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Curious American asking any Venezuelans out there: how does this situation get any better? What do you look to for hope? I'm not familiar with the Venezuelan me

Curious American asking any Venezuelans out there: how does this situation get any better? What do you look to for hope? I'm not familiar with the Venezuelan media perspective (any non-state-affiliated stations left?), but from here, it seems like there is no serious effort to change course; on the contrary Maduro seems to be driving ahead with the notion that, somehow, more of the poison will cure the patient. When does the change in direction come? What brings it on? Will Maduro step down? Will his successor do any better? Or will his successor be even more dictatorial? It's all very worrisome, my heart goes out to those who live under such incompetent rule.

rdiddly 10y ago
Yes, living in the USA does make one sympathetic to other nations living under state-controlled media, with an incompetent government obdurately dragging everyone down a self-destructive and delusional path.
- rm_-rf_slash 10y ago
  Yes, here in the US we get corporate-controlled media with their own delusional and destructive agendas.
kilroy123 10y ago
Not a Venezuelan, but I've talked to a few Venezuelans in person, recently, about this. (Down in Latin America) They seem to feel very hopeless, and don't expect any change, any time soon. I ask why they don't do anything about it. They seem to think, there is nothing they can do.
dredmorbius 10y ago
The price of oil increases. Or Venezuela discovers it's sitting on vast undiscovered reserves of Unicorn Poop. What we're seeing is, IMO, far less the Evuls of Socialisum than the end-game of an oil state. There's a similar story playing out through much of the Arab world, as you may have noticed over the past few years.
- AlgorithmicTime 10y ago
  Eh. It's only end game for them because of their particular style of governance. If they had chosen a more moderate path, they wouldn't be having these problems right now.
bpolania 10y ago
First step is to reduce public spending and fight corruption, just very basic steps will bring significant improvement. Then, welcome foreign and local investment: privatize most of the industries that were nationalized and are now idle, and fix labor laws a little, this also include liberalization of currency, enforce property laws so private companies feel safe investing in the long term. When can this happen? As of today no sooner than 2019 when the next presidential elections will take place. Unless a coup is on the table but I don't see that happening.
- jimmywanger 10y ago
  I doubt it will happen in 2019, and this is why. Maduro has painted himself into a corner. He has very nakedly announced that he will do everything in his power to remain in power, even if it means crapping all over the constitution, and stripping the legislative branch of all its power. He'll figure something out in 2019. He has all the guns, and he know that if he falls out of power, he'll be strung up on the nearest lamppost like Mussolini. He's doubling down because he really has nowhere else to go. Once you realize that, that he has to do everything he's doing to cement the military to his side, it all makes perfect sense.

rdiddly 10y ago

Yes, living in the USA does make one sympathetic to other nations living under state-controlled media, with an incompetent government obdurately dragging everyone down a self-destructive and delusional path.

rm_-rf_slash 10y ago
Yes, here in the US we get corporate-controlled media with their own delusional and destructive agendas.

kilroy123 10y ago

Not a Venezuelan, but I've talked to a few Venezuelans in person, recently, about this. (Down in Latin America) They seem to feel very hopeless, and don't expect any change, any time soon. I ask why they don't do anything about it. They seem to think, there is nothing they can do.

dredmorbius 10y ago

The price of oil increases. Or Venezuela discovers it's sitting on vast undiscovered reserves of Unicorn Poop. What we're seeing is, IMO, far less the Evuls of Socialisum than the end-game of an oil state. There's a similar story playing out through much of the Arab world, as you may have noticed over the past few years.

AlgorithmicTime 10y ago
Eh. It's only end game for them because of their particular style of governance. If they had chosen a more moderate path, they wouldn't be having these problems right now.

bpolania 10y ago

First step is to reduce public spending and fight corruption, just very basic steps will bring significant improvement. Then, welcome foreign and local investment: privatize most of the industries that were nationalized and are now idle, and fix labor laws a little, this also include liberalization of currency, enforce property laws so private companies feel safe investing in the long term. When can this happen? As of today no sooner than 2019 when the next presidential elections will take place. Unless a coup is on the table but I don't see that happening.

jimmywanger 10y ago
I doubt it will happen in 2019, and this is why. Maduro has painted himself into a corner. He has very nakedly announced that he will do everything in his power to remain in power, even if it means crapping all over the constitution, and stripping the legislative branch of all its power. He'll figure something out in 2019. He has all the guns, and he know that if he falls out of power, he'll be strung up on the nearest lamppost like Mussolini. He's doubling down because he really has nowhere else to go. Once you realize that, that he has to do everything he's doing to cement the military to his side, it all makes perfect sense.