1AC

Contention 1 is Inherency
Venezuela is currently undergoing revolution, Maduro's sovereignty is under attack
Drew Katchen, 14 I have been a web producer for Morning Joe since Feb. of 2011, building the show's web presence from the ground up through the first incarnation of
the show's blog, twitter, flic r and Faceboo pages. I often cover the show's goings!on for the site, and additionall" I report on #$%& issues for msnbc.com. 'rior to msnbc I wor ed for ()*+, ,-# and the )ew *or .ail" )ews. I graduated from the /niversit" of 0outh +arolina. http122www.msnbc.com2msnbc2what! now!right!now!about!vene3uela

But another poltical crisis has been roiling in Caracas, Venezuela, where protesters are calling for President Nicolas aduro to step down. , demonstrator raises his arms toward the %olivarian )ational 'olice 6%)'7 firing
&he world4s attention has turned this wee to 5iev, / raine, which is now reportedl" in the hands of demonstrators . tear gas and a water canon in the ,ltamira neighborhood of +aracas, 8ene3uela, on Feb. 19, 201:. view slideshow,t least si; people have been illed in clashes between protesters and securit" forces, according to <euters. &he unrest, which started as a student demonstration against Marduro, has centered on frustration over the countr"4s high crime rate, inflation and a shortage of basic household items. =ere are five things to now about what4s happening right now in 8ene3uela1

!ppposition leader "eopoldo "opez is currentl# $ailed in %a&o Verde prison, in Caracas. 'e is calling for his supporters to continue de&onstrating peacefull# against Venezuelan President Nicolas aduro. ()*& fine, ) as+ #ou not to gi,e up, ) won*t,- he said in a note fro& $ail, according to %euters. 'e added, (.o the police, soldiers, prosecutors and $udges/ do not obe# un$ust orders, do not beco&e the face of repression. .o the #outh, to the protesters, ) as+ #ou to sta# fir& against ,iolence, and to sta# organized and disciplined. .his is e,er#one*s struggle.- .espite
accusing the /nited 0tates of inciting unrest, 'resident Maduro is calling on 'resident -bama to begin tal s. >,ccept the challenge and we will start a high!level dialogue and put the truth on the table,> Maduro said at a press conference Frida". Journalists are receiving mi;ed messages from Maduro. , +)) team was told the" would be removed from the countr" if the" didn4t ?rectif"> how the" were covering the protests. Maduro later reversed his decision, telling the @ournalists the" could sta" and cover the protests in a ?balanced wa".> &he +ommittee to 'rotect Journalists has called on the 8ene3uelan government to ensure safe press access in the countr". More than a do3en reporters have been in@ured covering the protests, according to the group, and several @ournalists have been arrested. 0ome 8ene3uelans are reportedl" without Internet, and some are e;periencing bloc ed sites, according to the ,ssociated 'ress. ,uthorities have cut service to towns li e 0an +ristobal. ,ccording to /.0.!based mobile app compan" Aello, 8ene3uela4s state!run telecom compan" +,)&8 has bloc ed access to a wal ie! tal ie app that demonstrators have used to help organi3e protests. 'rotestors remain divided over their ob@ectives, with man" not bac ing #eopoldo #ope3 or other

Can an opposition with ,ar#ing goals force the current go,ern&ent fro& power0 1nd will that go,ern&ent step down before the ,iolence worsens0 Center for 2cono&ic and Polic# %esearch co3director ar+ 4eisbrot told the Christian 5cience onitor/ -)s there a go,ern&ent in the world that would step down $ust because there are a lot of people calling for change0 No, it doesn*t happen. .he# don*t $ust resign. .here has to be ,iolence.politicians.

Kerry Says US should intervene But no action has ha

$is%eth &unter, March 1, '(1)

ened !ro" the U#S#

+,-. /ew0

http://www.ryot.org/john-kerry-intervention-venezuela/58762 !"z#$%%&'C#()$*C$.

In +aracas, 8ene3uela, over B0 people have died as a result of the anti!government protests of the past several wee s. &he widespread protests began over a

1nd 6ohn Kerr#, 7.5. 5ecretar# of 5tate, has now spo+en out on the &atter, sa#ing that it will be near i&possible for Venezuela to find peace without e8ternal help. 5err" has also said that he thin s the wa" to a solution involves
violent police response to college campus incident in response to a se;ual assault. dialogue, not violence against 8ene3uela4s "oung people. In hopes of Cuelling the unrest, 8ene3uelan 'resident )icolas Maduro announced that wee long public holida" +arnival would begin earl". %ut his plan hasn4t helped, with protesters pressing on to find @ustice. 0tudent leaders sa" the"4ll march no matter what to tr" to

. 1nti3go,ern&ent &arches ha,e reached a fe,er pitch in Caracas as the 7.5. Congress deter&ines whether the#*ll be able to sanction Venezuela o,er the wa# the go,ern&ent and &ilitar# responded to protesters.
free those who have been detained ,ccording to 8ene3uelan authorities, nearl" D0 cases of human rights abuse stemming from police are now being investigated. ?(e are wor ing closel" with

+olombia and other countries to tr" to see how some ind of mediation might be able to ta e place,> 5err" told reporters. ?%ecause it4s obviousl" alread" proven ver" difficult for the two sides to bring themselves together b" themselves.>

Plan .e8t
*$+,- United States .ederal /overn"ent should su%stantially increase it's econo"ic engage"ent to0ards the Venezuelan eo le to oust Maduro# Contention '- &u"an 1ights
&u"an 1ights a%uses in Venezuela are revalent right no0
'%4, 92B%71%: ;1, ;<14
=uman <ights (atch is one of the world4s leading independent organi3ations dedicated to defending and protecting human rights. %" focusing international attention where human rights are violated, we give voice to the oppressed and hold oppressors accountable for their crimes. -ur rigorous, ob@ective investigations and strategic, targeted advocac" build intense pressure for action and raise the cost of human rights abuse. For more than D0 "ears, =uman <ights (atch has wor ed tenaciousl" to la" the legal and moral groundwor for deep!rooted change and has fought to bring greater @ustice and securit" to people around the world. https122www.hrw.org2news2201: =*'E<#I)5 Fhttps122www.hrw.org2news2201:2022212vene3uela!violence!against! protesters!@ournalistsF2022212vene3uela!violence!against!protesters!@ournalists

Venezuelan securit# forces ha,e used e8cessi,e and unlawful force against protesters on &ultiple occasions since 9ebruar# 1;, ;<14, including beating detainees and shooting at crowds of unar&ed people, 'u&an %ights 4atch said toda#. &he government has censored the news media, bloc ing transmission of a &8 channel and threatening to prosecute news outlets for their coverage of
the violence. 'resident )icolGs Maduro announced on Februar" 20, 201:, that he had begun proceedings to ta e +)) off the airwaves in 8ene3uela, and a press wor ers union reported on Februar" 21 that the government had cancelled the credentials of +))4s +aracas correspondent. Journalists and human rights

(.he Venezuelan go,ern&ent has openl# e&braced the classic tactics of an authoritarian regi&e, $ailing its opponents, &uzzling the &edia, and inti&idating ci,il societ#,- said 6os= iguel Vi,anco, 1&ericas director at 'u&an %ights 4atch. 1t least three de&onstrators ha,e been shot dead, and scores ha,e been in$ured since 9ebruar# 1;. &he Maduro government has blamed opposition leaders for the violence. #eopoldo #Hpe3, one of the most prominent opposition figures, was arrested on
defenders have reported being sub@ect to acts of violence and intimidation b" government agents or supporters. Februar" 1I, and a @udge ordered his pretrial detention on Februar" 20. ,n arrest warrant has also been issued for +arlos 8ecchio, another leader of #Hpe34s political part", according to news reports.

Maduro sho0s no signs in slo0ing do0n, hu"an rights 0ill still %e violated
>)%)5' >7P.1, ?@1?@;<14
anarch"!rages!little!direction!nB1JIJ $#-%,#'-0& +-)&<I%/&-< http122www.nbcnews.com2stor"line2vene3uela!crisis2vene3uela!protest!

Putrid re&nants of the nightl# bouts between rioters and go,ern&ent securit# forces ha,e turned this once posh plaza into a wasteland. 5&o+e fro& protesters* s&oldering barricades and gas bo&bs as well as the police*s tear gas seep into neighboring apart&ents and upscale bars ser,ing A?< coc+tails. 9or an entire &onth, de&onstrators ha,e co&e out b# the tens of thousands across Venezuela to rail against econo&ic and social proble&s, including shortages of basic goods and so&e of the world*s highest inflation and ,iolent cri&e rates. -n (ednesda", the" prompted
mobs of counter!protesters to ta e to the streets as the" had done before, in a show of support for the leftist government. &he crisis is the biggest test "et for 'resident )icolas Maduro, but it could well cement his presidenc" if the opposition continues to falter. 'rotest!related deaths are mounting on both sides of the political divide, and both sides appear to see to inflate figures. ,s man" as three people were reported illed in (ednesda"'s protests, including a )ational $uard captain who died from gunshot in the northern state of +arabobo, according to the state's governor, who called the assailants Fterrorist delinCuents.F &hat raised the death toll to at least 2B, according to collated government and opposition numbers. 'revious victims include a motorc"clist who was decapitated b" wire strung across a road and numerous people attempting to clear barricades from the streets. -ne barricade!buster was a +hilean middle!aged woman who became the first nown foreigner illed in 8ene3uela4s grinding crisis.

&u"an rights are universal20e have a "oral i" erative to rotect our !ello0 citizens o! the 0orld /i%ney1 3 $elk %i0tingui0he2 'ro3e00or at the 4niver0ity o3 /orth Carolina-A0heville 56ark
&i7ney1 8e7ruary 29981 :+e0pon0i7ilitie0 3or 'rote;ting <u*an +ight0=1 http://glo7alejournal.org/2998/92/15/gi7ney/>//?6 &u"an rights are universal, "eaning that each erson ossesses certain hu"an rights %y the "ere !act o! this erson4s hu"anity# @hat 2oe0 not *atter A or at lea0t what 0houl2 not *atter A i0 where a
per0on live01 how *u;h *oney a per0on ha0 5or 2oe0 not have>1 whether that per0onB0 ;ountry ha0 5or ha0 not> 7e;a*e a party to any parti;ular international hu*an right0 treatie01 an2 0o on. @ho ha0 the re0pon0i7ility 3or *eeting the0e :univer0al= right0C .he 5univer0al> re0pon0e o3 0tate0 ha0 7een that ea;h ;ountry i0 re0pon0i7le 3or prote;ting hu*an right0 within it0 own 7or2er0 A 7ut that no 0tate ha0 hu*an right0 o7ligation0 that eDten2 out0i2e o3 it0 own territorial @urisdiction. %ut what if a countr" is not

able or is not willing to protect the human rights of its citi3ensK -r what if human rights are being violated, in large part due to the actions of outside statesK It is here that the silence of the international communit" has been deafening. &hus, notwithstanding nearuniver0al 2e;laration0 o3 the :univer0ality= o3 hu*an right01 the re0pon0i7ility 3or prote;ting hu*an right0 ha0 7een 7a0e2 al*o0t eD;lu0ively on territorial ;on0i2eration0. (hat has this territorial approach to human rights given usK

