Stossel: Venezuela IS Socialism

[@georgemeyer3575]

Printing massive amounts of money Doesn't CAUSE Inflation, it IS Inflation.

[@mariogalaxy2100]

That also IS NOT a socialist principle like this guy made it out to be. "The socialist solution is to print more."??????? The Germans after WWI (GERMANS AT THIS TIME WERE TOTALLY NOT SOCIALIST AS A MR. ADOLF HITLER WOULD MAKE VERY CLEAR) decided to print a SHIT ton of money to counteract their inflation. They happened to have had that problem to begin with because of the SHIT SHOW that was 19th and 20th century imperialism (THE PEOPLE DOING THIS IMPERIALIZING WERE ALL INTERESTED IN RUNNING PROFITS.... CAPITALIST MOTIVATIONS)

[@lars9925]

​@@mariogalaxy2100 Creating money from nothing without an economy to back it up is a very socialist thing to do, it's just not exclusively socialist like Installing dictators is also very socialist, but the socialists are not the only ones doing so... Germany's problems after WW1 had nothing to do with imperialism or capitalism, but with crippling reparation bills due to the treaty of versailles, political instability and many other effects the massive war and defeat had caused.

[@Shootskas]

@@mariogalaxy2100 why is it NOT a socialist principle? you never gave your reasons.

[@mariogalaxy2100]

Lars instituting absurd reparation costs and establishing an incentive for the us not to stop or slow down their demands for reparations thru the dawes plan in order have other western powers benefit from this seems oddly IMPERIALISTIC and CAPITALISTIC to me just sayin... it is argued that the germans were punished badly by the treaty of versailles and there certainly could have been other, more stable ways at punishing the germans.... and who was living lavishly during the 20s while the war torn continent on europe was recovering from wwi?? AMERICA!!

[@mariogalaxy2100]

Thomas Paine idk what u want me to tell u... it’s not a particularly SOCIALIST thing to print out a bunch of money with no financial backing ... it’s not something explicitly championed by engels and marx and overall, monetary policy (policy like having a central bank produce more money and have it spread) is inherently a more capitalistic (and risky of course) policy than it is a socialist... it is what is done with the money that is of true importance and what makes the difference between careless printing and spending (like that of the weimar republic before wwii ) and a true harmonious institution provided by the government ( such as healthcare). no politician is sitting here saying that we should just print money to fix our issues... the problem is taxing the ppl that already get away with not paying an insane amount of money in order to fund what is a human right, HEALTHCARE

[@reddiamond8834]

Hippity hoppity abolish private property! -hugo Chavez

[@criticalweiner8256]

2:06 this broke my heart to watch, the businesses being taken away..you can feel the heartbreak of that business owner....this is what happened in cuba....this is what happened to my family and my grandfather sent to jail. I will never vote for a fucking Democrat ever in my life. They are all socialist at heart. And that fucking whore AOC needs to die, I cant be kind about this.

[@moejohnson2132]

I actually heard Venezuela has a lot of private property. Again though, that was on a regressive channel. They said it was like 70%

[@carolreid5405]

Mr Mojo Risin Don’t confiscate private property. The State, as a centralized monolithic entity, alienated and abstracted from the realities and grit of people’s lives, will move people arbitrarily around out of homes and their lands, and small businesses, into boorish monolithic structures in cities, such as stack n’ pack high rises, in densely concentrated cities. They will crush your souls in arbitrary and bureaucratic ‘planning’ for your good. You will absolutely lose control over your lives and your children’s. No. No. No. Regulate and control the scale of private property, and reform it’s lending structure, so it doesn’t interfere with the opportunity for happiness and liberty of the citizens it serves.

[@LordSantiagor]

Exprópiese!!

[@moejohnson2132]

@@criticalweiner8256 yo chill im super capitalist. All i mentioned was the percent of private property of venezuela. I'm sure it was a lie and all but was checking with my capitalist homies

[@electrosquid8325]

I faceplant every time Bernie calls my country socialist.

[@JamesMaximum]

As an American, I apologize for our dumb politicians 😂

[@nithinsrivatsa4726]

Denmark's Prime Minister said on national television that Denmark is not a socialist economy, never had been and never will be and attributed their growth to low rates of corruption and a fair market. They even ranked in the Top 3 in the Ease of Doing Business because of how pro market their country's economics are

[@bilbobaggins4710]

They also have a homogeneous population...Thay helps...

[@krisniznik3953]

@@bilbobaggins4710 Why is that? In the U.S. people are against expanding healthcare and social programs because black people would get them too. Is that what you mean? Because when I was in Denmark a tour guide stopped the tour and made a point of explaining that people were taken care of in Denmark, unlike in the U.S. The people are happier there. Even the streets are cleaner. They are proud that they look after each other, it is a choice their society makes.

