Venezuela Superthread- Merged

[jollyjacktar]

Buh-bye!  Won't miss you Hugo.

 

[brihard]

14 years is a hell of a power vacuum to leave. I can see this getting quite ugly, quite quickly. And when, I think inevitably, the socialists are able to hang on to power, what sort of reactionary excesses will the new guy deem necessary in order to solidify his position and to demonstrate the continuing resolve of the revolution?

 

[VinceW]

Something else Chavez has in common with Stalin they both died on March 5th 60 years apart.

 

[57Chevy]

Condolences to Venezuelan Canadians and people of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuala for the loss of their President.

(Condolencias a los canadienses venezolanas y pueblo de la República Bolivariana de Venezuala por la pérdida de su Presidente.)

 

[Old Sweat]

The Venezuelan government has protested Prime Minister Harper's statement on President Chavez's death, according to this story from the Star-Phoenix which is reproduced under the Fair Dealing provision of the Copyright Act.

Venezuela slams Harper for insensitive statement on death of Chavez

By Mike Blanchfield, The Canadian PressMarch 6, 2013

OTTAWA - Venezuela has sent a formal protest to the Canadian government for Prime Minister Stephen Harper's "insensitive" remarks on the death of President Hugo Chavez.

Harper issued a statement that offered "condolences to the people of Venezuela," but not the family of the flamboyant 58-year-old leftist leader, who died Tuesday after a long battle with cancer.

A statement from a senior Venezuelan government official says a "card of protest" was sent to Ottawa after Harper expressed what he called insensitivity at a time when their country is grieving.

A wordy note from the vice-minister for North America, Claudia Salerno, said Caracas was protesting "in a blunt and categorical way, the statements issued the 5 of March 2013 by the prime minister of Canada, Stephen Harper, as they constitute insensitive and impertinent sentiments at a time when the Venezuelan people are grieving and crying over the irreparable physical loss of the Commander President Hugo Chavez Frias."

Harper said in his short statement on Tuesday that he hopes the death of Chavez brings a more promising future for the Venezuelan people.

"At this key juncture, I hope the people of Venezuela can now build for themselves a better, brighter future based on the principles of freedom, democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights," Harper said in a statement Tuesday evening.

Harper also said that he looked forward "to working with (Chavez's) successor and other leaders in the region to build a hemisphere that is more prosperous, secure and democratic."

Harper has in the past pointedly challenged the world view of the influential Venezuelan leader, notably in a lengthy one-on-one interview with the Postmedia news service nearly four years ago before he was about to meet Chavez at the Summit of the Americas.

Harper had said Chavez was emblematic of the leftist leaders in the Western Hemisphere who were "opposed to basically sound economic policies, want to go back to Cold War socialism ... want to turn back the clock on the democratic progress that's been made in the hemisphere."

The Venezuelan government fired back on Wednesday saying that it "has freely and democratically chosen its Socialist destiny, is obliged to remind the representative of the Canadian government, that it has been thanks to this Bolivarian Revolution that our future as an independent and sovereign country appears more radiant and promising than ever, by virtue of the legacy of our historic leader, the Commander President Hugo Chavez Frias."

The statement from Caracas affirmed a commitment to "direct itself freely and with sovereignty towards Bolivarian Socialism and recognizes it as the way toward a future of well-being, that will secure the greatest amount of happiness for everyone."

Chavez was a vocal opponent of the free market economics of Canada and the United States.

He led a leftist revival across Latin America that posed a direct challenge to U.S. influence in the region.

While Chavez introduced social programs that helped feed and house his people during his 14 years in power, his economy has sputtered.

Though Venezuela is an oil rich country, it lacks the capital to maximize its oil output and has been wracked by inflation.

Hundreds of thousands of tearful supporters carried their dead president's coffin through streets of Caracas on Wednesday in an epic farewell to their iconic president known simply as "our commander."

One of Chavez's closest socialist allies, Bolivian President Evo Morales, choked back tears and declared: "Chavez is more alive than ever."

Harper's remarks echoed those of the Obama administration in Washington.