/nfortunatel", not nearl" enough. #oo ing at violations of economic rights alone, we live in a world where an average o! 5(,((( eo le die every single day due to reventa%le causes #
,et1 notwith0tan2ing thi0 in;re2i7le level o3 hu*an right0 atro;itie01 the territorial approa;h to hu*an right0 ha0 e00entially gone un;hallenge2. <owever1 thi0 ha0 0tarte2 to ;hange an2 it ha0 ;o*e 3ro* the *o0t unlikely o3 0our;e0: the :war on terror.= .o 0tate *atter0 7luntly1 the rea0on why :ene*y ;o*7atant0= are 7eing hel2 at &uantana*o $ay1 Cu7a an2 not in 0o*e lo;ation in thi0 ;ountry i0 that A*eri;an govern*ent o33i;ial0 are o3 the *in2 that 4.E. o7ligation0 un2er international law 2o not eDten2 out0i2e the territorial 7oun2arie0 o3 the 4nite2 Etate0. 4n2er thi0 5territorial> approa;h to hu*an right01 the 4.E. govern*ent i0 not 7oun2 7y the .orture Convention an2 the Covenant on Fnternational Civil an2 'oliti;al +ight0 57oth o3 whi;h the 4.E. i0 a party to> when it i0 operating out0i2e the territorial 7or2er0 o3 the 4nite2 Etate0. .hi0 0a*e kin2 o3 rationale i0 7ehin2 the poli;y o3 :eDtraor2inary ren2ition.= .he i2ea i0 that the 4.E. ha0 not 2one anything wrong or unlaw3ul when in2ivi2ual0 out0i2e the 4nite2 Etate0 are 7eing ki2nappe2 an2 0ent to 0o*e thir2 ;ountry 3or :interrogation= purpo0e0 A al7eit at the 7ehe0t o31 an2 un2er the 2ire;tion an2 ;ontrol o31 A*eri;an authoritie0. Again1 the argu*ent i0 that A*eri;an o7ligation0 un2er international law are only appli;a7le to a;tion0 within the 4nite2 Etate0. 8ortunately1 *o0t people have 7een a7le to 0ee 7ehin2 thi0 3aGa2e. .hat i01 they have re;ognize2 that territorial

considerations should not %e used in this "anner to de"arcate 0here a country4s hu"an rights o%ligations %egin 7ut1 *ore i*portantly1 where they en2. 6o0t people 0ee* to 7elieve that torture i0 illegal whether
it take0 pla;e in 8ort $enning1 &eorgia1 or &uantana*o $ay1 Cu7a1 or at the A7u &hrai7 pri0on in FraH. Fn that way1 the :war on terror= ha0 helpe2 u0 0ee that territorial ;on0i2eration0 o3tenti*e0 *ake little 0en0e in the ;onteDt o3 prote;ting hu*an right0. .hi0 i0 not to 0ugge0t that :territory= 2oe0 not *atter at all or that 0tate0 have the 0a*e hu*an right0 o7ligation0 out0i2e their 7or2er0 a0 they 2o 2o*e0ti;ally. /either o3 the0e propo0ition0 happen0 to 7e true. +ather1 ea;h 0tate ha0 the pri*ary re0pon0i7ility 3or prote;ting hu*an right0 within it0 own 2o*e0ti; 7or2er0. <owever1 what we have ;o*pletely 3aile2 to re;ognize are the 0e;on2ary re0pon0i7ilitie0 that the re0t o3 the international ;o**unity ha0 when the territorial 0tate ha0 not 7een willing or a7le to o33er hu*an right0 prote;tion. An2 what al0o ha0 to 7e 0ai2 i0 that thi0 i0 not 0i*ply a *oral o7ligation A woul2nBt it 7e a ni;e ge0ture i3 we provi2e2 0o*e a00i0tan;e to 0tarving ;hil2ren in 0o*e other lan2 A rather1 it i0 a legal o7ligation. .hi0 i0 *o0t ;learly 0een in the language o3 the Fnternational Covenant on ?;ono*i;1 Eo;ial an2 Cultural +ight01 one o3 the 0o-;alle2 Fnternational $ill o3 +ight01 where7y ea;h 0tate party to the Covenant ha0 5legally> o7ligate2 it0el3 to prote;t the e;ono*i; right0 o3 :everyone= 7y *ean0 o3 :international a00i0tan;e an2 ;ooperation.= @hat 2oe0 :international a00i0tan;e an2 ;ooperation= *eanC @hat it *ean0 i0 that when ;hil2ren in a parti;ular ;ountry are 7eing 2enie2 an e2u;ation 5to ;hoo0e one eDa*ple>1 thi0 not only ;on0titute0 a violation o3 hu*an right0 7y the territorial 0tate A 7ut thi0 al0o ;on0titutes a human rights violation on the part of the rest of the international

communit", which has pledged to protect those rights. &he point is that human rights are universal, but so are the duties and responsibilities to meet those rights. &his is what the framers of the International %ill of <ights, and all of the other international human rights treaties, sought to achieve. &his is the only way that the notion o3 hu*an right0 *ake0 any 0en0e. F3 hu*an right0
prote;tion were 0o*ething that in2ivi2ual 0tate0 ;oul2 5an2 woul2> 2o in2ivi2ually1 there woul2 7e no nee2 3or any international ;onvention0. Etrippe2 to their 7are0t e00ential01 what ea;h one o3 the0e treatie0 repre0ent0 i0 nothing le00 than thi0: that everyone ha0 an ethi;al a0 well a0 a legal o7ligation to prote;t the hu*an right0 o3 all other people. Ea2ly enough1 our ina7ility to re;ognize the eDtent o3 our own hu*an right0 o7ligation0 ha0 ;on0titute2 the greate0t hu*an right0 3ailure o3 all.

'u&an rights are +e# to reducing po,ert#

7N, 1< 6/), I2:210, ?/) official stresses the importance of human rights in overcoming povert">, http122www.un.org2apps2news2stor".aspK)ewsI.LDBBDJM./eM<d9#8+0o722EM : ,ugust 2010 N .he econo&ic e&power&ent of the world*s poorest people will not happen unless their hu&an rights are also considered, a senior /nited )ations official said
toda", urging governments around the world not to separate development and basic rights when devising polic". )avi 'illa", the /) =igh +ommissioner for =uman <ights, warned that ?the interrelation between freedom from want and freedom from fear> must be central to the discussions of world leaders on how to achieve the Millennium .evelopment $oals 6M.$s7 b" their target date of 201B. $lobal leaders are scheduled to gather at /) =eadCuarters in )ew *or ne;t month to assess the progress so far towards the M.$s, a series of targets for reducing social and economic ills, and where future efforts should be directed. In an op!ed column that was published in )epal4s <epublica and other newspapers, Ms. 'illa" noted that po,ert# re&ains stubbornl# high in too &an# regions of

the world, particularl" sub!0aharan ,frica and parts of ,sia. ?(e cannot afford to

eep disappointing the hopes of those who live at the margins of their own societies N let alone the global communit",> she wrote. ?&heir disenfranchisement ma" carr" a higher cost than investing resources and political will in their empowerment.> For too long, Ms. 'illa" said, economic development and human rights have been considered b" governments as separate issues to be tac led separatel", with development treated as the overriding concern. (2&power&ent cannot be

achie,ed if de,elop&ent policies are pursued in a hu&an rights ,acuu&B Economic

growth strategies can be a powerful tool to help us reali3e the /) +harter4s vision of a more eCual, secure and @ust world in larger freedom. ?=uman rights principles such as eCualit", participation and accountabilit" and the rule of law are instrumental for development to ta e firm root and be both eCuitable and sustainable.> 1 hu&an rights

approach to development is essential, the =igh +ommissioner emphasi3ed, as ?it puts people in control of their own li,es.-

Po,ert# &a+es ,iolence ine,itable 333 outweighs nuclear war

>illigan CD 6James, 'rofessor of 's"chiatr" N =arvard Medical 0chool, .irector of the +enter for the 0tud" of 8iolence, Member N ,cademic ,dvisor" +ouncil of the )ational +ampaign ,gainst *outh 8iolence, ?8iolence1 -ur .eadl" Epidemic and its +auses>, pg. 191!19J7 OOO(e do not endorse the use of =olocaust rhetoric .he deadliest for& of ,iolence is po,ert#. *ou cannot wor for one da" with the violent people who fill
our prisons and mental hospitals for the criminall" insane without being forcible and constantl" reminded of the e;treme povert" and discrimination that characteri3es their lives. =earing about their lives, and about their families and friends, "ou are forced to recogni3e the truth in $andhi4s observation that the deadliest form of violence is povert". )ot a da" goes b" without reali3ing that tr"ing to understand them and their violent behavior in purel" individual terms is impossible and wrong!headed. ,n" theor" of violence, especiall" a ps"chological theor", that evolves from the e;perience of men in ma;imum securit" prisons and hospitals for the criminall" insane must begin with the recognition that these institutions are onl" microcosms. &he" are not where the ma@or violence in our societ" ta es place, and the perpetrators who fill them are far from being the main causes of most violent deaths. ,n" approach to a theor" of violence needs to begin with a loo at the structural violence in this countr". Focusing merel" on those relativel" few men who commit what we define as murder could distract us from e;amining and learning from those structural causes of violent death that are far more significant from a numerical or public health, or human, standpoint. %" ?structural violence> I mean the increased rates of death, and disabilit" suffered b" those who occup" the bottom rungs of societ", as contrasted with the relativel" lower death rates e;perienced b" those who are above them. &hose e;cess deaths 6or at least a demonstrabl" large proportion of them7 are a function of class structureP and that structure is itself a product of societ"4s collective human choices, concerning how to distribute the collective wealth of the societ". &hese are not acts of $od. I am contrasting ?structural> with

?behavioral violence,> b" which I mean the non!natural deaths and in@uries that are caused b" specific behavioral actions of individuals against individuals, such as the deaths we attribute to homicide, suicide, soldiers in warfare, capital punishment, and so on. 0tructural violence differs from behavioral violence in at least three ma@or respects. O&he lethal effects of structural violence operate continuousl", rather than sporadicall", whereas murders, suicides, e;ecutions, wars, and other forms of behavioral violence occur one at a time. O0tructural violence operates more or less independentl" of individual actsP independent of individuals and groups 6politicians, political parties,

voters7 whose decisions ma" nevertheless have lethal conseCuences for others. O0tructural violence is normall" invisible, because it ma" appear to have had other 6natural or violent7 causes. &he finding that structural violence causes far more deaths than behavioral violence does is not limited to this countr". 5ohler and ,lcoc attempted to arrive at the number of e;cess deaths caused b" socioeconomic ineCuities on a worldwide basis. 0weden was their model of the nation that had come closes to eliminating structural violence. It had the least ineCuit" in income and living standards, and the lowest
discrepancies in death rates and life e;pectanc"P and the highest overall life e;pectanc" in the world. (hen the" compared the life e;pectancies of those living in the other socioeconomic s"stems against 0weden, the" found that

1E &illion deaths a #ear could be attributed to the ?structural ,iolence> to which the citi3ens of
all the other nations were being sub@ected. .uring the past decade, the discrepancies between the rich and poor nations have increased dramaticall" and alarmingl". &he 1: to 1I million deaths a "ear caused b" structural violence co&pare

with about 1<<,<<< deaths per #ear fro& ar&ed conflict. +omparing this freCuenc" of deaths
from structural violence to the freCuenc" of those caused b" ma@or militar" and political violence, such as (orld (ar II 6an estimated :9 million militar" and civilian deaths, including those b" genocideQor about eight million per "ear, 19D9!19:B7, the Indonesian massacre of 19JB!JJ 6perhaps BRB,0007 deaths7, the 8ietnam war 6possibl" two million, 19B:!19RD7, and even a h"pothetical nuclear e;change between the /.0. and the /.0.0.<. 62D2 million7, it was clear that even war

cannot begin to co&pare with structural ,iolence, which continues #ear after #ear.
In other words, ever" fifteen "ears, on the average, as man" people die because of relative povert" as would be illed b" the )a3i genocide of the Jews over a si;!"ear period. .his is, in effect, the eFui,alent of an ongoing,

unending, in fact accelerating, ther&onuclear war, or genocide, perpetrated on the wea and poor ever" "ear of ever" decade, throughout the world. 0tructural violence is also the main cause of behavioral violence on a sociall" and epidemiologicall" significant scale 6from homicide and suicide to war and genocide7. &he Cuestion as to which of the two forms of violenceQstructural or behavioralQis more important, dangerous, or lethal is moot, for the" are ine;tricabl" related to each other, as cause to effect.

