Chavez didn't seize power in a military coup. There was no revolution. He wasn't imposed on Venezuelans by the C.I.A. He was the people's choice...
Townhall "The left's enthusiasm for Third World immigrants isn't only because they vote 8-2 for the Democrats. It's that Latin American peasants seem uniquely amenable to idiotic socialist schemes.
"You probably think it's beyond silliness for Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren to keep promising FREE HEALTH CARE FOR ALL! NO PREMIUMS! NO CO-PAYS! ILLEGAL ALIENS, TOO! EVERYBODY GETS A PONY!
"No one could be gullible enough to fall for that.
" I refer you to the economic powerhouse that is Latin America.
"Based on hundreds of years of indigenous people voting for politicians who made similar promises, Latin America has become the dream factory that it is today. That's why Tegucigalpa is practically a byword for "technological innovation," Santiago was the picture of calm sophistication this weekend, and Caracas is the ultimate in modern conveniences. "Perhaps you missed the article in last Saturday's New York Times on what socialism has done for the water system in Venezuela:
" 'The brick shack on the outskirts of Venezuela's capital is crowded with tubs, jugs and buckets. The water they hold must last the family of eight for a week -- but it's not enough for frequent washing or flushing, so the kitchen is filled with greasy pots and the house smells of stale urine.
" 'And none of the water is treated, making diarrhea and vomit a regular occurrence.
" 'We practically live in the bathroom,' said the mother of the family ... [Her daughter] sat nearby, pale and listless, recovering from her latest bout of diarrhea just one month away from childbirth."
"Democrats: We need some of that Latin American magic!
"Twenty years ago, 60 percent of Venezuelans had regular access to safe drinking water. Today, only 30 percent do. How did this happen?
"Answer: Poor Venezuelans voted for it. If we let them in, they'll vote for it here, too. (Except 20 percent, who will be patriotic Americans, i.e. Republicans.)" . . .