The White House said in a statement that Washington supported the "Venezuelan people and its interest in developing a constructive relationship with the Venezuelan government."

"As Venezuela begins a new chapter in its history, the United States remains committed to policies that promote democratic principles, the rule of law, and respect for human rights," the statement read.


Read more: http://www.thestarphoenix.com/health/Venezuela+slams+Harper+insensitive+statement+death+Chavez/8059397/story.html#ixzz2Mqvb4eqw

 

[OldSolduer]

Gwynn Dyer wrote about him the Free Press.....stating dear Hugo was a "democrat".

What planet is Gwynn from?

 

[George Wallace]

Gwynn Dyer wrote about him the Free Press.....stating dear Hugo was a "democrat".

What planet is Gwynn from?

I gave up on anything to do with Gwynn years ago.  To me, he always came off as a pompous ass.

 

[VinceW]

Chavez will be preserved and put in a tomb for public display like other commie leaders such as Lenin,Mao and Ho Chi Minh.

http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/07/17226935-maduro-chavez-body-to-be-permanently-displayed?lite

 

[VinceW]

Here's a chart of GDP growth in Venezuela when Chavez was in power from 99 to 13 compared to other South American countries.

And here's a chart of inflation during that time.

 

[jollyjacktar]

SNL mocks Hugo

Justin Timberlake doing his Elton John impression of "Candle in the Wind" at Hugo's good bye.  Awesome!  ;D

 

[VinceW]

Chavez won't be put on public dislpay after all his body wasn't properly perserved and he's going to the cemetary where he wanted to be buried instead.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/hugo-chavez-body-won-embalmed-article-1.1287870

 

[a_majoor]

Despite the end of Chavez, Venezuela continues to spiral down the drain as the government continues many of the policies of Chavezism:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-11-12/venezuela-s-economic-war-on-itself-.html

Venezuela's Economic War on Itself
By Megan McArdle Nov 12, 2013 4:57 PM ET

Two disturbing stories came out of Venezuela this weekend. The first involves the Miami Herald’s Andean bureau chief, who was detained for 48 hours after he asked for an interview with military officials in the city of San Cristobal. The Venezuelan government says that he didn’t have permission to report in the country. Repressive governments often use this kind of flimsy pretext when they don’t like the questions you’re asking -- but outside of violent dictatorships, I believe the customary practice is to take you to the airport and watch you get on a plane back home, not to arrest you.
The second is even more extraordinary -- so much so that I’m not even going to summarize it.

Thousands of Venezuelans lined up outside the country's equivalent of Best Buy, a chain of electronics stores known as Daka, hoping for a bargain after the socialist government forced the company to charge customers "fair" prices.

President Nicolas Maduro ordered a military "occupation" of the company's five stores as he continues the government's crackdown on an "economic war" it says is being waged against the country, with the help of Washington.

Members of Venezuela's National Guard, some of whom carried assault rifles, kept order at the stores as bargain hunters rushed to get inside….

Daka's store managers, according to Maduro, have been arrested and are being held by the country's security services. Neither Daka nor the government responded to requests for comment.

These stories are more connected than they might at first appear. The detained reporter was looking into upcoming municipal elections and the chronic shortages of basic goods that have plagued Venezuela. And the “military occupation” of an electronics retailer comes ahead of those elections, in which Maduro’s party is not expected to do well.

The roots of both of these issues go back to Chavismo, the left-wing ideology of former president Hugo Chavez, who used Venezuela's oil revenues to support huge social spending. Unfortunately, Venezuela’s heavy, sulfurous crude requires a lot of continual investment to keep it coming out of the ground, and much of that investment has been diverted. Since Chavez took office, Venezuela has been pumping less and less of the stuff:

Source: U.S. Department of Energy
This was basically OK as long as oil prices were rising. But in 2009, they fell precipitously, and they have yet to recover. For the last few years, they’ve been basically flat.