[@bilbobaggins4710]

@@krisniznik3953 70% of black folks are on some form of welfare... Latinos/Hispanics 65% ... White 32% ... Welfare has been bad for our back population...70% of blacks have illegitimate children... Broken homes = welfare use/abuse

[@gs2tab]

@@bilbobaggins4710 Welfare helps a society if it is targeted and cleverly applied. Welfare needs to still produce incentives to fully participate in the economy. It can act as a safety net, or to compensate for social disparities or produce fairer outcomes, but should not be something that can lead to dependence. It is very difficult to achieve, but you can't dismiss it as a measure to help a society just because often it is misapplied. Australia, like Denmark and the other "social-democratic" Western countries, offers far more welfare than USA. Some welfare is successful (such as the limited support for those without a job, which acts as a safety net while still providing strong incentives to participate in the economy) while other cases lead to dependence and failure (such as Aboriginal programs and welfare, which are equivalent to over $40k per Aboriginal person, yet this is counter-productive because it acts more as an endless handout -- leading to dependence and predictably negative outcomes -- than a support system to encourage participation in the economy). This video was absolutely right when describing a wide and unwise application of socialism, but socialist concepts can still help society function better within a regular, capitalist economy. Reducing social disparities helps with crime and general social cooperation. The key is to apply it intelligently, thinking carefully about the incentives it generated. Same as taxes. It is an idea that needs to be applied in moderation to work well.

[@bilbobaggins4710]

@@gs2tab that's the problem government bureaucracies are very inefficient open to abuse

[@kristupasantanavicius9093]

"Oil prices fell in 2014, but Maduro failed to adjust" well there lies your problem. A big country is not supposed to rely on a single person or government body to do the right thing in order to maintain a healthy economy.

[@worsethanjoerogan8061]

Yeah they don't mention why he couldn't adjust. It's because the nationalized oil company they have was absurdly mismanaged, tons of do nothing jobs for supporters. Chavez's expropriation of land and businesses also meant that other sectors of their economy withered. Nobody is going to invest if you're liable to suddenly have your investment plundered Vox saying Maduro "failed to adapt" implies it was the right way to manage things while oil prices were good. It was always terrible, those massive oil revenues were the only thing propping it up

[@OutSideTheBoxFormat]

They even confiscate oil companies equipment such as Conoco Philips who recently won an international settlement against Venezuela.

[@willnitschke]

@@ismokezekush Oil prices were low for about 1 year and then were historically speaking at very high levels during the entire Socialist control of Venezuela. The Socialism meme that the drop in oil price was the cause of the implosion of the economy is entirely dependent on the presupposition that people who are told this, will be too stupid to google the price chart. www.macrotrends.net/1369/crude-oil-price-history-chart

[@ismokezekush]

@@willnitschke Im too stupid to remember clearly but i remember when the prices started dropping there were some stories claiming the saudis were producing so much oil on behalf of the US to try and hurt russia's economy (which it did) but i never knew it was aimed at all US and Israeli oppositions but idk im a idiot and i dont care about your chart. The fed reserve sponsors websites who speculate or (set?) the (conversion rate?) of US dollars and venezuelan cash!

[@willnitschke]

@@ismokezekush As yes, it's all a big conspiracy theory!!! I rather believe entirely made up stuff I've pulled out of my magical Socialist arsehole!! Too funny...But standard for wingnuts.

[@TheChosennn]

“Why can’t we just print more money” Venezuela shows us why

[@vmathis]

Stossel!! So interesting. I’m South American and I am shock every time I hear Americans talk about the wonders of socialism! They are completely delusional.

[@kvjqxzz5905]

I ALWAYS blame socialists, I remember the 1970s in the UK

[@PPC346]

I don't, what happened

[@Blobstermcblobster]

@@PPC346 the UK happened

[@Sahil-dz5ur]

@@Blobstermcblobster it happened

[@thought-provoking795]

@@Sahil-dz5ur it had to happen

[@Schnitzengruben]

Don't forget Eastern Germany. It was picture book socialism, built from scratch with good intentions - failed miserably.

[@benni5541]

Wester germany .... my home .... still TODAY pays taxes to eastern parts of germany to rebuilt it . Thank you socialism

[@nicholasdimauro5324]

What do you mean! They have taken over and destroyed Europe. Angela Merkel is from east Germany. She is a big player in getting in all the refugees into Europe. And she is Obama’s pal. I joke that Europe will curse Ronald Reagan for bringing the wall down and destroying west Germany and the rest of Europe.

[@willnitschke]

@@nicholasdimauro5324 Sorry, Germany and Europe has done this to themselves.

[@Mathadar]

My friend just fled from Venezuela last Wednesday leaving the country to get out of what's going on in that country right now. His uncle died because the power was out for multiple days and he needed dialysis machine. last month that same friend got held at gunpoint and forced to take money out of his account through multiple ATMs then they stabbed him if killed the taxi driver that they were using to get around from place to place. It's lucky he survived it seemed they were trying to stab him in the kidneys and it's that they stabbed him in the hip bone.

[@cheesefingerb]

My girlfriend and her family escaped last year. The political party there broke into their home tied them up and beat them up until they swore allegiance to the party. That was the final straw. Then they left. But they also witness the things you spoke about. The power being shut off for days. Medicines and food not available. Shelves bare. They look at the way some of the people on the left talk and are scared it's going to happen in the US too

[@MrDICKHEAD28]

@@cheesefingerb YOUR GIRLFRIEND IS A LIAR PROABLY CHEATING ON YOU TOO

[@NGScoob]

Venezuela is not socialist. It’s under US capitalist control.

