Two years ago, Venezuela was a normal functioning nation, relatively speaking of course. It was by no means a free country, but the people still had a standard of living that was higher than most developing nations. Venezuelans could still afford the basic necessities of life, and a few luxuries too.
They could send their children to school and expect them to receive a reasonably good education, and they could go to the hospital and expect to be effectively treated with the same medical standards you’d find in a developed nation. They could go to the grocery store and buy whatever they needed, and basic government services like law enforcement and infrastructure maintenance worked fairly well. The system was far from perfect, but it worked for the most part.
However, this standard of living was a mirage. Venezuela was and still is a leftist socialist nation, and the only thing propping it up was their glut of oil reserves and $100 per barrel prices. The state owned those resources, and they provided so much wealth that even Venezuela’s highly inefficient command economy could provide everything the people needed. But socialist systems do not by their nature, respond well to shock and disruptions. They’re not flexible.
As soon as the price of oil fell, the country started crumbling rapidly. The infrastructure has fallen apart, leading to rationing of both water and electricity. Inflation is out of control. Price controls have led to shortages of basic necessities. Crime is skyrocketing, and vigilante mob violence is now commonplace. All of these trends have been building over the past two years, but they have finally reached a crescendo over the last few weeks:
- What really kicked Venezuela’s slow motion collapse into high gear, was when their inflationary currency reached an absurd new level. At the end of April, it was reported that the government couldn’t print enough money to keep up with inflation. Their cash is printed overseas, and the central bank was so short on funds that they could no longer afford to pay the manufacturers of their cash. Venezuela literally doesn’t have enough money to buy more money.
- The government began scheduling rolling blackouts to save energy, which eventually led to riots in some areas. President Maduro ordered all 2.6 million of the nation’s public sector employees to only work 2 days a week for the duration of May, in an effort to save electricity.
- An autocratic regime can hold onto power for a very long time, so long as their soldiers and cops are well fed and paid. That’s certainly not the case in Venezuela, where on May 5th it was reported that 6 soldiers were arrested for stealing goats, because there was no more food in their barracks.
- As shortages of every necessity you can imagine run rampant, many Venezuelans are now so hungry that they’ve resorted to hunting down cats, dogs, and pigeons. In their desperation, many have turned to stealing from their neighbors, which often doesn’t end well in a society teetering on the brink. One mugger was caught by a mob, beaten, and set on fire before the police could show up.
- 5000 people reportedly stormed a grocery store after they heard that the store might have a few items that couldn’t be had elsewhere. Only a handful of police officers were on the scene to control the crowd, one of who was beaten by the mob. 2 people were killed, dozens were injured, and millions of dollars in property damage was caused. And that was just worst case seen in recent weeks in the country, which has seen countless lootings of grocery stores, pharmacies, and shopping malls.
- Venezuela’s hospitals are turning medieval due to a lack of power and supply shortages. People are dying from easily preventable diseases, and in some cases the doctors themselves are looting the hospitals and selling expensive medical equipment on the black market. Equipment we take for granted like x-ray machines and kidney dialysis machines are in disrepair, as injured patients lay on the floor in pools of their own blood, waiting to be given a bed. Children are being hurt the most from this situation. The infant mortality rate has risen from .02% in 2012 to 2% in 2015, a hundred fold increase. It is no doubt far worse a year later.
- The Maduro regime is beginning to crack under the pressure, as the collapse of his government rapidly approaches. A state of emergency has been extended for another 60 days as the state seizes crippled factories and arrests their owners. Maduro has claimed that the US government is threatening to overthrow him at the behest of the nation’s far right. Anonymous US officials responded by saying that they believe his regime won’t last through the summer:
In Washington, the US intelligence officials told reporters they believed a crisis was imminent.
“You can hear the ice cracking. You know there’s a crisis coming. Our pressure on this isn’t going to resolve this issue,” said one official.
Another said: “This is really not the case that the US is rooting for any outcome other than there not be an economic meltdown or social violence. There are reasons for concern that over the summer as Venezuela gives importance to payments on debt over imports that these events could spiral.”