Source: U.S. Department of Energy
As a result, gross domestic product per capita is also basically flat; whatever the other benefits, the social welfare spending has not translated into an economy that can withstand stagnation in the oil sector:

Source: World Development Indicators
As oil prices fell, the government inevitably ran into political trouble, which it has tried to manage with ill-considered economic interventions such as price controls. Shortages of basic household goods are common, and currency restrictions have sent the price of airline tickets soaring as Venezuelans resort to vacations as a way to get a hold of scarce foreign currency.

These restrictions tend to fall apart, creating the need for even more extreme measures. That is what we are now seeing. Politics and economics are never separable, but they are particularly entwined in Venezuela. And as the economics get worse, so does the government.

About Megan McArdle»
Megan McArdle is a Bloomberg View columnist who writes on economics, business and public policy

 

[a_majoor]

Deadly portests in Venezuela. some pictures, tweets and video on the link:

http://faustasblog.com/2014/02/venezuela-huge-demonstrations/

Venezuela: Huge demonstrations UPDATED

7:40PM EST:
The whereabouts of the students arrested last week is unknown. Today’s student demonstrations protested their arrest. Last week’s demonstration protested the lack of security in Venezuela.

One of the three dead was a student who died of his wounds after Tupamaros confronted protestors in Táchira state today.

7:17PM EST:
Raw video from the streets of Caracas, of the moment a student got shot

Tanks on the streets of Barquisimeto,



LInked to by Instapundit. Thank you!

7:10PM EST (7:30PM Caracas time):
NTN24 reports 3 dead.

6:30PM EST:
More details on 2 killed as Venezuelan protests turn violent: marauding motorcyclists were involved
Gunfire erupted in downtown Caracas when armed members of a pro-government vigilante group arrived on motorcycles and began firing at more than 100 anti-Maduro student protesters clashing with security forces.
As the crowd fled in panic, one demonstrator fell to the ground with a bullet wound in his head. Onlookers screamed “assassins” as they rushed the 24-year-old student, later identified by family members as Bazil D’Acosta, to a police vehicle.

Also killed was the leader of a pro-government 23rd of January collective, as militant supporters of Venezuela’s socialist administration call themselves. National Assembly President Diosdado Cabello said the “revolutionary” known by his nickname Juancho was “vilely assassinated by the fascists” but he didn’t provide details.

6:07PM EST:
Another demonstration, this time a cacerolazo (where people bang on pots and pans from their homes) scheduled for 8PM Caracas time. Twitterers at #12FVenezuelaPaLaCalle expect a power outage.

Colombia’s NTN24 DirectTV & website down, their YouTube livefeed still on.

Noticias24: Prosecutor’s Office confirms 2 dead, 23 wounded

5:47PM EST:
Minister Elías Jaua allegedly gave the orders to shoot the demostrators


5:17PM EST UPDATE:
Twitter #12FVenezuelaPaLaCalle

Two students reported dead.

Government shuts down the NTN24 website but they still have their YouTube livefeed:

 

[a_majoor]

Authoratarian regimes are very brittle by nature, and socialist regimes excel at destroying wealth and the wealth generating institutions that underly much of a functioning society. The contrasting example of Syria and Detroit are not there by accident, the Syrian regime worked (and what's left of it continues to work) in much the same fashion. The key takeaway for all of us is that *culture* matters in an absolute manner, far more than wealth or natural resources: culture is what allows people to convert these things into something of value.

Our own civic culture is decaying in much the same way, except the process is much slower and enough people are still resisting (even if only passively) to prevent the total takeover of the "small platoons" of daily life and culture that keep neighbourhoods and civilizations functional. A lesson and a warning to us all:

http://pjmedia.com/richardfernandez/2014/02/13/postmortem/?print=1

Postmortem
Posted By Richard Fernandez On February 13, 2014 @ 8:39 pm In Uncategorized | 138 Comments

The suddenness of Venezuela’s collapse should have come as no surprise because downfalls are inherently abrupt. Collapse is a phase change. One moment something is sailing along fat, dumb and happy and the next moment it is sinking beneath the waves. The change from two to one is a loss of 50%; but the change from one to zero is binary.