[@MrDICKHEAD28]

@@NGScoob NOT REALLY THEY TWISTING MADURO'S ARM TO MAKE CHANGES TO RELIEF FROM SANCTIONS

[@Mathadar]

@@NGScoob Venezuela has a dominant-party system, dominated by the United Socialist Party of Venezuela amidst other parties listed in the following section. The governing United Socialist Party of Venezuela (Partido Socialista Unido de Venezuela, PSUV) was created in 2007, uniting a number of smaller parties supporting Hugo Chávez's Bolivarian Revolution with Chávez's Fifth Republic Movement. PSUV and its forerunners have held the Presidency and National Assembly since 1998. So, yes, it is Socialist. You are mistaking sanctions for its own government. A sanction or trade embargo does not make a government body not what it is. If you don't believe me, go look up the history of the "Movement for Socialism" history in Venezuela, first.

[@glanemann]

I had people try and tell me that Venezuela isn't failing because of Socialism. LOL. Dude, stop pissing on my leg and telling me it's raining.

[@acutechicken5798]

Venezuela has a public sector if 27%. If that counts as socialism in your eyes, then Norway is even more socialist with a public sector of 38%. Norway has significantly better living standards than America does. Seems like your idea of socialism works fine to me.

[@glanemann]

Jesus H. Christ, watch the video.

[@acutechicken5798]

@@glanemann, I did. I see no reason to believe Venezuela is socialist, or even Norway.

[@BigRedStudios666]

@@acutechicken5798 Lolbertarians destroyed with facts and logic

[@MilwaukeeF40C]

@@acutechicken5798 "Norway has significantly better living standards than America does." Bullshit.

[@wolfpack4128]

Instead of a hierarchy where your choices determine where you fall out you pick a hierarchy set by the government while it claims to abolish hierarchies.

[@keithstewart934]

Democratic Socialism...because Communism just sounds bad.

[@marilynalvarez9951]

Exactly! That's not $20.00 it's only $19.99 :)

[@petermgruhn]

Lol. "When I talk about socialist countries, I don't mean socialist countries." Thanks for the clarification Bernie.

[@mix3k818]

"We must implement more government!" **poverty and crime rates increase** "That's not the government's fault! We need more government!" ...and repeat until a dictatorship is formed.

[@mix3k818]

@Soul Eater I hope you're joking

[@jwhiteheadcc]

@@mix3k818 No, sadly not trolling or joking. This is same logic that is ignoring that if every psychopath in the world was a successful mass murderer, humanity would go extinct within a year. The real reason we aren't dead is the sociopaths who outnumber them and a good fear of death. They can just rape and steal, instead. XD

[@binksblog]

Stossel is absolutely correct...again.

[@MrDICKHEAD28]

STOSSEL 100% LIAR

[@sid3503]

@@MrDICKHEAD28 troll

[@MrDICKHEAD28]

@@sid3503 IT'S TRUE HE'S LYING

[@Cyborg_Lenin]

Hahahahahha

[@darrenp428]

I heard a Russian Immigrant say “You notice how people flow from socialism to Capitalism and not the other way “. Brilliant lady!!!!

[@TheRealFollower]

Unless by force.

[@georgewrathall5950]

If you look up “socialism” in the dictionary it will likely read: “Epic Mismanagement”. John Oliver just didn’t realize there was a difference. Haha.

[@cameronberra8838]

No. These fuckers know socialism is horrific but it keeps them in power.

[@oldrepublican4121]

Capitalism has both positive and negative feedback built in to the system. The more Government Fiat rules a country's production the less feedback is felt, or can be acted upon. Government = Bureaucracy = ruled by regulation (not feedback). Any complex machine without a means of feedback (positive/negative) will quickly damage itself beyond repair. That is basic Mechanics/Engineering. Humans (especially groups) require both positive and negative feedback to function properly. That is basic Sociology/Psychology. Socialism has even less feedback than Democracy and Republics. Our Government (Constitutional Republic) is built on simplicity with means of positive and negative reinforcement built right in.

[@Columbus1152]

When our politicians themselves don't truly understand established definitions of political ideologies, is there any hope that our liberal universities are teaching a textbook version of those definitions? The general masses always look favorably on the people who promise to make their lives better, without actually thinking about it, and what it would take to get there. Ignorance is sooooooooooo bliss! We will be the future Venezuela, right about the time that Venezuela has figured out they made a huge mistake and working their way out of it.

[@juxie9229]

If the US empire were to fall, suddenly socialist countries would start to do MUCH better, because for some reason, it seems like socialist Nations only begin to 'fail' when the US and it's allied countries get in the way. Would you care to guess why? 🙄 Here, I'll give you a hint - it starts with "CIA" and it rhymes with "sutal branctions, pronsensical nopaganda, and chegime range."

[@andrejberngardt6880]

I am glad that there are people who fight unmoral, unfaire and criminal socialistic ideas.

[@j95lee]

Well you can't say Socialism doesn't achieve it's goals. When everyone is equally poor, income inequality vanishes!

[@xanadu6802]

This is such an underrated comment.

[@TN-xx4ih]

John Oliver using the Washington Times as a 'conservative' news outlet 😂

[@watchdealer11]

Who else watches on Stossel's channel *AND* on Reason? 😂

[@OutSideTheBoxFormat]

He's the only reason to watch Reason. Oh and Remy , he's fucking great.