Violence is e!!ective in to ling a%usive regi"es 6as sho0n 0ith the '(11 7gy tian 1evolution, e" irics rove8
Chris
http122www.theguardian.com2world220112feb2112hosni!mubara !resigns!eg"pt!cairo +hris Mc$real is the $uardian's (ashington correspondent. =e has previousl" been posted in Johannesburg and in Jerusalem. Mc$real is a former %%+ @ournalist in +entral ,merica and merchant seaman. Jac 0hen er is a #ondon!born writer who has reported from across the globe, with award!winning wor spanning +entral ,sia, the Indian subcontinent, $a3a and the Mediterranean. In 200I he became Eg"pt correspondent for the $uardian, and his coverage of the Eg"ptian revolution won the ,mnest" International $ab" <ado pri3e for e;cellence in human rights @ournalism. =e is currentl" based in #ondon and +airo ! @ac shen er.net

c>real and 6ac+ 5hen+er, 11

(hen it finall" came, the end was swift. ,fter 1I da"s of mass protest, it too @ust over D0 seconds for Eg"pt's vice!president

announce that President 'osni to the &ilitar#. G)n the na&e of 1llah the &ost gracious the &ost &erciful,G 5ulei&an read. G # fellow citizens, in the difficult circu&stances our countr# is e8periencing, President uha&&ad 'osni ubara+ has decided to gi,e up the office of the president of the republic and instructed the supre&e council of the ar&ed forces to &anage the affairs of the countr#. Ma" $od guide our steps.F Moments later a deafening roar swept central
+airo. 'rotesters fell to their nees and pra"ed, wept and chanted. =undreds of thousands of people pac ed into &ahrir 0Cuare, the centre of the demonstrations, waving flags, holding up hastil" written signs declaring victor", and embracing soldiers.

, !&ar 5ulei&an, to ubara+ was standing down and handing power

Millitary +id to 1e%els is results in the ushing out o! regi"e !orces

6effer# 4hite, 1? https122www.washingtoninstitute.org2polic"!anal"sis2view2arms!for!s"rias!rebels!shaping!the!wars!outcome Jeffre" (hite is a
defense fellow at &he (ashington Institute, speciali3ing in the militar" and securit" affairs of the #evant and Iran.

ilitar# assistance will be &ost useful to the rebels if it per&its the& to fight in accordance with their preferred wa# of war. &he rebels have hammered awa" at regime forces, causing dail" losses of
personnel and armored vehicles and losses of combat aircraft ever" few da"s. Militar" assistance to the rebels could push regime forces to the brea ing point b"1 Increasing the rate of attrition of regime air and armored forces, thus wea ening their capabilit" E;ceeding the regime's abilit" to replace losses in men and eCuipment Increasing the regime's reliance on less capable weapons s"stems, formations, and troops <educing the willingness of regime forces to fight &he rebels have wor ed continuousl" to reduce the regime's presence in the provinces b" attac ing chec points, installations, and police and intelligence facilities.

.he

larger actions, such as seizing airfields and other &a$or sites, often reFuire e8tended sieges and can result in substantial rebel casualties. ilitar# assistance 33 in training, intelligence, planning, and use of indirect3fire weapons 33 could shorten the ti&e necessar# to ta+e these facilities and reduce casualties for the rebels.

Violent revolution is 9usti!ied, Solves !or !reedo", de"ocracy and civil li%erties
Colonial 4ilia&sberg, 1; http122connect.histor".org2post2Is!revoluti =*'E<#I)5 Fhttp122connect.histor".org2post2Is!revolution!ever!
@ustifiedFon!ever!@ustified -ur mission is to be a center for histor" and citi3enship, encouraging national and international audiences to learn from the past through the preservation, restoration, and presentation of 1Ith!centur" (illiamsburg and the stud", interpretation, and teaching of ,merica's founding democratic principles.

%e,olution is onl# $ustified when the freedo&s, liberties and rights of an# people or an# nation are threatened b# elected officials or leaders who are gi,en the power to represent and who would onl# see+ to abuse their office and unleash a t#rannical rule upon its own people. 4ar in itself is a last resort, but if the represented beco&e stripped of their freedo&s, liberties and rights, without $ustifiable cause, then the onl# course of action is war. 6Justifiable cause could be set to the tone of criminals
who commit punishable offenses and thus have been @ustifiable stripped of certain rights, in such cases that would be @ustifiable. (hereas it falls upon the law abiding citi3en, it is not @ustifiable to ta e such liberties awa", their is no @ust cause in such a case.7

Contention :- Ca italis"

aduro go,ern&ent will uphold Cha,ez*s dictatorial practices, loc+s the& in socialist practices and under&ines Venezuelan institutions Christ# D@1? 6'atric +hrist", 0enior 'olic" ,nal"st the Foreign 'olic" Institute, /0
)ews, June 1D, 201D ?/.0. -vertures to Maduro =urt 8ene3uela4s .emocratic -pposition> http122www.usnews.com2opinion2blogs2world!report2201D20J21D2us!overtures! to!chave3!successor!maduro!hurt!vene3uelas!opposition7 5ince the death of Venezuelan strong&an 'ugo Cha,ez in arch, aduroHs actions ha,e &ore rese&bled those of a Cuban strong&an than a de&ocraticall#3 elected official. Indeed, he has ta+en drastic &o,es to preser,e his power and discredit his critics in recent &onths. First, the Maduro regime is refusing to allow a full audit of the
fraudulent ,pril 1Dth presidential elections, as opposition presidential candidate =enriCue +apriles had reCuested. ,s the ,ssociated 'ress notes a full audit Fwould have included not @ust comparing votes electronicall" registered b" machines with the paper ballot receipts the" emitted, but also comparing those with the poll station registries that contain voter

Cha,ez3era appointees lo#al to the current go,ern&ent do&inate VenezuelaHs National 2lection Council and 5upre&e Court N the two government institutions able to challenge election results I it is unli+el# either will
signatures and with digitall" recorded fingerprints.F =owever, because

accept the oppositionHs de&ands for a full election recount. S0ee a collection of political cartoons on the econom".T 0econd, aduroHs go,ern&ent is ta+ing steps to do&inate radio and tele,ision co,erage of the regi&e. #ast month, $lobovision, one of 8ene3uela's last remaining
independent news channels, was sold to a group of investors with close ties to Maduro. /nder +have3, the independent broadcasting station faced "ears of pressure as government authorities freCuentl" threatened to arrest the group's owners and @ournalists. &o no one's surprise, the compan"'s new ownership has banned live video coverage of opposition leader =enriCue +apriles and man" of the station's prominent @ournalists have been fired or have resigned. &hird, the regime and its allies are using fear and intimidation to silence the opposition. !n

1pril ?<th, pro3 aduro law&a+ers ph#sicall# attac+ed opposition legislators on the floor of VenezuelaHs National 1sse&bl#. .a"s prior, the regime arrested a former militar" general who was critical of +uba's growing influence on 8ene3uela's armed forces. More recentl", aduro e,en called for the creation of GBoli,arian ilitias of 4or+ersG to Gdefend the so,ereignt# of the ho&eland.G In light of all this, it
remains unclear wh" the -bama administration see s, in 0ecretar" 5err"'s words, Fan ongoing, continuing dialogue at a high level between the 0tate .epartment and the S8ene3uelanT Foreign Ministr"F N let alone believe that such engagement will lead to an" substantive change in Maduro's behavior. &o be sure, +aracas's recent release of @ailed ,merican filmma er &imoth" &rac" is welcome and long overdue. =owever, it is clear that the bogus charges of espionage against &rac" were used as leverage in tal s with the /nited 0tates, a shameful move reminiscent of Fidel +astro's pla"boo . S0ee a collection of political cartoons on defense spending.T (hile 0ecretar" 5err" said that his meeting with his 8ene3uelan counterpart included discussion of human rights and democrac" issues, the -bama administration's overall trac record in the region gives reason for concern. 'resident -bama failed to mention 8ene3uela or +have3's abuse of

!ba&a refused at first to ac+nowledge the 1pril election results, the 5tate Depart&ent has since sent ,er# different signals. Indeed, 0ecretar" 5err" declined even to mention 8ene3uela directl" during his near D0!minute address to the plenar" session of the -rgani3ation of ,merican 0tates in $uatemala last wee . For 8ene3uela's opposition, the !ba&a ad&inistrationHs eagerness to re,i,e relations with aduro is a punch to the gut. Pro3 aduro legislators in the National 1sse&bl# ha,e banned opposition law&a+ers fro& co&&ittee hearings and spea+ing on the asse&bl# floor. -ther
power during his wee long trip to the region in 2011. ,nd while outspo en critics of the regime face criminal charges, and government officials repeatedl" vilif" and slander +apriles. (hat's worse, if

the 7nited 5tates grants or is percei,ed to grant legiti&ac# to the aduro go,ern&ent, that could gi,e further co,er to the regi&e as it s#ste&aticall# under&ines VenezuelaHs re&aining institutions. &he -bama administration's
overtures to Maduro's government come as the region is increasingl" s eptical of the +have3 successor's reign. #ast month, +apriles met with +olombian 'resident Juan Manuel 0antos in %ogota. +hile's 0enate unanimousl" passed a resolution urging a total audit of all polling stations. ,nd in recent wee s, opposition lawma ers led b" MarUa +orina Machado, a representative from the )ational ,ssembl" of 8ene3uela, have held meetings in capitals around the region to educate foreign leaders about Maduro's illegitimate hold on power. S<ead the /.0. )ews .ebate1 $iven &he +urrent .eficit +risis, 0hould Foreign ,id %e +utKT <ather than accept Maduro's strongman tactics, the -bama administration should ta e a firm stand and ma e clear to +aracas that an" steps to undermine the countr"'s constitution or threaten the

4ashington holds all the cards. VenezuelaHs econo&# is in a free3fall, aduroHs popularit# is plu&&eting, and ,arious public scandals I especiall" those related to institutional corruption N could further erode public
opposition will be detrimental to bilateral ties with the /nited 0tates. &he fact is that confidence in the current government.