So it was in Venezuela. Imagine waiting two years [1] to buy a car and finding just when you thought you finally buy one that there are no cars for sale at all.

Leonardo Hernandez had hoped to buy a new car this year, ending nearly two years of waiting on various lists at different dealerships throughout the country.

Those hopes were dashed last week when Toyota Motor Co. said it would shut down its assembly operations in Venezuela due to the government’s foreign exchange controls that have crippled imports and made it impossible to bring in parts needed to build its vehicles.

The country’s other car manufacturers, including General Motors and Ford, haven’t even started operations this year, while waiting for needed parts to arrive.

Think of not being able to buy soap, rice or toilet paper or order a cup of coffee, where even the rich are feeling poor [2]. “In the serene private clubs of Caracas, there is no milk, and the hiss of the cappuccino machine has fallen silent. In the slums, the lights go out every few days, or the water stops running. In the grocery stores, both state-run shops and expensive delicatessens, customers barter information: I saw soap here, that store has rice today. The oil engineers have emigrated to Calgary, the soap opera stars fled to Mexico and Colombia. And in the beauty parlours of this nation obsessed with elaborate grooming, women both rich and poor have cut back to just one blow-dry or manicure each week.”

Imagine there’s no money to keep up the sovereign bond payments, the only source of money to keep power plants going.

Welcome to Hugo Chavez’s Venezuela, a country with the fifth largest oil reserves in the world and absolutely broke. It’s a remarkable achievement for Chavismo. A just-wow moment. Socialism is useless at everything except for smashing things in record time. There it excels. It’s hard to imagine that as late as the 1980s [3] Venezuela had the highest standard of living in Latin America. But then in 1960 Detroit was the richest city in the world in per capita income. Now it’s well … Detroit.

James Eccleton [4] remarked on how the mighty have fallen. “Brazil is becoming Argentina, Argentina is becoming Venezuela, and Venezuela is becoming Zimbabwe.” The question that always puzzles historians about the fall of great and rich countries is: ‘why didn’t they say it coming?’ How did they let disaster sneak up on them?

Adam Smith once remarked that “there is a great deal of ruin in a nation”. That is usually understood to mean that it takes a long time to break things.  And that’s probably what Leonard Hernandez thought: maybe next year things will get better and I’ll buy that car. But is more correct to say ‘a great deal of ruin’ means “it takes a long time to realize that things are breaking”.

The clue is the total finality of the crash when it comes. The victim when examined for postmortem is drained of blood; his organs are all twisted and perverted. The dead man was not ‘a little weaker than yesterday’ but in a far more fragile than was supposed. The damage was hidden as if the final day of reckoning was put off by eating the seed corn, pawning the family jewels and finally, selling the family members to buy the final meal — in a word as if everything was consumed to counterfeit the appearance of normalcy.

Thus, the collapse when it comes is unexpectedly complete. When National Intelligence Director James Clapper says Syria has become an ‘apocalyptic disaster’ it doesn’t simply mean that Syria is a little worse than in 2011, but far, far worse than we thought it was even in December 2013.  The husk of Syria has not only consumed its final supplies of food, but also its reserves of comity, good will, human capital and luck.

The real damage was internal. A society can survive the loss of things, but it cannot survive without institutions or the destruction of culture. Culture is to nations what an immune system is to people. Nations under siege fall back on some atavistic condition. Thus, occupied Poland becomes more Catholic, as does Ireland, and as Egypt perhaps becomes more Muslim. They fall back on the known and the comforting. City Hall might collapse and the factory temporarily closed but if culture and identity survive these things can be reopened again.

The apocalypse of Syria means that many people don’t even want to reopen things any more.  They hate their neighbors, individually and collectively.

The genius of the Left — Chavez’s for example — is that it destroys things from the inside out.  They pervert religion, collapse the mores, abolish the family, shred the constitution and gradually expropriate the property. The differences from one day to the next are apparently imperceptible, but it is harder and harder to go back until finally there is no reversal of ‘progressive gains’ possible at all.  The public is finally faced with the stark choice between chaos or authoritarianism.  And most people will chose the Boss over the Mob.

