U.S. - Venezuela: The Race to the Bottom for Most Dysfunctional Banana Republic
The days of Hugo Chavez's legacy of misrule appear to be numbered. The late populist strongman's equally inept successor, Nicolás Maduro, is facing growing public protest and serious challenges to his power on the part of the political opposition as well as foreign governments. The United States has joined others in switching its political recognition from Maduro to his young and charismatic challenger, National Assembly president Juan Guaidó, who today swore himself into office as Venezuela's president. Citizens are dying of starvation and illness due to lack of medicines. Three million have fled the country. Inflation is literally in the millions percentagewise. Crime is out of control. The nation's once vaunted oil industry (and cash cow) has ground to a halt. Finally - finally, the seams are bursting. It's only a matter of time till Maduro is out and an interim government takes over to begin the long, arduous process of rebuilding the country.
Meanwhile...
The president of the United States has shut down his own government - in fact, now breaking the record for the longest government closure. Police have arrested government workers at the Hart Senate Office Building who were peacefully protesting the shutdown. Food banks have been established to feed FBI families. U.S. diplomats are required to show up to work every day at embassies and consulates without being paid. Law enforcement agencies are nearly crippled in carrying out investigations and fighting crime. TSA agents are refusing to report to work unpaid, resulting in long passenger lines and even closed terminals. Aviation experts say that air safety is degrading. The Smithsonian's museums are closed. The Coast Guard can't fulfill its mission to protect the nation's maritime borders. Furloughed federal workers are having to decide on what's more important: rent or chemo? And on it goes...
The standoff between President Trump and the Democrats over whether and when the State of the Union address can be delivered becomes more, well, Madurian. Speaker Pelosi has informed Trump that he cannot deliver the annual address on January 29th from the House floor, as is customary. Trump informed Pelosi that he was going to do it anyway. Pelosi replied, "Oh no, you're not!"
What's next? Tanks grinding up Constitution Avenue? Delta Force seizing the lower chamber for el presidente?
And...
Economists are predicting slower economic growth due to both the shutdown and Trump's cockamamie trade wars. The stock market is spluttering. If the shutdown goes much longer, there's even a risk of recession and negative growth.
This all comes on top of the proliferating investigations into Trump's everything (too many to list here) and the alleged commander in chief's tirades against the FBI, the special counsel, the Department of Justice, State Department, intel community and pretty much the rest of the federal government. Not to mention his persistent attacks on democracy and the rule of law (let's start with arresting babies on the border). The length of service of a cabinet member is shorter than the life span of a fire fly. The level of corruption among senior officials makes Warren Harding's spirit blush.
And, oh! Let's not forget our esteemed president being in the hip pocket of our biggest foreign adversary. I mean, Benedict Arnold is looking more like an American hero in comparison!
So, who's ahead in the race for bottom? The U.S. or Venezuela? I vote: United States. Why? Because, after a much too long nightmare suffering under gross misrule, Venezuelans, who hit bottom long ago, appear to be organizing themselves to finally end it and begin to pull themselves up. In doing so, they'll be waving at us as we continue on our accelerating self-inflicted free-fall to our bottom.
Let's wish the Venezuelans luck. But what do we do for ourselves?