1 socialist regi&e &eans that Boli,arian %e,olution is ine,itable I Venezuela is prepared for perfect as#&etrical war against 75 influence and de&ocrac# in "atin 1&erica now I the goal is instabilit# anwaring 1; 6Ma; $. ! 'rofessor of Militar" 0trateg"P ?8ene3uela as an e;porter of :th generation warfare instabilit">P 0trategic 0tudies Institute, /.0. ,rm" (ar +ollege, 2012P http122www.strategicstudiesinstitute.arm".mil2pubs2download.cfmKCL11D97 II)

+have34s political thought. It becomes evident, however, in his general vision of the %olivarian <evolution. &he abbreviated concept is to destro" the old foreign!dominated 6/.0.!dominated7 political and economic s"stems in the ,mericas, to ta e power, and to create a socialistic, nationalistic, and ?popular> 6direct7 democrac" in 8ene3uela that would sooner or later e;tend throughout the ,mericas.B .espite the fact that the possible use of militar" force is never completel" separated from the #eninist
,lmost no one seems to understand the Mar;ist!#eninist foundations of =ugo concept of destro"ing bourgeois opposition, +have34s revolutionar" vision will not be achieved through a conventional

?new societ"> will be created onl" b" a gradual and s"stematic application of agitation and propaganda. &hat long!term effort is aimed at e;porting instabilit" and generating public opinion in favor of the ?revolution> and against the bourgeois s"stem.J &hus, the contemporar" as"mmetric revolutionar" warfare challenge is rooted in the concept that the )orth ,merican ?Empire> and its bourgeois political friends in #atin ,merica are not doing what is right for the people and that the socialist %olivarian philosoph" and leadership will.V In these terms, regime legitimac" is e" to the conflict, and it is public opinion that is the main target
militar" war of maneuver and attrition, or a traditional insurgenc". ,ccording to 8ladimir #enin and +have3, a of the revolutionar" effort. +have34s vision comes at a time when, despite general economic progress, there are deep flaws in the democratic political s"stems throughout the (estern =emisphere. &he relative popular dissatisfaction stems from deep!rooted socio!economic ineCualities, distrust and lac of confidence in the police, national legislatures, and political parties. &here are also rising popular e;pectations along with a popular consciousness of none;istent rights.R &he apparent waning of /.0. power has opened the possibilit" of a new global geopolitical order. ,t the same time, the worldwide financial crisis and the rise of the %<I+ nations 6%ra3il, <ussia, India, and +hina7 have sha en the conventional wisdom that capitalism and liberal democrac" are superior to the alternatives.I #atin ,merica nowQas in the 19J0s and 19R0sQappears to be a revolutionar"4s dream.V Five Enabling +oncepts.V =ugo +have34s

%olivarian strategic! level dream depends on five enabling concepts. It begins with the premise that traditional post!(orld (ar II socialist and Mar;ist!#eninist political!economic models made mista es, but the theor" remains valid. &he idea is that representative democrac" and the /.0.!dominated capitalism of the new global era are total failures. <epresentative democrac" and capitalism serve onl" elitesQnot the common people. &hese failures must now be replaced b" ?participator" democrac",> ?direct democrac",> or what some detractors have called ?radical> or ?neo!populism.> In these terms, +have3 is1 17 re! elaborating a <ousseauan concept of ?direct> or ?totalitarian> democrac"P and, 27 promoting a socialist economic s"stem as two parts of a five!part overarching political! economic model for #atin ,merica.9 &he other three parts of the model include1 D7 a new securit" scheme for 8ene3ualaP :7 social programs to strengthen ?direct democrac"> and its internal power baseP and, B7 ma;imum communications support to the regime. &hat overall s"stem of power is intended to ensure internal peace and societal harmon" in 8ene3uela that willQin timeQprovide the foundations for a =emisphere!wide regional power bloc, andV socioeconomic and political integration. 10V .irect .emocrac" and the 0ocialist Economic 0"stem. &he current concept of 8ene3uelan democrac" has its roots firml" in the French <evolution and subseCuent perversions of the <ousseauan notion of ?total> 6totalitarian7 democrac". In this scenario, the individual surrenders his rights and personal interests to the state in return for the
enforcement of social harmon" and the $eneral (ill. 'rior to the French <evolution, ings ruled b" ?.ivine <ight> and

the state en@o"s absolute power 6de facto sovereignt"7Qthrough the enforcement of <ousseau4s $eneral (illQas an essential right. 11V &he main tenets of direct democrac" in contemporar" 8ene3uela dictate that1 17 the new authorit" in the state must be a ma;imum leader who communicates directl" with the people, interprets their needs, and emphasi3es ?social e;penditure> to guarantee the legitimate needs and desires of the peopleP 27 elections, +ongress, and the courts will provide formal democrac" and international legitimac" 6de @ure sovereignt"7, but will have no real role in governance or the econom"P D7 the state will control or own the ma@or means of national economic production and distributionP and, :7
were sovereign. (ith the revolution, however, sovereignt" was shifted from the ing to the nation!state. &hus,

the national and regional political!economic integration function will be performed b" the supreme leader b" means of his regional financial, material, informational, and political! militar" support of radical populist and 21st!centur" social movements.12V &he 0ecurit"
0cheme. #ac ing the conventional power to challenge the /nited 0tates or most of 8ene3uela4s immediate neighbors, 'resident +have3

and his followers now that as"mmetric conflict is a logical means of e;pression and self!assertion. It is a concept as old as war itself, a methodolog" of the wea against the strong. &he primar" characteristic of as"mmetric conflict is the use of disparit" between contending parties to gain advantage. 0trategic as"mmetr" has been defined as ?acting, organi3ing, and
thin ing differentl" than opponents in order to ma;imi3e one4s own advantages, e;ploit an opponent4s wea nesses, attain the initiative, or gain greater freedom of action and movement. It can have both ps"chological as well as ph"sical dimensions.>1D +have34s

concept of as"mmetric war ma es e;plicit the need to generate a mi; of unconventional methods that authoritativel" integrates a nation!state4s political, economic, social!moral, informational, and militar" instruments of power. &his t"pe of conflict is not won b" sei3ing specific territor" militaril" or destro"ing specific industrial or nuclear capabilities. It is won b" altering the political!ps"chological!economic!social factors that are most relevant in a targeted culture. %ut, li e all others, this ind of conflict is intended to resist, oppose, gain control of, or overthrow an e;isting government or s"mbol of powerQand bring about radical political change. ,ll this reCuires a complete unit" of effort
b" the state, using the multidimensional instruments of national and international 6alliances and partnerships7 power that it has at its disposal.1:V &hus, the 8ene3uelan +onstitution of 1999 provides political and institutional autonom" for the armed forces, under the absolute control of the 'resident and commander in chief. 'resident +have3 has also created an independent national police force, outside the traditional control of the armed forces, which is directl" responsible to the 'resident. ,t the same time, efforts have gone forward to establish a one million!person militar" reserve and two additional paramilitar" organi3ationsQthe Frente %olivariano de #iberacion 6%olivarian #iberation Front7 and the E@ercito del 'ueblo en ,rmas 6,rm" of the 'eople in ,rms7. &he

armed forces and the police perform traditional national defense and internal securit" missions within the conte;t of preparing for what 'resident +have3 has called a ?:th $eneration ,s"mmetric (ar of ,ll the 'eople.>1B &he militar" reserve and the paramilitar" 6militia7 organi3ations are charged to1 17 protect the countr" from a /.0. or +olombian invasion with an IraCi!st"le insurgenc"P 27 act internall" as armed, anti!opposition militiasP and, D7 act internationall" as armed anti!bourgeois militias.1J &he institutional separation of the various securit" organi3ations ensures that no one securit" institution can control the others, but the centrali3ation of those institutions under the control of the 'resident ensures his absolute control of securit" and ?social harmon"> in 8ene3uelaQand elsewhere.1RV 0ocial 'rograms and +ommunications. &o strengthen his personal position and internal power base, 'resident +have3 is spending large amounts of mone" on an amorphous 'lan %olivar 2000 for the building and renovation of schools, clinics, da" nurseries, roads, and housing for the poor. ,dditionall", the 'resident is developing education and literac" outreach programs, agrarian reform programs, and wor ers4 cooperatives. ,t the same time, he has established ME<+,#, a state compan" that provides subsidi3ed foodstuffs to the poor. +have3 has also imported 1J,000 +uban doctors to help ta e care of the medical needs of the 8ene3uelan underclass. +learl", these social programs offer tangible benefits to the mass of voting 8ene3uelans who were generall" ignored or neglected b" previous governments.1IV &he intent of the communications and informational efforts is to generate strong and favorable
public opinion. &hus, %olivarianismo reCuires ma;imum media 6radio, &8, and newspapers2maga3ines7 support to purve"

+have3!controlled media are using emotional arguments to gain attention, to e;ploit real and imagined fears of the population, to create outside enemies as scapegoats for internal failures, and to inculcate the notion that opposition to the regime eCuates to betra"al of the countr". 'resident +have34s personal involvement in the communications effort is also clear and strong. 0tatements,
ideas, develop mass consensus, and generate electoral successes. ,mple evidence e;ists that speeches, and interviews are being broadcast throughout 8ene3uela, the +aribbean %asin, and large parts of +entral and 0outh ,merica ever" da" on the state!owned &elevision del 0ur.V ,dditionall", Iranian &8 6=ispan &87 is now broadcasting in 0panish 2: hours a da" throughout all of #atin ,merica.19V +onclusions.V ,ll

these programs together

provide the President of VenezuelaJwhoe,er he &ight beQwith the architecture to generate a unit" of effort among the various political!ps"chological!socioeconomic! informational!militar" instruments of state power. &hat unif"ing structure, rather than traditional
governmental hierarch", allows the 'resident a vastl" more effective and efficient means through which to pursue his political!strategic %olivarian ob@ectives. ,t a minimum, =ugo +have3 has created the elements that can ma e 8ene3uela a regional power. =e

or his successor can easil" e;port direct democrac", oil mone", socialist propaganda, and militar" assets to friendl" governments, radical groups, and insurgents all over the =emisphere. In these terms, +have3 is also developing the capabilit" to destabili3e and force a radical restructuring of specific bourgeois political!economic s"stems over large parts of the ,mericas.20 %ut, instabilit" is onl" a s"mptom, not the threat. Instabilit" is the starting point from which to understand the second!, third!, and fourth!level effects that shape the #atin ,merican securit" environment now and for the future. Instabilit" also defines the ultimate securit" threat for now and the futureQthat is, the threat that no one li es to tal aboutQthe e;port of economic and political instabilit" to foment the state failure process.