The problem with Venezuela is that Chavismo [5] has left people with nowhere else to go. It’s burned the bridges. There’s no reopening the car plants or restarting the factories, or even repairing the power plants. The engineers have all emigrated to Alberta, Canada. The same can be said of Syria. Who wants to open a store in Homs? In ten years nobody left in Homs will even remember how to do it. A whole generation of children is now growing up who know nothing other than war.

One reason why Japan recovered relatively quickly after the Second World War was while the massive aerial assault leveled Japan’s cities it did not destroy the cultural and social institutions of Japan. When the smoke cleared the Japanese were still there and they rebuilt. By contrast destroying culture is so much more lethal. Detroit was untouched by the war. Not a bomb fell on it. But years of public education worked their magic. It dismantled the culture and social institutions which once built its factories. Time [6] reports Detroit had posted the lowest math scores in the history of the National Assessment of Educational Progress.

“These numbers are only slightly better than what one would expect by chance as if the kids had never gone to school and simply guessed at the answers,” said Michael Casserly, executive director of the Washington-based Council of the Great City Schools, which represents large urban school districts. “These numbers … are shocking and appalling and should not be allowed to stand.”

Not only will they be allowed to stand but improved upon in every negative way, thus proving that union education is arguably more destructive than the Atomic Bomb, only less obviously so. The reason why collapse, especially that caused by socialism, is so utterly complete is that the damage remains hidden for so long. The design margin is used up; savings are depleted; the institutions are hollowed out; public morality becomes perverted and education becomes nothing but a credential — and it all happens out of the public eye. Only when everything is used up, as in Venezuela, when the whole edifice implodes, as if by magic, does the cumulative effect become manifest.

Most people are spurred into resistance by a crisis. But they remain lulled into complacency while the crisis remains imperceptible. Progressive tyranny benefits from image management, and takes great pains to keep crisis from view. The most insidious thing about a secret police is its very secrecy, because the mayhem it wreaks is upon the intangibles, among things we call legitimacy. So it goes until only a facade is left. Until the day of death the victim is largely asymptomatic, except for a gradual weakening. When the onset comes he discovers that his immune system is completely gone and the end is sudden.

That’s how disaster sneaks up on a world determined never to see it coming.

Article printed from Belmont Club: http://pjmedia.com/richardfernandez

URL to article: http://pjmedia.com/richardfernandez/2014/02/13/postmortem/

URLs in this post:

[1] waiting two years: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2014/02/13/venezuela-toyota-car-industry/5433735/
[2] even the rich are feeling poor: http://pjmedia.com/richardfernandeztheglobeandmail.com/news/world/venezuelas-economy-on-the-edge-of-the-apocalypse/article16845406/
[3] as late as the 1980s: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Venezuela
[4] James Eccleton: http://james-eccleston.com/latameye/?p=149
[5] Chavismo: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chavismo
[6] Time: http://detroit.blogs.time.com/2009/12/08/parental-guidance-suggested/

 

[a_majoor]

Reading the news about places as diverse as the South China Sea, Syria, the Ukraine and Venezuela, I'm sure people looking for a tour won't have to wait too long......

http://babalublog.com/2014/02/16/cuba-training-armed-government-groups-attacking-and-killing-protestors-in-venezuela/

Cuba training armed government groups attacking and killing protestors in Venezuela
By Alberto de la Cruz, on February 16, 2014, at 8:14 am

There is a very good reason Cuba's Castro dictatorship is on the U.S. State Department's list of States Sponsors of Terrorism. As the report and video below clearly show, Cuba's repressive apartheid regime is training armed groups in Venezuela in the terrorist black art of repression, torture, and murder. This dark and bloody art is being put to use by Venezuela's puppet dictatorship, which takes orders directly from Havana and has for the last week been attempting to quash mounting protests with violence and lethal force.

Via Capitol Hill Cubans:

Cuba Training Venezuelan Armed Groups


In the video below (or click here), former Cuban intelligence official, Uberto Mario, describes (in Spanish) how the Castro regime is currently training Venezuelan armed groups.