If you’re a prepper, pay close attention to what happens next. What’s playing out in Venezuela right now is the kind of worst case scenario that many of us have been preparing for in the US. It should be very informative. It just goes to show that if you live under a corrupt authoritarian government that can’t manage its resources, all it takes is a heavy ripple in the global economy to send the whole system careening over a cliff.
I wouldn’t say the US government is in nearly as bad of shape as Venezuela’s. We have corruption, waste, and a degree of tyranny, though perhaps not on the same scale. But then again, Venezuela didn’t seem to be in very bad shape a few short years ago. Under the right circumstances, any government can collapse, and our system has many of the same vulnerabilities as theirs. All that means is that it would take a larger event to cripple our nation.
If you’re curious about what that may look like, keep your eyes on Venezuela for the next few months. They’re about to become the 21st century poster child for how easy it is for socialist pseudo democratic governments to collapse, and drag their citizens along with them. And unfortunately the differences between our system and theirs aren’t that vast.
This is what happens when you close the doors to those who mean the most. Close out all thoughts and openings to survive and you will sink into that deep hole almost never to come out again.
Venezuela: A Prepper’s Nightmare????
Venezuela: A Prepper’s Validation, there I fixed it.
What is going on in Venezuela is a validation, a confirmation, of what we as prepper’s do and advocate. This is an excellent article to share with people who are skeptical about the need to be ready for a disaster. There are also three articles on the SHTFplan website that report on the conditions in Venezuela. If this article and those three don’t wake a person up to the need to prepare then let them die.
I believe the anonymous US officials and the Obama administration are hoping that Venezuela doesn’t fall apart before our elections out of fear that Americans will realize what we are headed for under further socialist tyranny.
I only wish that more people would open their minds and see the things that are taking place. They are giving up their freedoms and haven’t even noticed.
The most criminal aspect of this is the traitors in government at every level WANT a collapse to happen. It will lead to the deaths of millions of innocent children which God says is one of the worst sins imaginable. The criminals in government must change their ways, either voluntarily or under force of arms. I pray for a peaceful restoration but doubt it is possible as the traitors in government will never surrender their power voluntarily.
Don’t forget John Perkins’ “Confessions of an Economic Hitman”
The U.S. in the guise of all sorts is right in the middle of this to teach those vile Venezuelans that it was never their oil, anyway.
Your totally unaware of what is happening in Venezuela, don’t write your BS, you probably have never being in Venezuela, The problems are CIA and 1% rigged, Things are going very bad in the US and that’s why the CIA is maling it worse in other country’s to show Stupid Americans how good they have !
Are you serious? Shut your piehole, dude.
Is this the only retard argument you have ?
Rather than writing about Venezuelians write about the dare situation in the US, 1 on 3 americans live in total misery and other 1/3 is doing allmost the same or is very near to ! ALL this in the same time your government is spending/ Smpoiling/ steeling so mutch money with whom they could feed the entyre worldcommunity, most americans don’t even know to show Venezuela on the map !
Your comments are completely pointless, full of nonsense, and adding nothing of value. Seriously, STFU.
You have never being in Venezuela , i lived there for 5 months !
So 5 months is long enough to learn where the post office is and maybe how to work a phone, so I guess that makes you an expert on Venezuela…..
You Americans know everything best even if you come with havey waponry and boots on the ground but you don’t even know where the country is positioned that you are going to Brutalize, Kill Innocent’s and Destroy. Wenn i go to a country it’s to live in the country’s community, between pro’s and contra’s, live’n the live, i’m not comming like a CIA agent to put cement in schoolchildren’s milk, what you guess Lewis Haynes is your problem, your country is living on the time on guessing but live is not a pokergame, wenn i’m being somewhere i live on Facts, so i don’t need retard’s opinions give them to your government the will admire you as a Troll !
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1728718687404482&set=gm.1061699773876416&type=3
Venezuela has an health system that is allmost free, the same for the educational system, suck on this !
And look where it is getting them: economic ruin and in the verge of a communist revolution.
Seriously, you need to learn basic economics before you start running your mouth.
he mark it seems you know as mutch from economy as your government, putting all in weaponry rather than in people !