Boli,arian super3state is the new t#pe of socialis& that will displaces 75 influence in 4estern 'e&isphere I "atin 1&erica, %ussia, and )ran anwaring 1; 6Ma; $. ! 'rofessor of Militar" 0trateg"P ?8ene3uela as an e;porter of :th generation warfare instabilit">P 0trategic 0tudies Institute, /.0. ,rm" (ar +ollege, 2012P http122www.strategicstudiesinstitute.arm".mil2pubs2download.cfmKCL11D97 II)
0ince his election as the 'resident of 8ene3uela in 199I, =ugo +have3 has encouraged and continues to encourage his 8ene3uelan, #atin ,merican, <ussian, and Iranian partners to support an undeclared as"mmetric war paradigm designed to put an end to /.0. political and economic influence in the (estern =emisphere and to transform the whole of #atin ,merica into a single %olivarian 60ocialist7 state. +have34s model centers on a three!front as"mmetric
war that is1 17 ps"chological!politicalP 27 uses combinations of as"mmetric wa"s and means to achieve its endsP and, D7 is deliberatel" protracted. In addition to ,s"mmetric (ar, +have3 calls this t"pe of conflict :th $eneration (ar 6:$(7.2 (hether or not +have3 can deliver on his three!front 21st!centur" transition program is reall" not all that important. &his is not because this is the rhetoric of a ?nut case,> a ?clown,> or even a ?dead man> immersed in ?political theater.> &his is, importantl", the rhetoric of an astute warrior who understands as"mmetric war and who is performing the traditional and universal #eninist!Maoist function of providing a strategic vision and operational plan for a successful revolutionar" conflict. Most importantl", =ugo +have34s

%olivarian dream has stirred the imaginations of man" #atin ,merican and other interested observers around the world. =e has provided a seductive #eninist blueprint for a utopian future. ,n"one can ta e it, adapt it for his own use, and use it an"where in the world to bring about radical political, economic, and social change. &hus, it appears that +have3 is prepared to help friends, partners, and allies to destabili3e, to facilitate the processes of state failure, and to ?destro" in order to build> in true revolutionar" fashion.D Moreover, according to +have3, it does not matter whether or not he will be able to continue to direct that effort. =e states straightforwardl" that ?. . . independent of m" personal destin", this revolution . . . has gotten its start, and nothing and no one can stop it.>:

5ocialis& is a road to death, suffering and the collapse of ci,ilization. !nl# capitalis& pre,ents this.
#lewell"n =. %oc+well, +hairman N #udwig von Mises Institute, ?Ever"thing *ou #ove *ou -we to +apitalism>, B!1I!20<E, http122mises.org2stor"229I2

On one hand there is nothing to say, really. You are surrounded by the blessings of capitalism. The buffet table, which you and your lunch partners only had to walk into a building to find, has a greater variety of food at a cheaper price than that which was available to any living person king, lord, duke, plutocrat, or pope in almost all of the history of the world. Not even fifty years ago would this have been imaginable. All of history has been defined by the struggle for food. And yet that struggle has been abolished, not ust for the rich but for everyone living in developed economies. The ancients, peering into this scene, might have assumed it to be !lysium. "edieval man con ured up such scenes only in visions of #topia. !ven in the late $%th century, the most gilded palace of the richest industrialist re&uired a vast staff and immense trouble to come anywhere near appro'imating it. (e owe this scene to capitalism. To put it differently, we owe this scene to centuries of capital accumulation at the hands of free people who have put capital to work on behalf of economic innovations, at once competing with others for profit and cooperating with millions upon millions of people in an ever) e'panding global network of the division of labor. The savings, investments, risks, and work of hundreds of years and uncountable numbers of free people have gone into making this scene possible, thanks to the ever)remarkable capacity for a society developing under conditions of liberty to achieve the highest aspirations of the society*s members. And yet, sitting on the other side of the table are well)educated people who imagine that the way to end the world*s woes is through socialism. Now, people*s definitions of socialism differ, and these persons would probably be &uick to say that they do not mean the +oviet #nion or anything like that. That was socialism in name only, , would be told. And yet, if socialism does mean anything at all today, it imagines that there can be some social improvement resulting from the political movement to take capital out of private hands and put it into the hands of the state. Other tendencies of socialism include the desire to see labor organi-ed along class lines and given some sort of coercive power over how their employers* property is used. ,t might be as simple as the desire to put a cap on the salaries of .!Os, or it could be as e'treme as the desire to abolish all private property, money, and even marriage. (hatever the specifics of the case in &uestion, socialism always means overriding the free decisions of individuals and replacing that capacity for decision making with an overarching plan by the state. Taken far enough, this mode of thought won*t ust spell an end to opulent lunches. ,t will mean the end of what we all know as civili-ation itself. ,t would plunge us back to a primitive state of e'istence, living off hunting and gathering in a world with little art, music, leisure, or charity. Nor is any form of socialism capable of providing for the needs of the world*s si' billion people, so the population would shrink dramatically and &uickly and in a manner that would make every human horror ever known seem mild by comparison. Nor is it possible to divorce socialism from totalitarianism, because if you are serious about ending private ownership of the means of production, you have to be serious about ending freedom and creativity too. You will have to make the whole of society, or what is left of it, into a prison. ,n short, the wish for socialism is a wish for unparalleled human evil. ,f we really understood this, no one would e'press casual support for it in polite company. ,t would be like saying, you know, there is really something to be said for malaria and typhoid and dropping atom bombs on millions of innocents. /o the people sitting across the table really wish for this0 .ertainly not. +o what has gone wrong here0 (hy can these people not see what is obvious0 (hy can*t people sitting amidst market)created plenty, en oying all the fruits of capitalism every minute of life, see the merit of the market but rather wish for something that is a proven disaster0 (hat we have here is a failure of understanding. That is to say, a failure to connect causes with effects. This is a wholly abstract idea. 1nowledge of cause and effect does not come to us by merely looking around a room, living in a certain kind of society, or observing statistics. You can study roomfuls of data, read a thousand treatises on history, or plot international 2/3 figures on a graph for a living, and yet the truth about cause and effect can still be evasive. You still might miss the point that it is capitalism that gives rise to prosperity and freedom. You might still be tempted by the notion of socialism as savior. 4et me take you back to the years $%5% and $%%6. These were the years that most of us remember as the time when socialism collapsed in !astern !urope and 7ussia. !vents of that time flew in the face of all predictions on the 7ight that these were permanent regimes that would never change unless they were bombed back to the +tone Age. On the 4eft, it was widely believed, even in those times, that these societies were actually doing &uite well and would eventually pass the #nited +tates and (estern !urope in prosperity, and, by some measures, that they were already better off than us. And yet it collapsed. !ven the 8erlin (all, that symbol of oppression and slavery, was torn down by the people themselves. ,t was not only glorious to see socialism collapse. ,t was thrilling, from a libertarian point of view, to see how states themselves can dissolve. They may have all the guns and all

the power, and the people have none of those, and yet, when the people themselves decide that they will no longer be governed, the state has few options left. ,t eventually collapses amid a society)wide refusal to believe its lies any longer. (hen these closed societies suddenly became open, what did we see0 (e saw lands that time forgot. The technology was backwards and broken. The food was scarce and disgusting. The medical care was abysmal. The people were unhealthy. 3roperty was polluted. ,t was also striking to see what had happened to the culture under socialism. "any generations had been raised under a system built on power and lies, and so the cultural infrastructure that we take for granted was not secure. +uch notions as trust, promise, truth, honesty, and planning for the future all pillars of commercial culture had become distorted and confused by the ubi&uity and persistence of the statist curse.

9ra&ewor+/ .his outweighs e8tinction and general dehu&anization Kclarified in the ;1CL
%r"an Caplan, .ept. Econ. ,nd +enter for 0tud" of 'ublic +hoice N $eorge Mason /., ?&he &otalitarian &hreat>, -ctober, 20<M, http122www.gmu.edu2departments2economics2bcaplan2total:.doc
9inally, it is tempting to minimi-e the harm of a social disaster like totalitarianism, because it would probably not lead to human e'tinction. !ven in .ambodia, the totalitarian regime with the highest death rate per)capita, :;< of the population remained alive after three years of rule by the 1hmer 7ouge. ="argolin $%%%b> 8ut perhaps an eternity of totalitarianism would be worse than e'tinction. ,t is hard to read Orwell and not to wonder? /o you begin to see, then, what kind of world we are creating0 ,t is the e'act opposite of the stupid hedonistic #topias that the old reformers imagined. A world of fear and treachery and torment, a world of trampling and being trampled upon, a world which will grow not less but more merciless as it refines itself. 3rogress in our world will be progress towards more pain. The old civili-ations claimed that they were founded on love or ustice. Ours is founded upon hatred. ,n our world there will be no emotions e'cept fear, rage, triumph and self)abasement. !verything else we shall destroy @ everything... There will be no loyalty, e'cept loyalty towards the 3arty. There will be no love, e'cept the love of 8ig 8rother. There will be no laughter, e'cept for the laugh of triumph over a defeated enemy. There will be no art, no literature, no science. (hen we are omnipotent we shall have no more need of science. There will be no distinction between beauty and ugliness. There will be no curiosity, no en oyment of the process of life. All competing pleasures will be destroyed. =$%5A? BB6>

.he aff is necessar# to challenge the logic of totalitarian collecti,is&.

Jac Douglas, 'rof. Emeritus 0oc. N /+ 0an .iego, ?&he M"th of the (elfare 0tate>, 19C1, p. :2!:D, $oogle 'rint &he modernist welfare state is ultimatel", if un nowingl", built on the logic of totalitarian collectivism1 when the goal of the state becomes that of pursuing the common welfare, without basic constraints of custom, moral principle, or constitutional law, then the welfare of an" individual or subgroup rapidl" approaches 3ero. &hus, we eventuall" arrive at the logical conclusion of the egalitarian welfare state, the conclusion <ousseau and socialist revolutionaries in Europe reached two centuries ago1 the eCual welfare of all demands that the individual welfares of ever"one be totall" sacrificed to the state that is rhetoricall" committed to the common welfare. ,nd so the Juggernaut of the modernist welfare state trundles onward, slowl" but relentlessl" crushing beneath its bureaucratic powers our ancient freedoms one after another!!to serve the common welfare of all, of course. &oda" the businesspeople, the gas producers, and the steel ma ersP tomorrow the doctorsP then the parentsP and someda" the entire world. &he opposite of the logic of

totalitarian collectivism is the logic of individual freedom within the 0"stem of )atural #ibert". &he logic of collectivism computes the individual welfare, if at all, in terms of the collective welfare, that is, in terms of aggregates li e gross national product, income distribution, relative povert", and, above all distributive @ustice!!eCualit". &he logic of individualist freedom does the opposite, that is, it computes the general welfare in terms of all the individuals' welfare as defined and e;perienced b" the individuals. +ertainl" the individuals define their welfare in good part in terms derived from their famil" and communit" ties, in communion with their own consciences and with the embodiments of their consciences in the constitutionP for we human beings are profoundl" loving beings who identif" with our ancestors, our communities, and our posterit". %ut it is we alone, acting as individuals, who can now in our hearts what is right and good for us and our loved ones. It is we alone who can most truthfull" define our own welfare. &he ,merican +onstitution was built upon the logic of individual freedom. &he ,merican government was founded to promote the general welfare, but to the eighteenth!centur" classic liberals that meant the e;act opposite of what the common welfare means to the ,merican statists toda". %ecause the" assumed that welfare could onl" be defined individuall", most ,mericans intended the government to promote the general welfare b" remaining as small and wea as it could while serving the two obviousl", specific, and e;plicitl" bounded forms of general welfare1 that of defense against foreign powers that wanted to impose absolutist t"rann" on ,mericans and that against the domestic oppression of crime and rebellion. &hus it was that the" discovered that revolutionar" idea of individual freedom1 minimi3ing the power of government will optimi3e the welfare of all. #ibert" was both the greatest blessing in itself and the fount from which would spring all others b" enabling individuals to use all their potentiall" vast spiritual energ" and creativit". &hus it was that when &ocCueville visited ,merica in the earl" 1ID0s, he found a remar able FabsenceF of government and an eCuall" remar able high level of general welfare!!a land of freedom and, thus, of peace and plent".