Mario defected during his "service" in Venezuela.

Known as the Venezuelan Tupamaros, these are the groups who are violently and lethally attacking student protesters.

In other words, old habits die hard for the Castro regime.

Another reason why Cuba remains a "state-sponsor of terrorism."

 

[Journeyman]

Reading the news about places as diverse as the South China Sea, Syria, the Ukraine and Venezuela, I'm sure people looking for a tour won't have to wait too long......

This has been an on-going situation, with President Maduro following former-Pres Chavez's TT&Ps, using Cuban-advised terrorists to keep "the Marxist Revolution alive" in the face of protests for increasing democracy and a freer economy (unlike Canadian student protesters, these folks understand that Marxism doesn't work  ). 

As noted, for those interested in that part of the world (or geeks who read Al-Jazeera and subscribe to Stratfor, etc  :nod:  ), it's an old story.  In fact, Al-J had a pretty interesting article on this issue about 6 months ago, here -- Chris Arsenault, "Awe and fear: Politicised gangs of Venezuela. Tupamaros enforce rough justice in Venezuela's slums to support socialism, but critics say the group are violent thugs." Al-Jazeera, 08 Jun 2013. 
[Someone let me know if that link doesn't work without a subscription; if so, I'll post the key bits]

However, I'm not sure the government is ready to pour troops into Venezuela just yet.  While we do have strong-ish trading links with Venezuela: "Canada’s 6th largest trading partner in Latin America and the Caribbean (excluding Mexico)" [DFAIT :  DFATD website], I don't think that's enough to qualify as a "national security interest."


Part of me also feels, completely without sources, that quite a few people in our higher government/bureaucratic echelons take a perverse pride in thumbing their noses at the Americans, vis-à-vis our ongoing relations with Cuba.  I suspect that they would counsel strongly against foreign involvement that could jeopardize our American tourist-free Caribbean destination.

        :2c:

 

[vonGarvin]

[Someone let me know if that link doesn't work without a subscription; if so, I'll post the key bits]

It works without subscription.  Thank you for the link.

 

[Nemo888]

This has been an on-going situation, with President Maduro following former-Pres Chavez's TT&Ps, using Cuban-advised terrorists to keep "the Marxist Revolution alive" in the face of protests for increasing democracy and a freer economy (unlike Canadian student protesters, these folks understand that Marxism doesn't work  ). 

However, I'm not sure the government is ready to pour troops into Venezuela just yet.  While we do have strong-ish trading links with Venezuela: "Canada’s 6th largest trading partner in Latin America and the Caribbean (excluding Mexico)" [DFAIT :  DFATD website], I don't think that's enough to qualify as a "national security interest."

Socialism seems to work fine in Europe. If you think that is the problem in Venezuela you are are not getting it. Venezuela's corporate tax rate is 34.0 exactly the same as the personal income tax rate of 34%. Almost identical to Malta's 35%/35%. Personal income tax in Iceland tops out at 46.22%, Norway 47.8%(and a 1.1% wealth tax), Denmark 51.7% and Sweden 56.6%. France's corporate tax rate is 33.33%. Personal liberty is infinitely more important than the economic system. Capitalism is not a system of governance, most people forget that.

 

[Journeyman]

        :not-again:

.....you are are not getting it.

Personal liberty is infinitely more important than the economic system.

Really?  I've been following this for a few years now, and the two overwhelmingly reoccurring themes in Venezuelan protests are: a) greater public say in governance, which includes elections free of 'gang' intimidation, followed up by officials who will listen to the electorate; and b) an economic system that allows for greater mobility and opportunities for profit by those working for it, which is denied by the current "socialist" system*  -- which is to say, increasing democracy and a freer economy.  At least that's what they believe to be the aims of their protesting;  I guess they "don't get it."


* Well, you call it "socialist," and believe -- or try to claim -- that it's identical to European Socialism, which casts strong doubts on any claims made here. The Venezuelans themselves say it's a unique "Bolivarian Revolution," while the rest of the world calls it one of the last bastions of old-school Marxism.  Again, perhaps you know more about the Venezuelans' situation than they do.


