Venezuela

[BenThere]

Once the most prosperous nation in South America, Venezuela has been reduced to penury by socialism.

President Trump has offered a helping hand, motivated by the humanitarian crisis of Venezuelans starving. While I'm sure there are a few here (we are only a few) who would regard any American assistance as meddling, I hope there is some way relief can be provided to those victims of socialism run amok, as it did in USSR, China, N. Korea, Cuba - wherever it has taken power.

[Capetonian]

I fear that people who are stupid enough to swallow the myth of socialism are the victims of their own downfall and beyond help.

[Rwy in Sight]

Some times they have no choice dear Capetoninan. Enough people believe a "savior" someone offering a miracle solution and they go and and vote a potential dictator in the office. Once he is in the office he announces that his calculations were off and unfortunately he /she has follow a completely different policy. Obviously in Venezuela it is worth considering that while oil prices were high things were ok. As prices were going down the situation took a turn for the worst. A situation fairly similar to the Kingdom of Saud.

[John Hill]

While I'm sure there are a few here (we are only a few) who would regard any American assistance as meddling,

Heaven forbid Benny that the USA should meddle in the affairs of Venezuela.

[obgraham]

Well, John, I'm sure your belief is that Venezuela's problems are all due to US meddling anyway.

[John Hill]

OBG are you suggesting the US meddles in the affairs of other countries?

[Slasher]

A situation fairly similar to the Kingdom of Saud.

The KSA isn't as fuct as Venezuela RiS. Not yet anyway. The place could recover reasonably well from low oil prices if the leadership wasn't running around panicking like headless chooks.

[obgraham]

OBG are you suggesting the US meddles in the affairs of other countries?

Wouldn't be necessary if they would just do what we tell them to.

[John Hill]

Why are you are so keen on meddling when you always phuck it up?

[Rwy in Sight]

Slasher, completely agreed that the Kingdom is much more stable.

[BenThere]

Why are you are so keen on meddling when you always phuck it up?

I'm hopeful we're not so keen under the Trump administration. And after all, John Hill, you would be happier with starving Venezuelans than you would be with grubby, meddling, US food aid corrupting and undermining the worker alliance of Chavism, wouldn't you?

[Rwy in Sight]

Well, having a bad privilege to live under a government who prides to be the First Left Government, the

US food aid

is the key. The Left would love to be the one distributing the aid because the Left (along with the religion) loves for a large population in poverty and in need, hence gaining popular support and voters.

[BenThere]

One of President Trump's strengths, I think, is that if he (US) rescues the people of Venezuela from starvation, he'll make sure we get credit for it, and every sack of rice or can of cooking oil will be stenciled 'Gift of the People of the United States'. We have plenty to give, and we should. Venezuelans are truly people in need today.

Hopefully they'll be more thoughtful about voting Socialist if they get another chance.

[John Hill]

Oh yes, but be sure to deliver the aid to warehouses where local distributors can take charge of it.

[obgraham]

You have that part wrong, John. I have some experience at this.
The Euro/WFP/UN system is to drop stuff off in the town square, where the young toughs cob the lot and sell it to their own countrymen.
If it's US food relief, expect to see it passed out by Marines and by those nasty "religious" sorts.

[John Hill]

If it's US food relief, expect to see it passed out by Marines.......

IIRC you tried something like that in Somalia, so how did that turn out?

[obgraham]

It's inconvenient when the facts get in the way of a good rant, John, isn't it?

Let's try the facts for a change, courtesy of OECD-DAC's list of the annual Top 10 recipients of humanitarian aid from the USA:

2013, Somalia: $201.3 million in humanitarian aid (6th highest recipient of US aid)
2012, Somalia: $171.6 million (6th highest)
2011, Somalia: (knocked off top 10 recipients -- Haiti grabbed more)
2010, Somalia: (still out of top 10)
2009, Somalia: $181.3 million (6th highest)
2008, Somalia: $244.9 million (3rd highest)
etc., etc.

What was that you were saying??

[John Hill]

Yeabut, don't change the subject just tell us all about the marines handing out the food aid in Somalia.

[John Hill]

While you are there what do you think of this http://www.afrol.com/articles/35603 ?

[obgraham]

Actually, John that article reinforces what I wrote in my prior post. I spent some time in Malawi during one of their seemingly annual famine times. WFP driving all around in trucks loaded with maize, but I never saw it handed out. Turned out the government swiped loads of the relief, stashed it in warehouses, then sold it in Zim and pocketed the cash.

My little churchy group went out into the bush and placed the food into the hands of the locals, one by one.

US marines and soldiers have done the same in countless cases. After the big Tsunami, in Haiti, in Africa, and on and on. NZ, too, if requested.

And sometimes get rewarded by being shot and dragged through the streets of some 7th century sh!thole country.

But guess what -- they'll do it the next time, too.