)neFualit# is due re$ection of capitalis&. 2&bracing capitalis& creates inco&e for all.
Johan Norberg, ,ctivist and ,uthor of ?In .efense of $lobal +apitalism>, ?,n /neCual .istribution N of +apitalism>, 9!22!20<?, http122www.cato.org2pubWdispla".phpK pubWidLD2:B
Twenty percent of the world*s population =we often hear> consumes more than 56 percent of the earth*s resources, while the other 56 percent consume less than B6 percent. .ritics of globali-ation never tire of reminding us of this in ustice. 9ar less often do we hear a proper analysis of the reason for this state of affairs. The critics make it sound as though the poor are poor because the rich are rich, as if the richest B6 percent had somehow stolen those resources from the other 56 percent. That is wrong. The affluent world has grown fastest since losing its colonies. And the regions the imperialist countries sub ugated grew faster after becoming colonies than they had previously. +everal of the world*s richest countries )) such as +wit-erland and the +candinavian countries )) never had any colonies of importance. Others, such as the #nited +tates, .anada, Australia, New Cealand, Dong 1ong, and +ingapore, were colonies themselves. On the other hand, several of the world*s least developed countries )) Afghanistan, 4iberia, and Nepal, for e'ample )) have never been colonies. The main reason for that B6 percent consuming 56 percent of the resources is that they produce 56 percent of resources. The 56 percent consume only B6 percent because they produce only B6 percent of resources. ,t is this latter problem we ought to

tackle. The problem is that many people are poor, not that certain people are rich. .ritics of capitalism point out that per capita 2/3 is more than A6 times greater in the world*s B6 richest countries than in the B6 poorest. The critics are right to say that this ine&uality is due to capitalism )) but not for the reasons they think. The difference is due to certain countries having taken the path of capitalism, resulting in fantastic prosperity for their inhabitants, while those choosing to impede ownership, trade, and production have lagged behind. 9actors such as climate and natural disasters are not unimportant, but most of the gap can still be put down to certain countries having opted for liberali-ation and others for control. The B6 economically most liberal countries in the world have a per capita 2/3 about B% times greater than the B6 economically least liberal. ,f, then, we are serious about closing the North) +outh divide, we should hope with all our hearts that the +outh will also gain access to a free economy and open markets. /eveloping countries that have had openness in recent decades have not only grown faster than other developing countries )) they have grown faster than the affluent countries too. The world*s ine&uality is due to capitalism. Not to capitalism making certain groups poor, but to its making its practitioners wealthy. The uneven distribution of wealth in the world is due to the uneven distribution of capitalism. Trade and investment flows in the past two decades have come to be more and more evenly distributed among the economies that are relatively open to the rest of the world. ,t is the really closed economies that, for obvious reasons, are not getting investments and trade.

Maduro &ates Ca italis", he's the inherent %arrier to a ca italistic Venezuala

AleDan2er $e0ant1 291I
http122www.globalpost.com2dispatch2news2regions2americas2vene3uela21D11202nicolas!maduro!vene3uela!leader!grante ,le;ander %esant is a $lobal'ost %rea ing )ews (riter and freelance @ournalist. =e is a recent graduate of +olumbia /niversit" 0chool of Journalism in )ew *or +it". =e lives in &oronto, +anada.

.he parlia&ent president, a supporter of aduro, told cheering supporters outside that it was a ,ictor# of lo,e o,er hate. G4hat*s at sta+e here are two &odels,- he said. (.he &odel of hate, which is capitalis&, and the &odel of lo,e, which is socialis&N the &odel of Cha,ez and the people, which is socialis&, and the &odel of bourgeoisie traitors, which is capitalis&.- 8ene3uela is facing food shortages and shortages of other essential
&he measures had been debated for three months before the vote and are a victor" for Maduro who onl" narrowl" won ,pril's presidential elections. goods in recent "ears. 'ower cuts have become freCuent and oil production down.

Ca italis" Solves- I" roves ;uality o! li!e and ,urtures Innovation

%it*ar 299
6%ob, Editorialist for the ,merican .ail". F+apitalism 'romotes Freedom and -pportunit".F -pposing 8iewpoints1 ,merican 8alues. Ed. .avid M. =augen. .etroit1 $reenhaven 'ress, 2009. -pposing 8iewpoints <esource +enter7 %0=

Capitalis& allows for creation of wealth, basic necessities, goods and ser,ices, &oti,ation, eli&ination of hunger, i&pro,e&ents, etc. &he lac of central planning and control, letting suppl" and demand dictate what will be sold at what price, and the concept of a laissez3faire approach to co&&erce &a+es the en,iron&ent ripe for ad,ance&ents in food production, distribution of goods, technological ad,ances, &edical brea+throughs, creation of $obs and e&plo#&ent and higher wages. 1s a result of a free &ar+et econo&#, people ha,e &oti,ation to ta+e ris+s, hoping to reap the benefits of their ris+, hard wor+, and inno,ation. (ere it not for this s"stem, Japan, 0outh 5orea and even +hina would toda" be bac ward, impoverished agrarian societies. For in capitalis&, those entrepreneurs that were willing to wor+ and ta+e the ris+s

thri,ed and created $obs and opportunities for those who could not ta+e ris+s and otherwise would not ha,e inco&e. In time, so&e of those benefactors of emplo"ment created b" the ris !ta ers would get ideas to i&pro,e on so&ething and in turn would ta+e the ris+s of starting their own businesses. Because &ore people had $obs and, therefore, the inco&e it generated afforded &an# &ore to get an education that otherwise &a# not ha,e. &his c"cle continues through the decades to the present da".

Contention )- <e"ocracy
De&ocrac# has disappeared in Venezuela I Past Venezuelan officials agree 2uronews .hursda# 2R202 0R11: +E&
http122www.euronews.com2201:20222R2elements!of!democrac"!have!disappeared! vene3uela!s!former!interior!minister2 Euronews has spo en to 8ene3uelan @urist, politician and writer ,sdrXbal ,guiar for his insights into the situation in his countr". ,guiar was 8ene3uela4s Interior Minister in 199I! 1999. Mario ,lfaro, euronews1 ?*ou4ve sent a letter to the -rgani3ation of ,merican 0tates, condemning the events of Feruar" 12 N when a "outh and student rall" ended with three people dead and more than J0 wounded. First of all, can "ou describe the situation now in 8ene3uelaand +aracas in particularK> ,sdrXbal ,guiar1 ?(hat we have is a deplorable situation because 10 people have been illed, two do3en wounded N and also, a trul" important number, of almost 100 people who4ve been mistreated N even tortured. .he go,ern&ent is a,oiding its responsibilities in this area and instead it*s in,iting the people to celebrate the carni,al.> euronews1 ?(hat was the spar that ignited the flameK> ,sdrXbal ,guiar1 ?4ithin that conte8t, which is stifling for an# de&ocrac#, the situation has worsened. (hen the government too office in 1999, 'resident +have3 often said that this was a peaceful revolution, but with arms. Maduro has been repeating this in recent da"s.> euronews1 ?&he anniversar" of +have34s death is coming up. (hat is "our evaluation of the government of his successor, MaduroK> ,sdrXbal ,guiar1 ?Nicolas aduro should not be in the office of the presidenc# N and ) sa# this on a strictl# legal basis, according to the 1CCC Venezuelan Constitution. %ut the +onstitutional +hamber of our 5upre&e +ourt N that is full" aligned with the revolution and is controlled b" @udges lo"al to the ruling part" N interpreted the +onstitution to fulfill the &andate of 'ugo Cha,ez and the# si&pl# brought to power Nicolas aduro as planned. ?0ince then what4s become clear is that over a period of 1B "ears 1.B trillion dollars has been wasted N the entire private production sector has been destro"ed through confiscation and e;propriation. )ow that 8ene3uela lives mainl" off imports there aren4t enough dollars available to meet national needs. ?(orst of all N over these "ears, despite the oil boom, the number of homicides increased from :,B00 in 199I, when I was Interior Minister N a ver" serious figure N to 2D,000 homicides in 201D.> euronews1 ?*ou have reCuested an urgent meeting of the -rgani3ation of ,merican 0tates. $iven the apparent division of opinion in the region, what do "ou e;pect from this meetingK> ,sdrXbal ,guiar1 ?,mong the governments in the region there4s been a ver" real wea ening of democrac". .he latest e,ents show that in Venezuela the essential ele&ents of de&ocrac# ha,e disappeared. But )*& opti&istic because the circu&stances are so clear now and the regi&e can*t hide it.-

VenezuelaHs socialist go,ern&ent will fall under the wa,e of protests

%" +atherine E. 0hoichet, +)) updated 2112 'M E0&, 0un Februar" 2D, 201: +))7 N

5tudent protesters pac+ the streets. Violence surges. &ear gas billows. !pposition leaders and go,ern&ent officials bla&e each other for the unrest, and both sides show no sign of bac ing down. )o matter who "ou believe, it's clear that tensions are running high in 8ene3uela. .he anti3 go,ern&ent de&onstrations are the biggest threat President Nicolas aduro has faced since his election last #ear. ,nd inside and outside the 0outh ,merican countr"'s borders, there's a ma@or Cuestion man" are as ing1 Could this be the beginning of the end for VenezuelaHs socialist go,ern&ent0 0earching for truth in 8ene3uela &he situation doesn't loo prett". Inflation topped BJY
last "ear. +rime rates are high. $oods shortages have left store shelves bar. Mc+ain1 8ene3uela fed up with socialism %ut the ne;t election is "ears awa", and e;perts sa" it's li el" too soon to start ringing the death nell for =ugo +have3's revolution @ust "et. , variet" of scenarios could pla" out in the coming da"s, depending on the steps authorities and protesters ta e. ,nd, with so man" factors in flu;, it's difficult to guess what's ne;t. F,n"thing can happen now,F said Javier +orrales, a professor of political science at ,mherst +ollege. F&his is a real crisis on all fronts. .he go,ern&ent

has wa#s to sur,i,e...but at the sa&e ti&e, it can lose this battle.G =ere are some possible game!changers to eep an e"e on1 4h# aduro wants &edia out of Venezuela 4hatHs ne8t for VenezuelaHs opposition0 >o,ern&ent crac+downs on protesters "eopoldo "opez, the opposition politician accused b# the go,ern&ent of inciting ,iolence and leading the recent protests, is behind bars, facing charges of arson and conspirac". Maduro has vowed to crac down on other opposition leaders li e him, calling them fascists and comparing them to a disease that must be cured. =e's defended that approach in national television broadcasts, accusing protesters of violence, vandalism and plotting a slow!motion coup. FIs capturing these people repressionK -r is it @usticeKF Maduro said after airing videos during a national broadcast that he said showed opposition attac s on government buildings. 1n# ratcheting up of repression could ha,e a &a$or cost for the go,ern&ent, possibl# turning supporters at ho&e and abroad against it, said .avid 0milde, a senior fellow at the
(ashington -ffice on #atin ,merica. FIn contrast to 8ene3uela's serious problem with street crime, for which the government does not traditionall" pa" a political price, for this ind of repression it will,F 0milde wrote in an anal"sis of the situation this wee . G1t best, it re,eals a go,ern&ent that cannot control its guns. 1t