People tossing out trite aphorisms such as "Capitalism is not a system of governance, most people forget that," obviously don't have a clue about the interacting linkages extant within chosen systems of governance and economics.  Despite the crap bandied about in Politics 101, a catchy phrase does not constitute a proof.

 

[Edward Campbell]

WARNING ff topic:

There are precious few European socialists: none in Western Europe, and there never really were many ~  a lot of Fabians and sundry Scandinavian and Germanic variations of that and the few real socialists that were there were the 'children' of the Paris Commune (187) and were, therefore, quite demented.

There were some in Eastern Europe: the Mensheviks, most notably, who subscribed to real Marxism and, consequently, believed that Russia had to, first become capitalist (and a capitalist failure) before it could become socialist.

There were, and still are, some in Asia. Zhou Enlai was, most notably, a real, honest to god socialist. he actually believed in "from each according to his ability and to each according to his needs."

I think the so called Bolivarians are socialists. Some of the main elements of real socialism, especially "land reform" (a euphemism for a fairly overt form of theft of private property) have been in the mainstream of Latin American revolutionary thought for more than a century.

Socialism cannot, in my opinion work because it does depend, wholly, upon perfect humans who will actually believe in and practice "from each according to his ability and to each according to his needs." If even a tiny minority don't believe that ~ and that minority is most likely to include the leaders of any socialist government (consider 175 years of Latin American flirtations with socialism) ~ then the system will collapse. I am pretty certain that I can say that mankind is not perfect; we will be willing to "give' "to each according to his needs" just as long as we aren't 'giving' what we own. Nemo888, for example, will cheerfully expropriate and redistribute my property but he will not tolerate having his home seized and given to the poor. As soon as we actually see socialism in action we know that it involves dragging everyone down to a lowest common level, not dragging anyone up to a higher socio-economic level.

The Social Democrats in Western Europe are practitioners of welfare state politics, not socialism. There are quite successful advanced welfare states ~ the USA, Germany, Denmark and Canada for example. They all share one dominant characteristic: they are resoundingly capitalist economies. Even when there were large state owned enterprises (telephone and telegraph networks, some with their own banks, for example) they were, eventually, privatized because state owned enterprises all failed when exposed to a free market.

Marx explained that socialism had to be built on the ruins of capitalism, it was, in his mind, a final, evolutionary step in human development. But capitalism refuses to crash into ruins. It keeps on reinventing itself ~ most recently in East Asia.

Capitalism is more than just an economic system. It is also a system of social and political organization. It rests on a right to private property. This fundamental right has existed in English legal/political custom  for about 1,500 years. It predates the equally fundamental rights to life and liberty. Social/political structures evolved in two ways: in most of continental Europe, and most of the rest of the world, the magnates or notables or whoever contested with the monarch for absolute power. In England (not Britain) they followed a different path: they decided that it would be better to constrain or contain the monarch's power. This was accomplished, largely, by limiting his power to tax. By the early 11th century it appears that the notables' power extended to electing their monarch, albeit only from amongst an approved list of candidates.

William brought the continental, absolute, power system with him but it didn't last. The Norman magnates were only too happy to adopt the local, Anglo-Saxon political culture which protected their property. By the 16th century the parliament's control of the public purse was near absolute, again, and the office of Lord Treasurer was, de facto, the highest political office in the land. (See Queen Elizabeth and William Cecil (Lord Burghley.) The office of First Lord of the Treasury, the de facto and de jure head of government came into formal use in 1714, after the Glorious Revolution. A few years alter Sir Robert Walpole adopted the title of prime minister but the title "First Lord of the Treasury" is still in official use and the first lord is always the prime minister. (The second lord is the Chancellor of the Exchequer.)

In other words: the treasury, the state's power to tax and spend, is at the very heart of English and Canadian democracy. The English 'model' - controlling the state by controlling it's power to interfere with anyone's private property - generally applies in Scandinavia and Germany, too.