[@Nick-rd5xs]

Isn't "Maduro failed to adjust" a direct rebuke of socialism? (without actually saying it, lol)

[@chetopuffs]

When everybody owns it, no one does.

[@garrettlees]

Can always expect solid, on-point reportage from Stoss. Well done getting the message out.

[@khfan4life365]

“The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money.” Margaret Thatcher

[@hamzaimam9650]

@Angus Chandler lol who makes the company? who invest and buys the resources?

[@hamzaimam9650]

@Angus Chandler also what happened to literally every attempt of socialism? Was it just nOt rEaL sOcIalISm? Is it only real socialism when everything hasn't gone to shit but as soon as it does its no longer real socialism (which did happen with Venezuela magically went from great example of socialism this is what we strive for to, nOt rEaL sOcIalISm)

[@hamzaimam9650]

@Angus Chandler or another beautiful response you guys give is that its everyone else's fault that socialism fails. You guys give literally any other reason besides its socialism's fault for the reason socialism fails, every time its quite funny

[@coopsnz1]

@Angus Chandler the government steal all the business owners profit in venezeulia Moron

[@kaede15]

Business owner: "but we had a deal!" Hugo Chaves: "I am altering the deal, pray I don't alter it any further"

[@edwinwandera6993]

when you see celebrities supporting your policies, that's when you know you've fucked up

[@tyc00n]

as an Australian I can only agree with you, people are just not hurting enough yet

[@charlesferdinand422]

Socialism is the obsolete 'ideology' that lost the Cold War when the Soviet Union disintegrated without a single shot being fired, a conflict that the United States and Capitalism WON; but Socialism/Communism also failed miserably in Romania, Chile, Hungary, Cambodia, Czechoslovakia, Sudan, Mongonlia, Cape Verde, Burma, Bolivia, Chad, Djibouti, Granada, Ethiopia, North Korea, Algeria, Congo, Bangladesh, Eritrea, Guinea Bissau, Tanzania, Albania, Bulgaria, Sierra Leone, Benin, Angola, Soviet Union, Guyana, Yugoslavia, Nepal, Zimbabwe, Laos, East Germany, Mozambique, Poland, Nicaragua, South Yemen, Afghanistan, Vietnam, Somalia, Cuba, Sri Lanka, Venezuela, China (which hasn't been communist except in name since the economic reforms of Deng Xiaoping in 1964 which was done because the previous and latest Communist dictator, Mao Zedong, killed more than 30 million Chinese with his stupid policies and hunger, although he didn't suffer any hunger or anything, in fact he was rich, a hypocritical feature that characterizes all Socialist dictators, just ask Nicolas Maduro, his son literally showered himself with bundles of $100 dollar bills in a party while Venezuela lost a quarter of all of its population) and many many other places; after which Communism caused over 120 million DEATHS BTW, how come Lefties always complain about American 'imperialism' anyway? What about Vietnamese imperalism in Cambodia? Or Soviet imperialism in Hungary or Czechoslovakia or Poland or East Germany or Latvia or Lithuania or Estonia? Or Chinese imperialism in Tibet and North Korea and Vietnam? Or Russian imperialism in Georgia or Azerbaijan or Ukraine or Byelorussia or Armenia? Or Cuban imperialism on Angola or Venezuela or Nicaragua or Bolivia? And remember to recite the Communist's Prayer: "That didn't happen. And if it did, it wasn't that bad. And if it was, it's not a big deal. And if it is, it wasn't their fault. And if it was, they didn't mean it. And if they did, the victims deserved it."

[@nobodymatters3294]

Sharing this with every socialist pin head I know.

[@criticalweiner8256]

2:06 this broke my heart to watch, the businesses being taken away..you can feel the heartbreak of that business owner....this is what happened in cuba....this is what happened to my family and my grandfather sent to jail. I will never vote for a fucking Democrat ever in my life. They are all socialist at heart. And that fucking whore AOC needs to die, I cant be kind about this.

[@whatevergoesforme5129]

@@criticalweiner8256 I also felt so bad for that man. I hate it when corrupt government officials keep seizing the properties and businesses of people who worked hard to start and maintain those.

[@joshuamclean4588]

Anony Moose ignore him he’s just a troll he comments like this everywhere lol

[@whatevergoesforme5129]

@@ismokezekush Hmm, what are you talking about? Not all business people are bad. I am also wary of banks myself.

[@robertpolanco1973]

@@criticalweiner8256 - You know what, sir, YOUR comment is pathetic and insipid as ever! So you'll never want to vote Democrat anymore, fine! I NEVER voted for a conservative Republican all my life and that rotten bastard, Donald Trump, really NEEDS TO DROP DEAD because he is too dangerous and his behavior is a major embarrassment as well!

[@jameskulevich8907]

[@BolshevikCarpetbagger1917]

Then why the need for the embargo? As someone who has traveled all over Cuba, Cubans are too smart to believe in fairy tales such as the Brentwood/Palm Beach lifestyles you and your charity promise them.

[@KingFergus]

Damn pesky facts again.......