worst, it re,eals a go,ern&ent that is as ,iolent as its opponents ha,e long clai&ed.G -n the other hand, the government could defuse the situation. FIf the government responds in some wa"
and deals with the situation b" relieving some of the distress and tr"ing not to clamp down further, and showing some fle;ibilit" and some willingness to engage in some dialogue and moderation, then I thin it could weather this period,F said Michael 0hifter, president of the Inter!,merican .ialogue thin tan . 0upport from +havistas &here's one ma@or reason anal"sts point to when the" sa" that 8ene3uela's socialist government isn't approaching an" sort of imminent collapse1 Man" people in the countr" are still behind the 'resident. FMaduro has a lot of support,F said $eorge +iccariello!Maher, an assistant professor of political science at .re;el /niversit". F=e's not +have3, but he's seen as a relativel" faithful representative of what +have3 stood for.F &he cornerstone of +have3's presidenc" was the %olivarian <evolution, his ambitious plan to turn 8ene3uela into a socialist state. 0ocial FmissionsF aimed at eradicating illiterac", distributing staple foods and providing health care popped up across the countr". +have3 was elected and re!elected in large part than s to support from the countr"'s poor, who felt marginali3ed b" previous governments. =e tapped into their needs and frustrations !! often through confrontations with the 8ene3uelan elite. Maduro !! who +have3 tapped as his successor before he died !! has ta en a similar tac . 'is narrow election ,ictor# last #ear was closer than

supporters had hoped, but he still won. &hrongs of Maduro's dedicated followers still call themselves +havistas
in devotion to the former president. Even though Maduro is nowhere near as charismatic as +have3, for man", he's still better than the alternative, 0hifter said. F&he" perceive that there are parts of the opposition that want to go bac to pre! +have3 8ene3uela, which basicall" ignored the concerns of the poor,F 0hifter said. F&he" don't want to lose what the" thin the"'ve gained.F , e" challenge for the opposition is chipping awa" at +havistas' support for the government . )f

the# can win o,er Cha,ez lo#alists, that could tip the scales. +iccariello!Maher, who authored F(e +reated +have31 , 'eople's =istor" of the 8ene3uelan <evolution,F argues that's not li el". .he re,olution, he sa#s, is &uch bigger than Cha,ez or aduro. F&he +havista government has been in power for
more than 1: "ears and has won a larger number of elections than an" other government essentiall" on earth because the" mobili3ed the poor and have a strong support base among the poor, and also a chun of the middle class,F +iccariello!Maher said. F&his support base is not going an"where, and it's not going to disintegrate because a relativel" small number of students are protesting in relativel" middle class areas of the countr".G 9ollow the &one# 9or

&onths, &a$or goods shortages ha,e left shel,es bare in Venezuelan stores. &he government accuses distributors of orchestrating the shortagesas part of an Feconomic warF to fuel unrest. .he opposition sa#s thatHs one of &an# painful e8a&ples that show the go,ern&entHs &ishandling of the countr#Hs finances. (hile the populist platform of sharing 8ene3uela's vast oil wealth

with the poor and disenfranchised has helped reduce po,ert#,

critics ha,e warned that flawed econo&ic policies 33 such as currenc# controls and e8propriation of pri,ate co&panies 33 set the countr# on a crash course toward financial ruin. .espite
government efforts to stem inflation with price controls, anal"sts have said the economic picture loo s blea . It's no coincidence that tensions are running high while Venezuela faces significant

econo&ic proble&s, e8perts sa#. F&his has been sort of a c"clical phenomenon of protests in 8ene3uela,F
0hifter said. F%ut I thin we're at a different point in the evolution of a situation, a point where the economic situation is what's driving what's happening...more than an"thing else, @ust the shear economic desperation for man" people and the shortages and the rising inflation.F 1nd if those proble&s worsen, itHs not good for the

go,ern&ent. G)f Venezuela e8periences a serious econo&ic &eltdown, the opposition &o,e&ent could grow, despite not &a+ing an# efforts to reach be#ond its traditional base,G 0milde said. Militar" might <ight now, anal"sts sa" the militar" seems to be sCuarel"
behind Maduro. &hat wasn't the case in 2002, when +have3 was briefl" ousted from power b" a militar" coup. F&he militar" is much more +havista than it was in 2002,F +iccariello!Maher said. %ut there could come a moment, +orrales said, when the militar"'s lo"alties are challenged. FIf the" are as ed to be repressive,F he said, Fthe" will face a difficult choice of whether to compl" or not.F (ho's protestingK .he recent protests ha,e highlighted

growing discontent with VenezuelaHs go,ern&ent, but also rifts within the opposition !! a disparate
group of parties that banded together in an attempt to defeat +have3 at the polls and now hope Maduro's government will fall. =enriCue +apriles <adons i, a leading opposition politician who lost his bid for the presidenc" last "ear, has been tr"ing to ta e a more moderate approach and build a broader support base. %ut #ope3 and other opposition leaders have pushed for protests in the streets. , looming Cuestion is whether the opposition .emocratic /nit" <oundtable !! which includes parties with a wide range of ideologies within its ran s !! can stic together for a common political goal. F%ehind the scenes, the opposition is ver" much crac ing,F +iccariello!Maher said. If more militant members of the opposition attempt a coup, he said, that will onl" bac fire the ne;t time 8ene3uelans head to the polls. 0milde said he's seen how much #ope3's impassioned speeches have fired up crowds. F&his movement is energi3ing the opposition base in a wa" the" haven't been in eight "ears,F 0milde said. F%ut there seems to be little effort to reach out to disgruntled +havistas, or broaden the message towards issues of eCualit" and povert" reduction that might mobili3e a broader coalition.F &he toughest challenge the opposition faces might be eeping up the momentum the"'ve started. FIt's ver" hard to sustain protests. &here have been other moments when there have been protests in 8ene3uela, and the" come and the" go,F 0hifter said. FIf this one goes and sort of dies down, then I thin #ope3, his star ma" fade, and this whole episode ma" pass.F

De&ocrac# +e# to Venezuelan stabilit# and standing in the world

+hirst" 201D +hrist", 'atric . F-bama Must 0tand /p for .emocrac" in 'ost!+have3 8ene3uela.F US News. /.0.)ews Z (orld <eport, 1B Mar. 201D. (eb. 02 Jul" 201D. [http122www.usnews.com2opinion2blogs2world!report2201D20D21B2after!chave3!us!must! encourage!democratic!vene3uela\. De&and free, fair and ,erifiable elections. Although Venezuela announced that a special election to replace Chavez will be held next month, it is important to remember that elections alone do not &a+e a de&ocrac#. )ndeed, Cha,ez long e&braced the rhetoric of de&ocrac# as he, in realit#, consolidated e8ecuti,e power, under&ined VenezuelaHs pre,iousl# de&ocratic political s#ste& and altered the outco&es of election through corruption, fraud and inti&idation.O .he !ba&a ad&inistration should &a+e clear that free and fair elections,properl# &onitored b# respected international election obser,ers, are essential to VenezuelaHs future standing in the he&isphere and the world. Likewise, Secretary of State ohn !erry should work with regional partners"including #but not limited to$ %razil,
Canada, Colombia and &exico"to firmly encourage &aduro's interim government( A unified regional voice would send a powerful signal to Chavez's cronies in Caracas and longtime enablers in China, )ran and *ussia( +

Venezuela insta%ility s ills over to $atin +"erica= they rely on Venezuela >he 7cono"ist, (?@(3@'(1: 6>he 7cono"ist, authoritative insight and o
inion on international ne0s, olitics, %usiness, !inance, science and technology, ABstrich di lo"acyC, >he 7cono"ist, htt -@@000#econo"ist#co"@ne0s@a"ericas@'15DE(?D=venezuelas=neigh%ours=studiously=ignore=crisis=un!olding=neFt=door= ostrich=di lo"acy8

6o0t $atin +"erican

and Cari%%ean govern"ents are either ideologically close to the chavista regi"e, de endent on its oil=!uelled largesse, or si" ly disinclined to incur its 0rath. .he -rgani0ation o3 A*eri;an Etate0 5-AE>1 who0e annual a00e*7ly 7egan on )une Jth in &uate*ala1 i0 7oun2 7y treaty to *onitor it0 *e*7er0B 2e*o;rati; ;re2ential0. $ut the B+S4s <e"ocratic Charter1 laun;he2 in 2991, has so !ar %een used only to rotect residents 5including ChGvez> an2 to 7lu2geon puny ;ountrie0 0u;h a0 <on2ura0 an2
'araguay. $razil1 whi;h ha0 the *u0;le to take on a ;ountry the 0ize o3 Kenezuela1 0ee*0 *ore ;on;erne2 with prote;ting it0 7u0ine00e01 whi;h are *aking 7illion0 3ro* tra2e with it0 northern neigh7our. Ahea2 o3 the -AE *eeting it0 0e;retary-general1 )o0L

Miguel Insulza, said the Aat"os hereC 0as not conducive to a discussion o! the Venezuelan crisisMa 2iplo*ati; way o3 saying no one 0as re ared to ick u the hot otato. 6r Fn0ulza hi*0el3 ha0 in
the pa0t a2*itte2 that Kenezuela i0 in 7rea;h o3 the %e*o;rati; Charter. A*ong other thing01 it reHuire0 an in2epen2ent ju2i;iary an2 guarantee0 re;our0e to the inter-A*eri;an hu*an-right0 0y0te*. Kenezuela ha0 announ;e2 that it will a7an2on the 0y0te* later thi0 year. >he o0tri;h a roach "ay not 0ork !or ever. 8or one thing1 the Kenezuelan oppo0itionB0 ;a*paign a;ro00 the region i0 putting pre0i2ent0 un2er pre00ure 3ro* their parlia*ent0 an2 ;ivi; group0 to 0upport 2e*o;ra;y. Ee;on21 Venezuela4s

olitical !ragility and 6r Maduro4s 0eakness threaten insta%ility 0hich the region "ay %e una%le to ignore# Ehutting the 2oor in 6r Caprile0B 3a;e ;oul2 prove a 0hort-0ighte2 poli;y1 a0 well a0 a 0ha*e3ul one.

