Under Chavez and later Maduro, Venezuela has been robbed blind, the country turned into a repressive dictatorship, the treasury looted, the economy tanked, revenue stolen, and the perpetrators are not even hard to find.
Just like those crazy Democrats are trying to do, with the take-over by commies like Bernie and AOC!
How weird it must be to sound just like Trump:
Yes, I may sound like Trump, because in this particular case he is right.
Venezuela is in crisis.
Any attempt to shuv this under the rug is counterproductive.
It just plays into the hands of Trump.
Let me explain :
Trump says that Venezuela failed and it failed because it is 'socialist'.
And at the same time he promotes this message that Bernie is 'socialist'.
This is an obvious attempt to link Bernie (the most popular Democratic candidate at this point) to the failed state of Venezuela.
You, and Max Blumenthal, and Jimmy Dore, and Eva Bartlett, and to some extent Real News as well fell right into Trump's trap : You are trying to :
1) Deny that there is a crisis in Venezuela, and
2) If there is a crisis, that it is caused by the US and its sanctions.
Both are verifiably FALSE, and make you look stupid in the general public.
<snip, no McCarthyism, thanks; N.>
Also, the crisis is going to get worse as long as Maduro is in power, since Venezuela is broke and it's oil production (income) has collapsed.
So your argument will only get weaker over time.
If it's your intent to terminate Bernie and AOC and anyone else with a progressive agenda, then please go ahead, and proceed with what you are doing, promoting Dore et al. linking Venezuela to 'socialism' and denying the problems or blaming the US.
But if you are serious that Bernie is your top pick, then LISTEN to what he said :
What’s going on in Venezuela is terrible.
The economy is a disaster.
People are living in hunger and in fear.
I strongly believe there has to be an international and humanitarian effort
to improve lives for the people.
I think the evidence is clear that the last election in Venezuela was not a free and fair election,
and under international supervision, I want to see a free and fair election.
and then DON'T go beyond that :
Don't blame the US for Venezuela's trouble.
Don't deny that the economy is a disaster.
Don't deny that people are living in hunger and in fear
Don't deny that there needs to be an international and humanitarian effort to improve the lives of the people
Don't deny that the last elections were NOT free and fair.
And most of all :
DEMAND FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS IN VENEZUELA !!!
Just like 50+ other countries, INCLUDING Japan, and the Spanish (socialist) government who stated correctly that what's going on in Venezuela is the OPPOSITE of 'socialism'.
Please, clear your mind, stop hating the US so much, stop denying the FACTS and WORK WITH ME.
I'm the biggest Bernie fan you will ever find !
<snip, no smears, please; N.>