[@robertpolanco1973]

Personally, I think that what happened in Venezuela was a rather unfortunate situation, but I want to point out that what happened with the enormous problems plaguing there, was absolutely NOT REAL SOCIALISM! So any goddamn conservative nutjob trying to insist that there is, in Venezuela and elsewhere, is NOT helping things at all. Furthermore, I also think that capitalism is NOT a perfect system either. After all, is there some capitalist with a humane solution to the problems in the United States? Like income inequality? Enormous levels of poverty? Homelessness? All forms of crime and corruption?

[@KurNorock]

Font how dropping oil prices and epic mismanagement and all the other things don't cause these catastrophic collapses and rampant poverty in capitalist countries. It's almost as if a capitalist economy is strong enough to weather those storms.

[@HalseyHFW]

Americans hate socialism, except for public roads, public schools, farming subsidies, social security Medicare, Medicaid, unemployment insurance, state run medical centers, etc, etc.

[@iamahater3078]

Lazy unemployed immigrants living in government owned housing using government welfare to buy junk food.

[@edwardinfante2602]

Just what exactly are you trying to say John? That I can't have everything I want simply because I want to have it? Are you suggesting I go work for what I want? I'm telling Uncle Bernie 😭

[@liddyg4109]

As Tony Montana said "They tell you all the time what to do, what to think, what to feel. You wanna work, ten fucking hours. You own nothing. You got nothing. You wanna chivato on every corner , looking after you, watching everything you do, everything you say."

[@rawtoon2000]

Water is wet

[@michaelirrgang3433]

venezuala has 70% privatized

[@arthurmorgan1550]

And the rest is nationalized, not owned by the workers. It’s in no way socialism.

[@sosa437]

@@arthurmorgan1550 You tell that to conservatives and they just get completely dumbfounded

[@finddeniro]

Soviet Joke. . ." I pretend to work. . They pretend to pay me. .". and Santa Claus chops the wood. .

[@cn7492]

One of the many reason I walk away from the Democratic Party. They’re nuts

[@danielbrinson7022]

Show this to a Bernie Sanders supporter

[@rejmej5339]

I'm a bernie supporter, what now? Bernie isn't a socialist, he is a social democrat which means he doesn't eant to control the market, only expand social benefits ehich would enable 1mil. americans a year to not go bankrupt, what's so wrong with that? and he never intended to be an authocrat, unlike trump who refuses to accept he lost because of his bad policies that only benefit the rich.

[@thesmallcseeker4856]

my parents and i escaped a socialist country in 1917 and thanks to our decision to move to america we managed to become immortal true story

[@leo29hornsfan]

It’s amazing that people who believe that socialism is such a great thing has never experienced what socialism is all about. There excuse is well we never tried it!! Well no shit the other countries said the same damn thing and look where it got them? India 🇮🇳 was once a poor socialism style country and now that they are a capitalist country they are thriving in the economy.

[@TheChosennn]

Wouldn’t say India is thriving

[@CultivateHearts]

Are you really gonna overlook the economic onslaught waged on Venezuela via export sanctions targeting their largest resource oil? I disagree with socialism as much as you but ignoring the real problem here which is U.S interference is showing of your character.

[@RCSVirginia]

A few months back, I read a very good book on Venezuela that gave some strong insights into how Venezuela had reached its current disastrous state. It is well worth a read. I read it in Spanish, but there is, also, an English translation. The Spanish edition still has a better title. "Crude Nation: How Oil Riches Ruined Venezuela" www.amazon.com/Crude-Nation-Riches-Ruined-Venezuela/dp/1612347703/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= "Cuando Se Jodio Venezuela?" www.amazon.com/gp/product/6077473014/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p1_i1

[@pesterburr1]

Ignoring the Pareto Principle and other realities of human conduct makes Socialism a classroom success only.

[@itay4440]

0:45 "grossly misleading"... funny hearing that from Aljazeera

[@aidanluhmann3028]

Better news source than Mr. reason tv here hilarious he calls Venezuela socialist yet 80% of their economy is owned by the private sector

[@BlowsAgainsttheEmpire]

First, there was no socialism, as Capital functioned freely. That was one of their problems: Capital Flight. Chavez made a mistake by keeping the neocolonial economy intact, dependent on oil, not diversifying. And he didn’t set aside reserves when prices were high. After his death, prices declined, and Venezuela had to move to credit markets, generally hostile. Then came some terrible economic policies, then the brutal US sanctions that turned crisis into catastrophe, as discussed by Venezuela's leading economist Francisco Rodriguez, also chief economist of the anti-Maduro opposition. Much more, but I think that’s the basic problem. Rodriguez has written about it. Also Mark Weisbrot, a fine US economist who follows Latin America closely. It’s awful now. As Rodriguez pointed out, the Trump sanctions turned a crisis into a catastrophe, and there were background causes for the crisis.

[@whatevergoesforme5129]

OMG, Bernie Sanders. You went to the USSR and loved the communists there and also the Sandinistas so we know what you mean when you say socialism. It is not Scandinavia.

[@whatevergoesforme5129]

@Frank Castle Oh God, yes! Can't believe how many people think that Bernie has the best policies for the people. Good thing some former Bernie fans (like Anomaly and to a certain degree, Tim Pool but not totally) have finally seen Bernie for what he truly is. But the rest of the Bernie fans still think he is genuine despite not liking his age now.

