Coming to an America Near You

Video of a punch of people in Caracas stampeding after they hear that chicken parts and flour are finally available. Venezuela has been plagued with shortages thanks to the Chauvinist regime, the latest being a toilet paper shortage.  It's sad to think that an common item, considered so disposable in ordinary times, becomes a highly valued commodity during times of want.


I have mixed feelings about the individuals in the video. On the one hand, they are obviously suffering due to a lack of basic materials. I mean who stampedes over flour and chicken parts in ordinary healthy society? This is indicative of a people who are sliding deep into poverty. On the other hand, they have gotten exactly what they wanted. I believe I heard one women yell 'Viva Chavez' to the camera. It's hard to fight one's disgust when idiots continue to champion individuals who have lead to their own impoverishment, the mounting evidence to the failures of Chavez lie before them, but they choose  not to see it. Sadly, this seems to be a trend throughout history. People will praise the person who shackles them so long as they get some freebies out of it. I imagine this is how the streets of ancient Rome looked during the waning years of the republic, as competing patricians tried to garner favor from the populace by offering free bread. It isn't too hard to look at the crowd wearing t-shirts and jeans and instead imagine them wearing tunics and togas.

For those who would dismiss this sort of thing as only kind of thing that happens in 3rd world countries, I only need to point to Black Friday and the long queues or the missed days of work by game nerds whenever the next mediocre triple A video game is released. This sort of sickness is not just limited to dysfunctional banana republics. The rot is deep in America as well.

At least the Venezuelans are stampeding over items that they need to stay alive. Here in America, our proletariat stampede over Obamaphones and video games.