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Can we put this into perspective? The Venezuelan economy is in shambles, a hyperinflationary crisis that has forced millions out of the country as food is so s

Can we put this into perspective? The Venezuelan economy is in shambles, a hyperinflationary crisis that has forced millions out of the country as food is so scarce people are forced to eat zoo animals and pets. The government is illegitimate and destroying aid trucks trying to bring food and medical supplies to their people. But here we are, complaining that the well-connected wealthy at the top of this mess can't get a refund for their purchase of Adobe Photoshop. Given that Maduro has nationalized nearly all of the major corporations in the nation, you necessarily can't be wealthy enough to own this software without being an open ally. This action hurts people in that country, but it's supposed to hurt because until they get rid of their self-destructive government things won't begin to get better.

MichaelDickens 7y ago
Being unable to get a refund for Photoshop is clearly not the biggest problem in Venezuela right now, but it's still a problem, and it's relevant to OP's link. We are allowed to talk about problems even if they're relatively small.
dragonwriter 7y ago
> But here we are, complaining that the well-connected wealthy at the top of this mess can't get a refund for their purchase of Adobe Photoshop. I'd be more concerned that, e.g.,non-regime-aligned publishers can't continue using Creative Cloud that they've paid for than that anyone can't get a refund.
- mkhpalm 7y ago
  Are there any non-regime-aligned publishers around in Venezuela? I suspect you start doing that sort of thing and you find yourself facing bigger problems than Adobe Creative Cloud.
- nojvek 7y ago
  It’s still a problem because Adobe stole money from their users and didn’t deliver on their promise. Sure it’s in the name of Executive order but still leaves a bad taste. It says you can’t trust Adobe.
knolax 7y ago
Yes the good 'ol "Their lives already suck, let's make it suck more until it stops sucking"
- tengbretson 7y ago
  More like ”90% of the people affected by this are the ones with their boots on the necks of their fellow citizens, so how about no Photoshop for them.”
  - knolax 7y ago
    Even if you're correct, how is denying these people Photoshop doing anything and why is Adobe punishing the other 10%? Otherwise I can't imagine how you could frame graphic artists as the true enemy of the people.
    - unreal37 7y ago
      Adobe isn't punishing them. This is a US Government order.
gowld 7y ago
The executive order is only against the government and their associates. Adobe has declined to put the effort into identifying which of their Venezuelan customers are covered by the sanctions.
- dragonwriter 7y ago
  > The executive order is only against the government and their associates Under the plain text of the order, that's true only for a very expansive definition of “associates”, since it includes anyone who has (past tense, without limitation as to time window) acted, even indirectly, on behalf of the government or any of the identified individuals and entities, or on behalf of any entity that is, even indirectly, owned or controlled by the government or any of the named entities or individuals.
deleted 7y ago
[deleted]
adg29 7y ago
As far as I can tell this is a blanket generalization of Venezuelan Adobe account holders. Any student body, civil society NGO or independent media outlet that relies on registered copies of Photoshop, InDesign or Acrobat will be impacted.
Synaesthesia 7y ago
They should be trying to help Venezuela, not start more fires there.
harry8 7y ago
Do note this is a complex issue, redolent with propaganda and outright lies. https://theintercept.com/2019/03/10/nyts-expose-on-the-lies-about-burning-humanitarian-trucks-in-venezuela-shows-how-us-govt-and-media-spread-fake-news/ https://theintercept.com/2019/03/10/nyts-expose-on-the-lies-...
- around_here 7y ago
  You’re going to find a lot of assumptions here. Lots of wealthy, upper class Venezuelans who don’t live there but “have family” there with anti-Madurai attitudes.

MichaelDickens 7y ago

Being unable to get a refund for Photoshop is clearly not the biggest problem in Venezuela right now, but it's still a problem, and it's relevant to OP's link. We are allowed to talk about problems even if they're relatively small.

dragonwriter 7y ago

> But here we are, complaining that the well-connected wealthy at the top of this mess can't get a refund for their purchase of Adobe Photoshop. I'd be more concerned that, e.g.,non-regime-aligned publishers can't continue using Creative Cloud that they've paid for than that anyone can't get a refund.

mkhpalm 7y ago
Are there any non-regime-aligned publishers around in Venezuela? I suspect you start doing that sort of thing and you find yourself facing bigger problems than Adobe Creative Cloud.
nojvek 7y ago
It’s still a problem because Adobe stole money from their users and didn’t deliver on their promise. Sure it’s in the name of Executive order but still leaves a bad taste. It says you can’t trust Adobe.

knolax 7y ago

Yes the good 'ol "Their lives already suck, let's make it suck more until it stops sucking"

tengbretson 7y ago
More like ”90% of the people affected by this are the ones with their boots on the necks of their fellow citizens, so how about no Photoshop for them.”
- knolax 7y ago
  Even if you're correct, how is denying these people Photoshop doing anything and why is Adobe punishing the other 10%? Otherwise I can't imagine how you could frame graphic artists as the true enemy of the people.
  - unreal37 7y ago
    Adobe isn't punishing them. This is a US Government order.

gowld 7y ago

The executive order is only against the government and their associates. Adobe has declined to put the effort into identifying which of their Venezuelan customers are covered by the sanctions.

dragonwriter 7y ago
> The executive order is only against the government and their associates Under the plain text of the order, that's true only for a very expansive definition of “associates”, since it includes anyone who has (past tense, without limitation as to time window) acted, even indirectly, on behalf of the government or any of the identified individuals and entities, or on behalf of any entity that is, even indirectly, owned or controlled by the government or any of the named entities or individuals.

deleted 7y ago

[deleted]

adg29 7y ago

As far as I can tell this is a blanket generalization of Venezuelan Adobe account holders. Any student body, civil society NGO or independent media outlet that relies on registered copies of Photoshop, InDesign or Acrobat will be impacted.

Synaesthesia 7y ago

They should be trying to help Venezuela, not start more fires there.

harry8 7y ago

Do note this is a complex issue, redolent with propaganda and outright lies. https://theintercept.com/2019/03/10/nyts-expose-on-the-lies-about-burning-humanitarian-trucks-in-venezuela-shows-how-us-govt-and-media-spread-fake-news/ https://theintercept.com/2019/03/10/nyts-expose-on-the-lies-...

around_here 7y ago
You’re going to find a lot of assumptions here. Lots of wealthy, upper class Venezuelans who don’t live there but “have family” there with anti-Madurai attitudes.