[@whatevergoesforme5129]

@Frank Castle True, but the rest of the Dems seem to follow suit and those running for president are mouthing the same socialist policies. And the former fans of Bernie are switching to another Democrat instead of spurning all Democrats (although I am not a Republican myself). With the changing demographics and rampant cheating, the USA might just get a socialist president in the future, not necessarily next year (hopefully) but after Trump (if he wins again).

[@joshuamclean4588]

WHATEVER GOES FOR ME I dont think je will win. Even nomjnation. But if he does I still think Trump will win. Thats what I think i’m not going to argue with it cuz we dont KNOW until it happens.

[@acutechicken5798]

@@whatevergoesforme5129, I mean, if universal healthcare for all is not good for the people, I'll be damned. Our current system leads to the deaths of 40,000 Americans every year.

[@whatevergoesforme5129]

@@acutechicken5798 Unfortunately, not all people want to pay for health insurance. The healthy want the choice not to have one so they can use their money elsewhere. Universal healthcare forces the healthy ones who do not want to be part of the single payer system to pay into the system. And some people also do not want to pay for the healthcare of those who do not take care of their bodies. Yes, some people cannot help their sickness because of genetics but some are responsible for their health issues but do not want to change their bad habits and lifestyle. That is why nothing can be truly universal because everyone will have individual health issues or non-issue. That is why libertarians like me prefer charities because they are based on voluntarism. Death is also inevitable. No one should force everyone to pay for something they do not want as much as possible. We are being taxed to death already and that is something forced on us already and I hate heavy taxation just like many libertarians. It has become taxation without representation. I will only agree to being taxed for universal healthcare if I can get something out of it like getting an annual refund for every year I stay healthy and avoid hospitalization. Most of the time, I pay out of pocket for my health issues.

[@8ZakattacK9]

What happened to Venezuela was true socialism at work and not Europe's Democratic Frankenstein version hanging by a thread.

[@jonc6157]

The hard lessons learned, I hope the rest of Latin America can learn from the failures of Venezuela... and Cuba.

[@BolshevikCarpetbagger1917]

Cuba, the country with the least amount of migration to the U.S when measured against all the free market successes of Latin America.

[@jonc6157]

@@BolshevikCarpetbagger1917 Their government disallowed it for a long time, only just now allowing the slaves of the government to leave.

[@BolshevikCarpetbagger1917]

@Jon C Cubans have been allowing people to leave for decades. Only until recently did the U.S stop handing citizenship out to Cubans like candy.

[@jonc6157]

@@BolshevikCarpetbagger1917 Only since 2013. Now they are coming here in droves to escape the government monopoly that is the Castro Commie regime. Commie govs always make every one poor and starving.

[@makeromaniagreatagain9697]

It's never socialism when i fails

[@imshaunnurse]

Stossel is one of the few economy people ill trust

[@aka_056]

And why not the others?

[@AndresWamonde]

papi mismanagement happens whether socialism is a factor or not.

[@surrealengineering7884]

Btw, telecomunication sucked under gvt. controll, here in Germany. We still have one of the worst internet coverage in the developed world. The railroad system is still in government's hands and it's eating up billions every year, also it's always late and nobody wants to use it!

[@ToastedFanArt]

The problem I see is that yes, full blown Socialism does not work, for a multitude of reasons. But full blown Capitalism also comes with it's problems. You even showed Bernie say that he doesn't want what Venezuela has, but what somewhere like Denmark has. A nice mix of the two. Things like health care and prisons should not be privatised for example, they should be "socialised" but business and economy should be let thrive in most of the other sectors of our society. People need to stop taking everything to polar extremes and realise that there are ups and downs to all the current ways of running a country and maybe we should pluck what works from each and make something new rather than say "Full socialism didn't work in Venezuela so let's never even allow the mention of any policy that remotely sounds socialist." The concept of taxation is socialist and I think we can all agree at least SOME taxes are needed if we want to have socialised police and roads etc.

[@bilbobaggins4710]

Yes but Bernie left out one important factor...A homogeneous population.. Statistics prove that brown and black people use wayyyy more social programs....wayyyyy more

[@ToastedFanArt]

@@bilbobaggins4710 Ok but I hope you're not implying that's due to their "blackness" or whatever. America was a slave nation a segregated nation and only recently did all that stop, it will take more time for the coloured communities to pull themselves out of the dirt they were left in. Shouldn't really matter what colour people are either anyway. They are all Americans and should be treated as such.

[@CalebCalvin]

*_But It Not Real Socialism_*

[@acutechicken5798]

So 27% public sector counts as socialist now? Norway has a larger public sector than that.

[@CalebCalvin]

@@acutechicken5798Norway is not socialism and this is not about public sector

[@acutechicken5798]

@@CalebCalvin, then why would you consider Venezuela to be socialist?

[@CalebCalvin]

@@acutechicken5798 because it fulfills all of karl Marx ideas left me show you a video so it easier to understand for a kid who plays Minecraft

[@acutechicken5798]

@@CalebCalvin, Caleb Calvin , well, the workers don't appear to own the means of production, therefore I don't think it's socialist. Furthermore, it doesn't appear to meet Marx's main goals.

