While you are self-censoring yourself from reading different ideologies, you should know that Karl Marx warned that the fall of Capitalism will lend itself to Communism. Lenin theorized that the highest stage of Capitalism is Imperialism. Or simply stated, Crony capitalism and Monopoly capitalism are transistions from Capitalism to Imperialism, the later does not allow for Free Markets. You may also read up on Imperialism and the cause and effect of immigration.

Venezuela is a classic example of the failures of Crony capitalism, which is precisely the reason Chavez can tear down one system and build the direct opposite. If you are such a student of economies and care so much for the libertarian ideal (Classical liberalism or any other faction), you would be more concerned about an inevitable fall of our own system. What kind of a system would replace it? If you do not want socialism, then you had better do your homework and understand why it happens.

Capitalism is not evil; monopolized power is. There is no way that you could intelligently argue that there has not been heinous crimes committed in the interest of promoting capitalism. Are you that neo-conned?

One thing is clear, when challenged to a thoughtful dialog, you attacked my use of Grammar, used personal attacks, sang the same evil-doer song, and countered with emotional opinions. This is not debating.

Capitalism has shown that it will stop at nothing and commit henious crimes to further their initiative, which goes to my earlier point and that is that systems are not evil only the people in charge of are.

Horrific grammar and an indictment of capitalism along with it, even though the philosophy of capitalism espouses individual liberty.

Amy, I will say once more that socialism, as a philosophy, is evil because it posits violating my individual liberty. Capitalism and Liberalism do not.

I won’t even bother with your word game about anti-semitism. Or any other collective racism for that matter.

I really enjoyed you playing this little game though.

Semites are a group of people, a classification if you will, just as African Americans are, and for good measure, lets include non-heterosexuals. Any time you group people you diminish their individual rights. So for you to speak of semitisms, that is to give favor to a specific group of people, you are deviating from the foundation of libertarian principals.

Collectivism can be very subtle: Why is the Jewish Question any more important than the Armenian Question? You may not think it is, but American policy dictates that it is. The ADL certainly does: http://www.bloggernews.net/111338 and http://www.jewishjournal.com/home/preview.php?id=18125

Anti-semitism is one of the most overtly over-used philosophies, mostly to the Semites advantage. If you haven’t, I would suggest that you read Jimmy Carter’s book, “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid”, or is this one of the books you would never read since it does not cater to your paradigm? (You know, liberal author and anti-semitic bullshit.)

Capitalism has shown that it will stop at nothing and commit henious crimes to further their initiative, which goes to my earlier point and that is that systems are not evil only the people in charge of are.

I repudiate nothing… You need to rethink your libertarian ideals, outside of the economic realm. Collectivism goes beyond socialism, it rears its ugly head anytime you emphasis the collective whole and not the individual.

Other than that I am really thrilled that the Giants kicked some butt tonight… :)

Refusing to do business with socialists is not an insult to free thinking. Socialists have proven, time and again, that they will commit any heinous crime necessary to further their ideas. You are suggesting that I should “do business” with people that deliberately choose to act in evil ways?

Venezuelan government intelligence services twice have raided the country’s most important Jewish center in a vague, ultimately unsuccessful search for weapons. Publications of the government’s cultural ministry run articles entitled ”the Jewish Question,” along with a Jewish star superimposed over a swastika.

None of that is “speaking against Israel” and is very reminiscent of European pogroms and the early behavior of the Nazi regime (let’s say 1933 to 1935). Now you are starting to show your colors a bit more clearly. Either that, or you will repudiate what you just said.

Yes, I am in favor of revolution, but not socialist revolution. Yes, I believe we can learn things from events, even events we believe are wrong. But there’s nothing more to be learned from socialist revolution that isn’t a minor tactical issue.

Chavez may be the enemy of things I also am an enemy of. But the enemy of my enemy is not my friend, regardless of realpolitik. In fact, those things you point out (the IMF, for example) are not nearly as bad as Chavez.

How can I think you can learn from evil? How can you not? The field advantage is to know your enemies. Knowledge is power.

Although your bio indicates that you favor revolution, your fear of socialism prevents you from having an open dialog about this revolution. Our own country takes property from another to benefit others. How about the poor that pay taxes that turns into aid for corporate bailouts? This is evil. Change is needed here. In order for that change to take place you have to be well versed in it. The libertarian movement is nothing more than a bowel movement if you cannot move past unpleasantness to see the whole picture.

BTW, this conversation started with Sammy Eppel’s fear mongering and race-baiting. I find it ignorant that anyone that speaks against Israel is an antisemitic. Further to not do business with some one because of the your with me or against me attitude is isolationist thinking. It should be an insult to all free-thinkers.

I am paying attention to Venezuela, and not learning anything new. Chavez is using standard populist, racist, collectivist tactics to implement socialism. I see no difference between him and any of the others that have gone before him.

How can you think there is something to learn from evil? Except for one thing, and that is to oppose it. Mussolini made the trains run on time, Hitler freed his country from the constraints of the League of Nations and Versailles. Does that make them good? Is there a lesson (other than the one that we have already learned about socialism) to be learned?

One can be rabidly blinded to this movement based on personal idealogical differences but the fact remains it is taking place, there are lesson to learn and it will impact the World communities.

I cannot believe that you do not find it fascinating that this so-called fruit cake is able to free his country from some the most evil forms of world governesses… that BTW stand in the way of free-markets.

My interest in this Revolution is not economics or even ideological, it is sociological.

Your failure to see that there is benefit in studying this revolution from an sociological standpoint, proves my theory on why libertarianism, (one of these oldest isms) will never flourish and that is, there is too much infighting and a prevailing elitist attitude, which excludes self-defined incompatible thinking.

Your viewpoint here is not one of a free-thinker and could be misconstrued as a form of bigotry.

How can you call yourself a lover of liberty and stomach the things you are saying?

That you cannot see the utter hypocrisy in your suggestion demonstrates a real problem. And brings into question all of the other comments you have made on this site.

My motivation in participating in this thread, is none other than to put forth a challenge to the propaganda surrounding the Bolivar Revolution. There are parallels to this systems change versus our very own initiative of libertarianism; false ideas and a threat to the status quo. Propaganda is distributed as a method of self-destruction.

What I find intriguing is that this Venezuela is dismantling an entire system and rebuilding another. The effects of this will reverberate throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. This is a great accomplishment and there is something we could learn from this.
How can we put this to use to change our system to a libertarian system?