6 ms·

How do their "leaders" still have their heads?

by lifehacked 7y ago

deleted 7y ago
[deleted]
nradov 7y ago
The populace is largely disarmed.
whoisjuan 7y ago
They have the support of the military forces. So rioting doesn't work. It just gets you killed on the street with no repercussions for the government. Also, the word "leader" implies that this is a legitimate democracy, which is not. Venezuela has an authoritarian corrupt government at best, a dictatorship at worst.
- NedIsakoff 7y ago
  A wise leader once said: All things grow out of the barrel of a gun. According to the Marxist theory of the state, the army is the chief component of state power. Whoever wants to seize and retain state power must have a strong army.
  - asdfasgasdgasdg 7y ago
    I think the quote is actually, "Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun," per Google and Wikipedia. Is this part of Marxist theory, or Maoist? I genuinely don't know. I had always thought that Marx viewed the revolution as at least potentially peaceful, but I confess I have never read him.
    - perilunar 7y ago
      It was Mao Zedong https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_power_grows_out_of_the_barrel_of_a_gun https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_power_grows_out_of_t...
      - asdfasgasdgasdg 7y ago
        Ah, I know who it was. I was more asking whether he was reflecting a viewpoint from earlier Marxist theory, or whether it was a novel viewpoint of his.
        NedIsakoff 7y ago
        I think he based it on reality rather than theory. Every communist government has use force to "maintain the revolution": USSR, Cuba, Venezuela, DPRK, China, Romania, etc.
mdgrech23 7y ago
It's not always that easy. Look at what's going on in the US right now for example...
- steve19 7y ago
  The US political situation is not even remotely comparable, ignoring the plundering of the economy by the government and military, in 2020 or by 2024 at the latest, the US WILL have a different president. Absolutely and without a shadow of a doubt.
  - votepaunchy 7y ago
    Presidents are inaugurated the year after the election, so ‘21 or ‘25.
  - deleted 7y ago
    [deleted]
- EdSharkey 7y ago
  Apples to oranges comparison, US citizens still have their freedoms. Some people are just irritated in the US because politics and because the deep state is losing its grip. Americans are not dying from starvation or being gunned down by the military for protesting the government.
  - NotSammyHagar 7y ago
    There is no deep state. There is the rule of law, made by our representatives and questions are decided by courts. Regardless of one person's views, we make choices based on a legal basis.
    - internet_user 7y ago
      You really believe: 1) laws are never applied selectively 2) there are no secret laws and secret interpretations 3) parallel construction does not happen ?
auto4ppl 7y ago
The government still has the support of an enormous number of people, mostly from the largely non-white working classes, whose economic and political interests were trampled on by the pre-Bolivarian governments and who are naturally suspicious of the right-wing agitators currently attempting to overthrow the government with the backing of foreign powers
giancarlostoro 7y ago
The support of the military and by being a not so well known narcostate. If the situation would come to light properly maybe then we will see massive change. I am surprised nothing is done about it honestly.
rStar 7y ago
The reason the leaders of Venezuela still have their heads is that they first won free and fair elections and they then proceeded to do the will of the people.

How do their "leaders" still have their heads?

deleted 7y ago

[deleted]

nradov 7y ago

The populace is largely disarmed.

whoisjuan 7y ago

They have the support of the military forces. So rioting doesn't work. It just gets you killed on the street with no repercussions for the government. Also, the word "leader" implies that this is a legitimate democracy, which is not. Venezuela has an authoritarian corrupt government at best, a dictatorship at worst.

NedIsakoff 7y ago
A wise leader once said: All things grow out of the barrel of a gun. According to the Marxist theory of the state, the army is the chief component of state power. Whoever wants to seize and retain state power must have a strong army.
- asdfasgasdgasdg 7y ago
  I think the quote is actually, "Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun," per Google and Wikipedia. Is this part of Marxist theory, or Maoist? I genuinely don't know. I had always thought that Marx viewed the revolution as at least potentially peaceful, but I confess I have never read him.
  - perilunar 7y ago
    It was Mao Zedong https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_power_grows_out_of_the_barrel_of_a_gun https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_power_grows_out_of_t...
    - asdfasgasdgasdg 7y ago
      Ah, I know who it was. I was more asking whether he was reflecting a viewpoint from earlier Marxist theory, or whether it was a novel viewpoint of his.
      - NedIsakoff 7y ago
        I think he based it on reality rather than theory. Every communist government has use force to "maintain the revolution": USSR, Cuba, Venezuela, DPRK, China, Romania, etc.

mdgrech23 7y ago

It's not always that easy. Look at what's going on in the US right now for example...

steve19 7y ago
The US political situation is not even remotely comparable, ignoring the plundering of the economy by the government and military, in 2020 or by 2024 at the latest, the US WILL have a different president. Absolutely and without a shadow of a doubt.
- votepaunchy 7y ago
  Presidents are inaugurated the year after the election, so ‘21 or ‘25.
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]
EdSharkey 7y ago
Apples to oranges comparison, US citizens still have their freedoms. Some people are just irritated in the US because politics and because the deep state is losing its grip. Americans are not dying from starvation or being gunned down by the military for protesting the government.
- NotSammyHagar 7y ago
  There is no deep state. There is the rule of law, made by our representatives and questions are decided by courts. Regardless of one person's views, we make choices based on a legal basis.
  - internet_user 7y ago
    You really believe: 1) laws are never applied selectively 2) there are no secret laws and secret interpretations 3) parallel construction does not happen ?

auto4ppl 7y ago

The government still has the support of an enormous number of people, mostly from the largely non-white working classes, whose economic and political interests were trampled on by the pre-Bolivarian governments and who are naturally suspicious of the right-wing agitators currently attempting to overthrow the government with the backing of foreign powers

giancarlostoro 7y ago

The support of the military and by being a not so well known narcostate. If the situation would come to light properly maybe then we will see massive change. I am surprised nothing is done about it honestly.

rStar 7y ago

The reason the leaders of Venezuela still have their heads is that they first won free and fair elections and they then proceeded to do the will of the people.