and now their society is crumbling and people are suffering.

If Venezuela's form of socialism was working so well, then it should have sustained itself no matter what the US did. Instead it was supported by oil money, and as soon as the oil dollars were cut off it collapsed because there was nothing revolutionary or innovative about it. I'll be voting for Andrew Yang this primary because I like the idea of UBI and a social safety net and how he's planning to implement his policies. I think that form of 21st century socialism might work - the form that Venezuela chose just led to cronyism and oppression.

[erikpukinskis]

> If Venezuela's form of socialism was working so well, then it should have sustained itself no matter what the US did

Good domestic policy makes you impervious to interference by foreign powers with 40x your GDP?

I don’t get it, what’s the logic there?

[super-serial]

Startup logic... anyone can take on Google or Amazon if their ideas are innovative and good enough.

[idDriven]

I think you forgot funding. That's kinda important.

[martythemaniak]

[flagged]

[dang]

This comment breaks the site guidelines. You have a long history of doing that. We've warned you more than once. Would you please fix this? I don't want to ban you, but if you don't stop doing this, we're going to be forced to.

If you'd please review https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html and stick to the rules from now on, that would be good.

[idDriven]

Thank you for replying. In terms of ideology v reality this would be similar to the ideology that led to the Iran Contra scandal.

Source: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/reagan-...