Cato: Understanding the Protests in Ukraine and Venezuela

[CaseyJones]

http://www.cato.org/blog/understanding-protests-ukraine-venezuela

“All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” If one believes Tolstoy’s famous dictum, then the protest movements in Ukraine and Venezuela should not have much in common. However, there are several striking parallels between the events unfolding in the two countries—as well as some important differences:

1. It’s the economy, stupid!

Although the popular unrest in Ukraine was triggered by the government’s decision to cancel the agreed free trade agreement with the European Union, the popular discontent has deeper roots. After years of kleptocratic governance, which derailed the country’s transition toward a market economy, ordinary Ukrainians are desperate for change. In 1990, Ukraine’s GDP per capita was $8,200, which was roughly identical to Poland’s. Today, Poland’s GDP is $18,300 and Ukraine’s has gone down to $6,400. Unlike its post-communist neighbors to the West, Ukraine did not pursue deep institutional reforms and its economy was seized by a narrow group of oligarchs, with close connections to political power and to the Kremlin. The son of the President Viktor Yanukovych, Oleksandr, has become one of the richest men in the country during his father’s time in the office, while incomes of most Ukrainians stagnated.

In Venezuela the economic situation has deteriorated sharply since the death of Hugo Chávez last year. The country has the highest inflation rate in the world (officially 56 percent in 2013, although according to Steve Hanke’s Trouble Currency Project, the implied annual inflation rate is actually 305 percent). After years of nationalizations, expropriations, and currency and price controls—all under the name of “21st Century Socialism”—the private sector has been decimated. Hour-long lines in supermarkets are a daily occurrence and shortages of basic food staples and medicines are widespread. And just like in Ukraine, corruption is rampant as the ruling elite rake in the profits from oil revenues. This has resulted in the rise of a new privileged class called the “Boligarchs.” so-named because they’ve prospered tremendously under the so-called Bolivarian revolution. Moreover, Venezuela is now one of the most dangerous nations in the world, with almost 25,000 murders committed last year. A large segment of the population, mostly middle class, is simply fed up as the country quickly becomes unlivable.

read more at link

 

[qh4dotcom]

Venezuelans are too stupid to know what's good for them....look at what a lady I know had to say about them...Doral is a city in Miami/South Florida where lots of Venezuelans live.

I stood in line to vote in Doral both times and all Venezuelans around me were supporting Obama, all Democrats on the ballot, and tax hikes like the school bonds. They were all voting on the state amendments according to the what how the Democratic party told them to vote. And, one of those state amendments was against Obamacare. We got into some debates in that line. It was early voting so the line was long and we were standing there for five hours. They were defending all the socialist policies tooth and nail. They even defended the tax hikes for the school bonds after I showed them on my phone all the proof I had of the waste and mismanagement going on in our public schools since I'm a teacher and I know exactly what goes on. They didn't even understand that they were getting a tax increase. They kept arguing that the bonds were already there and that it belonged to the schools and that they were being given for free by the government. They had no concept of how bonds work, etc. and they still didn't care to know because as one venezuelan lady put it....it is the number one job of the government to provide lots of public social services for the people. And the Cubans are the same issue. .those new arrivals coming after the early 80s. You should hear most of them. They love socialism.

 

[silverhandorder]

Cato ignores elephant in the room. Army of radicals bought by america for 25$/person a day.

 

[compromise]

Cato ignores elephant in the room. Army of radicals bought by america for 25$/person a day.

You would not protest if you were a middle class person in Venezuela?

 

[qh4dotcom]

You would not protest if you were a middle class person in Venezuela?

Middle class Venezuelans living in the United States are too stupid to know what's good for them....look at what a lady I know had to say about them...Doral is a city in Miami/South Florida where lots of Venezuelans live.

I stood in line to vote in Doral both times and all Venezuelans around me were supporting Obama, all Democrats on the ballot, and tax hikes like the school bonds. They were all voting on the state amendments according to the what how the Democratic party told them to vote. And, one of those state amendments was against Obamacare. We got into some debates in that line. It was early voting so the line was long and we were standing there for five hours. They were defending all the socialist policies tooth and nail. They even defended the tax hikes for the school bonds after I showed them on my phone all the proof I had of the waste and mismanagement going on in our public schools since I'm a teacher and I know exactly what goes on. They didn't even understand that they were getting a tax increase. They kept arguing that the bonds were already there and that it belonged to the schools and that they were being given for free by the government. They had no concept of how bonds work, etc. and they still didn't care to know because as one venezuelan lady put it....it is the number one job of the government to provide lots of public social services for the people. And the Cubans are the same issue. .those new arrivals coming after the early 80s. You should hear most of them. They love socialism.

 

[politics]

Venezuelans are too stupid to know what's good for them

Really? People are stupid??? just like that???

 

[qh4dotcom]

Really? People are stupid??? just like that???

Can't you read what a lady I know told me?

I stood in line to vote in Doral both times and all Venezuelans around me were supporting Obama, all Democrats on the ballot, and tax hikes like the school bonds. They were all voting on the state amendments according to the what how the Democratic party told them to vote. And, one of those state amendments was against Obamacare. We got into some debates in that line. It was early voting so the line was long and we were standing there for five hours. They were defending all the socialist policies tooth and nail. They even defended the tax hikes for the school bonds after I showed them on my phone all the proof I had of the waste and mismanagement going on in our public schools since I'm a teacher and I know exactly what goes on. They didn't even understand that they were getting a tax increase. They kept arguing that the bonds were already there and that it belonged to the schools and that they were being given for free by the government. They had no concept of how bonds work, etc. and they still didn't care to know because as one venezuelan lady put it....it is the number one job of the government to provide lots of public social services for the people. And the Cubans are the same issue. .those new arrivals coming after the early 80s. You should hear most of them. They love socialism.

 

[politics]

The article makes some valid points, but is needed to say also that the article was made by someone who is ignoring a lot of sensitive issues in Venezuela, such as:

The role of MSM, the 2002 coup, the role of foreign NGO, the role of foreign oil industries, the role of think tanks, contractors, and foreing advisers.
I think you have to put all the issues on the table to make such a statement

It's the economy stupid!

 

[MelissaWV]

Can't you read what a lady I know told me?

Not really. Her English is pretty awful, she has no substantiation, and you've only posted it three times. Maybe by the fifth or sixth time, you'll have successfully derailed the thread and I'll begin to understand how the "Cubans are the same issue."