[@AlanYoungIII]

People who think socialism will work this time are like people who think they will be the ones to fix that person who just needs the right touch.

[@Loathomar]

The problem is that the term for "socialism" effectively changes to suit what ever definition people want for their political point. It is not just liberals, who will say anything that fails in not socialism but conservatives who will use anywhere socialism fails shows and all "socialist" programs are bad. Ei, universal healthcare = socialism, socialism = failed governments. But it is this type of rhetoric that causes the issue. If universal healthcare = socialism, then the VAST majority of the developed world is socialist and socialism works very well 99.9% of the time. But if socialism is limited to extreme cases like Venezuela or Cuba, then conservatives can't use the term socialism to attack universal healthcare or other more left leaning but common in the developed world policies. Both sides want "socialist" to mean what they wanted it to mean for their own political goals and because of this, the meaning of the world is lost and people seem crazy because of it.

[@MilwaukeeF40C]

Most of the world is socialist. Fuck all statism.

[@shermanngjazz]

Everyone claims to be a socialist until they have to give up something.

[@dentpeninde]

Mr. Stossel, I wish I could help my mom, a slave of UAW, accept capitalism... but she constantly sides with cnn and Democrats even though they are outright wrong.

[@robertpolanco1973]

@dentpeninde - How could your mother be some kind of "slave" to the UAW? That is just pure nonsense! Whatever you heard about the state of organized labor unions is based on CONSERVATIVE PROPAGANDA!

[@brayan4real2011]

as a venezuelan living in caracas, good video sir

[@sosa437]

Socialism is when Venezuela

[@Chrish3594]

I remember when John Oliver was funny. These days he is more like a wet blanket.

[@TheGameconomist]

Great format on these videos, dont change!

[@AtomicElectronCo]

I do agree with you John that's Venezuela does practice a type of socialism it's so does Austria so does Poland and I think they're much better off especially in Austria if you interviewed Austrian politicians I think they would describe their system as socialism even though they are personally very conservative people. I absolutely love the fact that you are the only journalist out there who says things the way you see them not the way conservatives or liberals wants them slanted. Keep it up.

[@jschapp77]

How dare you use facts

[@goose6.070]

"No group of central planners is wise enough to manage a whole economy" 5000 years earlier: Joseph in Egypt

[@TheActiveAssault]

It’s definitely socialism

[@calebfielding6352]

If someone thinks profit is evil they have no idea what profit is.

[@acutechicken5798]

Profit is evil when it comes before giving people the resources they need. For example, in America, there are 6 times as many empty homes as homeless people. We could easily give every homeless person a home, but it is not profitable to do so, so we don't.

[@calebfielding6352]

@@acutechicken5798 The average homeless person spends 6 weeks homeless in their entire life. Much of what causes homelessness is often a couple splitting up and one of them not having a place to stay. For those who spend a significant time homeless its usually due to mental health issues. Or in the case of california and Hawaii they have a temperate climate and groups of people not willing others to build on their own property. In otherwords socialism keeps people homeless. That said prophet is how we eat. When someone puts a seed into the ground they do so with the expectation that they will recieve many times what they put in the ground back, in return. ie profit.

[@acutechicken5798]

@@calebfielding6352, perhaps, but I will never support a system that puts profit over people.

[@calebfielding6352]

@@acutechicken5798 I simply support freedom. Sometime that means allowing people to be pricks, but overall freedom allows people to do what is best for themselves.

[@ohlawd3699]

Although the sanctions imposed by the U.S did make things worse in Venezuela, it was already going down hill because of socialism. If anything, the negative effects of it basically gave the U.S an excuse to impose sanctions, lol. Great video.👍

[@zenlikestate]

Sanctions just gives believers an excuse to say the US is at fault.

[@DhruveelDave]

India too was a socialist economy about to go bankrupt before economic liberation in 90s. It doesn't work.

[@familyguyblows]

My problem with a lot of the idiots that keep preaching about socialism and change is that they don’t understand it, they don’t study it and they don’t even study capitalism. How can you support something when you don’t even understand what kind of a system it is?

[@iamahater3078]

"Uhhhh, well uhhh nazi fighterz frum the anti slave democratic party said it good!"

[@familyguyblows]

I am a hater 😂

[@nofatchxplzthx]

the ultimate problem is greed thats why every government eventually fails

[@LeekyKale]

also again Venezuela is not socialist because 66.6% of its property is private and 80% of the workforce also works in the private sector. so not socialist in any sense. the problems of Venezuela are caused by America and its oil needs. just google it

[@willnitschke]

This Socialist talking point is sooooo stupid... You're confusing socialism with communism. Private property is allowed under most versions of Socialism. But the true owner of an asset is who controls the asset. In the case of Venezuela, that's the government.

[@SOCALPRINTER]

Why is any time someone utters the word socialism, they sure like to use the worst example. How about say France, Canada, or Norway? But at any rate socialism is well and thriving here in the US, we just don’t call it that. Corporate subsidies are socialist, why to we give money to an already profitable oil and bank industry?

[@Anti-CornLawLeague]

So we should keep giving the surplus value of our labor to our employers?

[@anthonytom-duyquang3558]

Nah, I think the better argument would be to make our workplaces as democratic as possible.