Venezuela knows only an economical system sabotaged by the US for petrol and other reasons ea the Killing of Chavez !
I have been to Venezuela many times on business and my company will not do business there anymore. The place is a shit hole and has been for more then 30 years. I speak from extensive experience. Rudy , you are a nut job , stay in Venezuela……
Look at the mental and health situation of your Veteran’s, 100.000’s are in deep trouble, + 22 a day commit suicide, but the US is blamming the Russian’s for it altough it’s the 1 % to blame, since the excistance of the USA only lies are comming out of Presidential mouth’s , towards Americans as towards the worldcommunity !
The Us isn’t blaming Russia for its veteran suicide rate. Stop making shit up.
Little of substance emerged !
Praise the US whistleblowers for showing us a tip of US reality !
Your social structure system is based on Egoism, Greed, Lies , Corruption, War’s and Destruction via US Secret Services Invented, organized, Created, armed and directed, look at Gladio in Europe and Al CIAda in the Midlle East and Asia ! The US Government is the bigest terror organisation in the world , if a country don’t want to become US follower you will become in deep trouble, Citygang technics applied on Worldlevel !
The more you comment, the dumber you look.
Did you studied your own picture ?
You are trying to smash your forehead againt a concrete wall of other people’s ignorance. The only true reason why the west continues to enjoy such a high-end way of living is via a control of the reserve currency. To put it simple, the US has a unique privilege of buying resourses for paper. That paper is upheld in value by worldwide oil sales made in US dollars. Those who challenge the status quo (as was the case with Saddam Hussein of Iraq, Muammar Gaddafi of Lybia, Amad Assad of Syria, Putin of Russia) right…. they are labeled by the controlled Corporate propodanda as bloody dictators with a coup following shortly (in case of a strong nation such as Russia) or a straighforward US-led invasion as was the case with Iraq, Lybia or would be with Syria if it was not for Russia’s protection.
But you know what. Everything changes including the current status quo. Everything has a price to pay. All the atrocities the corrupted US puppet governments have done around the world -including in the country I live in, Ukraine, where the CIA-backed and funded coup overthrew pro-russian government 2 years ago and started brutal ethnical cleanzing in the eastern areas- will come home to roost some day soon. Watch what is going on in Venezuela as one day in the not so distant future this will be happening across the US of lies, too.
Panama Papers Hub in Miami: Citigroup’s [Very] Private Bank
By Pam Martens and Russ Martens, May 17 2016
The Citigroup Private Bank at 201 South Biscayne Blvd. in Miami is located in a 34-story building in downtown Miami with breathtaking views of Biscayne Bay. It’s also the address for dozens of offshore companies whose agent is Mossack Fonseca,…
In 2 years… it only took 2 years…
We’ve got our water, our food, our ammo, our cash. When Deutsche Bank fails spend it all on more food. Don’t wait, because that cash won’t buy you anything 6 months later.
Politicians turn against their people, for money.. It’s treason. Hang bankers.
Not politicians, the wholesalers, they stock goods to profit from invreased prices, the benefits they can whitewash with US governmental help.
Increased prices
Venezuelan’s are ‘Feeling The Bern’ of free gubmint stuff. I feel bad for the people because that’s where the rubber meets the road, and they have been led down the primrose path of socialism. Shame on America for turning the screws on Maduro, but he’s in over his head. Chavez knew how to keep the globalists at arms length and still deliver services to the folks.
https://www.sott.net/article/318557-Economic-war-Venezuela-food-shortages-deliberately-created-by-US-aligned-oligarchs
cant sean penn save them??? certainly the libtards in hollywood will help out the socialist country they love so much
how long until obozo offers them free money from our pockets??
Tired of these helpless 3rd world Spanish savages getta job!
Governments have a way of attracting the incompetent who then consider it their duty to control everything. It sounds like the world is about to see once again the collapse of a socialist country. As was the case with the Soviet Union, the government had all the power it needed to make socialism work. But, socialism is a flawed economic system that discourages productivity and rewards the lazy and inefficient.
Bernie Sanders supporters can look to Venezuela to see what eventually comes from the flawed principles Bernie is pushing.