How we got where we are

As a venezuelan living in the US for the last 13 years I find a lot of amusement when I talk to my countrymen and how the long for past times that most likely will never return. There are many reasons for the coming of Chavez and probably more reasons why it will probably take a long time to get rid of him.

The first reason to consider is hte fact that more than 80% of the population in Venezuela is poor. That means that for many years the high and medium classes and the good years that we all long are the good years only to a small percentage of the population. For the rest is just all those years where they had no representation. It was a question of time that people in a democracy would discover that they can change the direction of a country by voting. When htey found somebody that they believe that understand them then it was the most likely result was to have somebody like Chavez. Now if you are part of the lower classes in Venezuela and you feel like the political partys haven't done anything for you there is only an option for you.

The second reason is the lack of leadership in the opposition not to command there followers, mostly from the medium and high classes, which they definitively do, but to attract and promote a model of government that attracts the attention of the people that actually elects Chavez. Where a contrast is presented between what socialism offers and what a capitalistic democracy can offer to an individual when opportunities are given equally. Equality of opportunities regardless of social class.

Only when a new system that makes it possible to have equality of opportunities if you are creditworthy and show that you are capable of handling your committments. A system that can help people develop and that make cresit avalable to creditworthy individuals. Perhaps to microloans generated thru the help of the government and expanding it thru the own self generating revenue.

Only when alternatives are created that promotes the improvement of the individual for the individual and that eliminate the monopoly of opportunities that exist in Venezuela even today is when we would be able to have a different Venezuela.

Unfortunately, with the short sight, the feeling that everything was created by Chavez, as oppose to the realization that we all contribute to have a Crazy President by our everyday actions for many years and the lack the rule of law, it makes for almost a perfect storm to not only forecast more storms in the horizon but the continue the down slope.