[@kuromyou7969]

If Scandinavian countries "aren't actually socialist", then why do conservatives scream socialism whenever universal healthcare is brought up? Is that socialism or is it not?

[@misterauctor7353]

They are not socialist.

[@kuromyou7969]

@@misterauctor7353 you're missing the point of my question.

[@icecactus11]

It’s welfare statism which is associated with socialism. That’s why.

[@JacatackLP]

*clears throat* VENEZUELA HAS BETWEEN 70-80% of it’s economy in the private sector dependent on the specific economic marker, it is NOT socialist.

[@georgemeyer3575]

If it's Government Owned, it's Socialism. If it's Gov. Control of the means of production, it's Fascism, pure and simple. Peeps, this is not complicated. Don't make it so.

[@JacatackLP]

George Meyer socialism is the abolition of private property (which is the means of production, not personal property such as houses, toothbrushes, TVs, etc.) and worker control of the means of production. If businesses are privately owned and there is a market in which goods are sold for profit, it’s capitalism. Fascism is a reaction to a failing capitalist system in which the capitalist mode of production is protected through the abolition of democracy, scapgoating of out-groups, and violent crackdowns on any threats to the state. That is why in both Germany and Italy the fascists were backed by the largest capitalists of the time.

[@jeffreber3205]

This is something conservatives understand, and unfortunately leftists take to long to learn.

[@Swede.from.Boston]

If Sweden abolished the tax, privatized everything and had the most market-liberal economy on earth. Then things are going very well for Sweden with 0% unemployment. Then the American socialists had said that Sweden is socialist. greetings from a person who is living in Sweden.

[@jasonsimms4238]

what are you trying to say?

[@Swede.from.Boston]

@@jasonsimms4238 Socialists take credit for all that is good. But when they get through their policies, they become like in Venezuela.

[@jasonsimms4238]

@@Swede.from.Boston oh i understand

[@vladimirlenin665]

Venezuela 1999-2013 Poverty dropped unemployment dropped improved schools health that was socialism.

[@JJSmalls]

Of course it's not clear that socialism had anything to do with Venezuela when one chooses to ignore it altogether.

[@Mistaarnold]

Stossel notes that the popular pro Venezuela video never mentions socialism as if it is dishonest. The same could be said about US meddling in the country with an attempted coup and also sanctions against the country. Aren’t both sides being dishonest?

[@willnitschke]

The US "meddles" everywhere. But the entire world hasn't collapsed because of it.

[@MeMyPCandI]

you forgot to mention the SANCTIONS.

[@josephvanhorn5347]

Conservatives are wise enough to realize they aren’t smart enough to solve every problem. That’s the difference.

[@plederfagella9774]

Market socialism exists

[@italktoomuch6442]

"Socialism" is a term so vague and disputed, it doesn't mean anything.

[@dimitriosdrossidis9633]

Once again America, socialism is the ownership of the means of production. This has nothing to do with socialism, but with Imperialism

[@dimitriosdrossidis9633]

@Brion Stronghold an explanation of why you think that would Help more than a Simple Statement

[@theicelandicviking4474]

I wouldn't call the train system in Denmark privatized. The DSB (the company running the trains) is state owned. Otherwise I do agree, the nordic countries are market economies with socialism thrown in it here and there.

[@graphtjb0099]

thank you limited government is better. In a similar way Peer to peer has its advantages over a master/slave architecture. Peer to peer tends to force redundancy in a hierarchy as well as it allow for conflicting ideas to form so that comparisons may even be considered withing an architecture. If resources and memory and time can not be equally distributed then multiple options can not truly be considered.

[@ShirleyitsJohn]

I think capitalism works nicely when socialism is used like salt: just a pinch sprinkled in. Too much though and you ruin the dish and end up with long term health problems.

[@nparksntx]

It’s because the big “bad” bushinesses left after the oil companies were taken over.

[@ismokezekush]

What was the top 5% doing before Chavez was the president? Can you answer that idiot?

[@albertlim2252]

"the socialist solution is to print more money", LOL this aged like a fine wine.

[@ulfljung4630]

Venezuela is capitalism. 130 state owned companies and 700.000 people working in a collective doesn' make it socialism. Social democracy at the best. USA has 14 million people working in a collective or co-operative which is much more in procentage than Venezuela. It is strange that Russia is not considered as a socialist country then? With a 55% state controlled economy they will beat both Venezuela and China!

[@shinybaldboy4384]

ikr show these idiots in the comments this video m.kzbin.info/www/bejne/qqmoY6Cma8eratU

[@misterauctor7353]

Venezuela is socialist. Don't get so upset.

[@ulfljung4630]

@@misterauctor7353 It is not! It is social democracy with 75% capitalism!

[@misterauctor7353]

@@ulfljung4630 Evidence?

[@ulfljung4630]

@@misterauctor7353 I simply searched online in Wikipedia and there it is a list of all state companies. Then around 5% are working in a collective. That number is 9% in USA. Shortages of food is the fault of the US. Since a long way back to the 60's Venezuela has been heavily relied on imprted food even when it was runned by right wing goverments.

[@villalba874]

If your system is so screwed up that you can't recognize it at the end.

[@uncleruckus2974]

naomi campbell is a us citizen now ??