$atin +"erican insta%ility leads to "assive inter=state 0ar=they 0ill dra0 the US in 7llis, '(() 5+. ?van.1pro3e00or o3 national 0e;urity 0tu2ie01 *o2eling1 ga*ing1 an2 0i*ulation with the Center 3or <e*i0pheri;
%e3en0e Etu2ie01 with a re0ear;h 3o;u0 on #atin A*eri;aB0 relation0hip0 with eDternal a;tor01 in;lu2ing China1 +u00ia1 an2 Fran1 :.he F*pa;t o3 Fn0ta7ility in #atin A*eri;a=1 http://www.0y0te*2yna*i;0.org/;on3eren;e0/299I/pro;ee2/'A'?+E/11 .p23> .he growing disorder in the nations o! the +ndean ridge highlights a dangerous ne0

heno"enon 0ith signi!icant national security i" lications !or the United States : Cri"inal organizations and ar"ed grou s in the region have !allen into ne0 !or"s o! colla%oration
that allow the* to 3inan;e their own operation0 without relian;e on out0i2e ai2 an2 it0 a00o;iate2 0tring0. .he *ilitary an2 0el33inan;ing a;tivitie0 o3 group01 in turn1 ;reate0 2yna*i;0 that ulti*ately ;oul2 7reak 2own the e;ono*i; an2 0o;iopoliti;al 3a7ri; o3 the ;ountrie0 in whi;h they operate. +s illustrated %y the .+1C, 7$,, and +UC in Colo"%ia, these

organizations leverage the 0eakness o! the states in 0hich they o erate to survive and gro0 . >heir activities are !inanced1 in part1 %y taDing or 2ire;tly engaging in ;ri*inal a;tivity 0u;h a0 narcotra!!icking1
e*7ezzle*ent1 an2 eDtortion N11O. .he0e ;ri*inal enterpri0e01 in turn1 leverage a uniHue ;o*7ination o3 glo7al ;o**er;e an2 in3or*ation 3low0 an2 the ;o*pro*i0e2 ;hara;ter o3 the in0titution0 within their own ;ountry. In short, cri"inal

organizations conduct o erations involving glo%al shi "ents o! narcotics and other goods, leveraging international %anking, the international trans ortation in!rastructure 1 an2 the a7ility
to pur;ha0e :0pe;ialize2 hu*an eDperti0e= 3or ;ertain operation0 on glo7al *arket0 N12O. At the 0a*e ti*e1 the ;ri*inal a;tivitie0 2epen2 on :0a3e haven0= that they have ;reate2 within ;o*pro*i0e2 0tate0 to ;on2u;t key 0tage0 o3 their operation0M0u;h a0 *oney laun2ering an2 nar;oti;0 pro2u;tion. @ithin their ;o*pro*i0e2 0o;ietie01 ;ri*inal organization0 have enor*ou0 *anpower nee201 7oth to per3or* the 2aily phy0i;al la7or reHuire2 7y their operation0 an2 to provi2e prote;tion 3ro* the 0tate 5an2 3ro* rival0> 3or their a;tivitie0. +r"ed grou s on %oth the le!t and right serve the interests o! cri"inal

enter rises %y hysically rotecting the" in eFchange !or revenue# >his loose artnershi %et0een cri"inal organizations and ar"ed olitical grou s thus generates ca a%ilities and ro"ulgates incidents that ;ontri7ute to the weakne00 o3 the 0tateMthu0 0u0taining the 0pa;e in whi;h ;ri*inal a;tivity ;an take pla;e N1IO. Both cri"inal organizations and ar"ed grou s thus are nourished %y2and syste"atically destroy2 the socioecono"ic !a%ric o! the state in 0hich they gro0# +s the host state 0eakens, the activities o! these organizations also in!ects and desta%ilizes neigh%oring states through 3low0 o3 guerilla0 an2 re3ugee01 an2 the violence and hu"an su!!ering associated 0ith the". Although a great 2eal ha0 7een written a7out nar;otra33i;king1 the 0prea2 o3 in0urgen;y1 an2 0o;ioe;ono*i; pro7le*0 in #atin A*eri;a N1JO1 the current con!luence o! events is ne0 and di!!erent 0ith res ect to the 0ay in 0hich "ulti le heno"enon rein!orce each other to roduce a otential escalating s iral o! violence and econo"ic "alaise in the region . .he in2ivi2ual perpetrator0M0u;h a0 drug cartels, terrorist cells, and insurgent grou s2"ay not %e coordinated, yet the co"%ination o! their individual goal=directed actions roduces syste"ic e!!ects that could ulti"ately desta%ilize the region and undercut the %asis !or U#S# glo%al o0er#

>he insta%ility o! $atin +"erica 0ill s read starvation, hu"an rights a%uses, organized cri"e, genocide, and "assive interstate 0ars#
Man0aring (5 5'ro3e00or o3 6ilitary Etrategy P 4.E. Ar*y @ar College1 6aD &. 6anwaring 1 +etire2 4.E. Ar*y
;olonel an2 an A2jun;t 'ro3e00or o3 Fnternational 'oliti;0 at %i;kin0on College1 K?/?Q4?#ABE <4&- C<RK?Q1 $-#FKA+FA/ E-CFA#FE61 A/% AE,66?.+FC @A+8A+?1 -;to7er 29951 pg. '4$628.p23>

state !ailure is the "ost dangerous long= ter" security challenge !acing the glo%al co""unity today. .he argu*ent in general i0 that 3ailing an2 3aile2 0tate 0tatu0 i0 the 7ree2ing groun2 3or in0ta7ility1 ;ri*inality1 in0urgen;y1 regional ;on3li;t1 an2 terrori0*. .he0e ;on2ition0 7ree2 *a00ive hu*anitarian 2i0a0ter0 an2 *ajor re3ugee 3low0. .hey ;an ho0t :evil= network0 o3 all kin201 whether they involve ;ri*inal 7u0ine00 enterpri0e1 nar;o-tra33i;king1 or 0o*e 3or* o3 i2eologi;al ;ru0a2e 0u;h a0 $olivariani0*o. 6ore 0pe;i3i;ally1 the0e ;on2ition0 0pawn all kin20 o3 thing0 people in general 2o not like 0u;h a0 *ur2er1 ki2napping1 ;orruption1 inti*i2ation1 an2 2e0tru;tion o3 in3ra0tru;ture. .he0e *ean0 o3 ;oer;ion an2 per0ua0ion ;an 0pawn 3urther hu*an right0 violation01 torture1 poverty1 0tarvation1 2i0ea0e1 the re;ruit*ent an2 u0e o3 ;hil2 0ol2ier01 tra33i;king in wo*en an2 7o2y part01 tra33i;king an2 proli3eration o3 ;onventional weapon0 0y0te*0 an2 @6%1 geno;i2e1 ethni; ;lean0ing1 warlor2i0*1 an2 ;ri*inal anar;hy. At the 0a*e ti*e1 the0e a;tion0 are u0ually un;on3ine2 an2 0pill over into regional 0yn2ro*e0 o3 overty, desta%ilization, and con!lict.62
.he F00ue o3 Etate 8ailure. - 're0i2ent ChSvez al0o un2er0tan20 that the pro;e00 lea2ing to 'eruB0 Een2ero #u*ino0o ;all0 violent an2 2e0tru;tive a;tivitie0 that 3a;ilitate the pro;e00e0 o3 0tate 3ailure :ar*e2 propagan2a.= %rug ;artel0 operating throughout the An2ean +i2ge o3 Eouth A*eri;a an2 el0ewhere ;all the0e a;tivitie0 :7u0ine00 in;entive0.= ChSvez ;on0i2er0 the0e a;tion0 to 7e 0tep0 that *u0t 7e taken to 7ring a7out the politi;al ;on2ition0 ne;e00ary to e0ta7li0h #atin A*eri;an 0o;iali0* 3or the 210t ;entury.6I .hu01 in a22ition to helping to provi2e wi2er latitu2e to 3urther their ta;ti;al an2 operational o7je;tive01 0tate an2 non0tate a;tor0B 0trategi; e33ort0 are ai*e2 at progre00ively le00ening a targete2 regi*eB0 ;re2i7ility an2 ;apa7ility in ter*0 o3 it0 a7ility an2 willingne00 to govern an2 2evelop it0 national territory an2 0o;iety. ChSvezB0 intent i0 to 3o;u0 hi0 pri*ary atta;k politi;ally an2 p0y;hologi;ally on 0ele;te2 #atin A*eri;an govern*ent0B a7ility an2 right to govern. Fn that ;onteDt1 he un2er0tan20 that popular per;eption0 o3 ;orruption1 2i0en3ran;hi0e*ent1 poverty1 an2 la;k o3 upwar2 *o7ility li*it the right an2 the a7ility o3 a given regi*e to ;on2u;t the 7u0ine00 o3 the 0tate. 4ntil a given popula;e generally per;eive0 that it0 govern*ent i0 2ealing with the0e an2 other 7a0i; i00ue0 o3 politi;al1 e;ono*i;1 an2 0o;ial inju0ti;e 3airly an2 e33e;tively1 in0ta7ility an2 the threat o3 0u7verting or 2e0troying 0u;h a govern*ent are real.6J

$ut 3ailing an2 3aile2 0tate0 0i*ply 2o not go away. Kirtually anyone ;an take a2vantage o3 0u;h an un0ta7le 0ituation. .he ten2en;y i0 that the 7e0t *otivate2 an2 7e0t ar*e2 organization on the 0;ene will ;ontrol that in0ta7ility. A0 a ;on0eHuen;e1 3ailing an2 3aile2 0tate0 7e;o*e 2y03un;tional 0tate01 rogue 0tate01 ;ri*inal 0tate01 nar;o0tate01 or new peopleB0 2e*o;ra;ie0. Fn ;onne;tion with the ;reation o3 new peopleB0 2e*o;ra;ie01 one ;an re0t a00ure2 that ChSvez an2 hi0 $olivarian populi0t allie0 will 7e availa7le to provi2e *oney1 ar*01 an2 lea2er0hip at any given opportunity. An21 o3 ;our0e1 the longer 2y03un;tional1 rogue1 ;ri*inal1 an2 nar;o-0tate0 an2 peopleB0 2e*o;ra;ie0 per0i0t1 the *ore they an2 their a00o;iate2 pro7le*0 endanger glo%al security, eace, and ros erity.65

Contention 5- Solvency
Maduro "ust go, Solves !or the survival o! the Venezualan econo"y
4)" 5. ':".!N, <?.1;.14 http122www.miamiherald.com2201:20D2122D9909RR2to!survive!maduro!must!dismantle.htmlMstor"lin Lcp" &he
Miami =erald is pleased to provide this opportunit" to share information, e;periences and observations about what's in the news. 0ome of the comments ma" be reprinted elsewhere on the site or in the newspaper. (e encourage livel", open debate on the issues of the da", and as that "ou refrain from profanit", hate speech, personal comments and remar s that are off point. &han "ou for ta ing the time to offer "our thoughts.

(ChP,ez was an e8cellent sur,i,orN when he had the noose around his nec+ he would wriggle,- the political consultant said. (.his case is different. aduro operates under a great disad,antage, for ChP,ez did not ha,e to consult an#one to &a+e his twists. =e made his own decisions and ever"one obe"ed.> ?Maduro, however, before he ma es a decision he must confront :0,000 internal factors that don4t allow him to twist,> he added. :et those twists see& indispensable for his sur,i,al, at a &o&ent in which he faces large de&onstrations on the streets. 'is national appro,al rate does not e8ceed ;< percent. ore than D; percent of Venezuelans openl# re$ect his go,ern&ent and the rest prefer not to answer. 1ccording to the

latest Venebaro&eter Kopinion poll perfor&ed b# the fir& Croes, >uti=rrez and 1ssociatesL, QQ.E percent of Venezuelans ac+nowledge being affected b# the deterioration of the econo&#, while MQ.E percent e8press fear that the# could end up losing their $obs. &he acute problem of scarcit", which economists attribute to more than 1: "ears of hostile business policies, is affecting
virtuall" all 8ene3uelans, with onl" 2.1 percent of those consulted sa"ing that the" can bu" all the" need in the supermar ets. &o insist on deepening the ?21st

as aduro had been doing until ,er# recentl# with the i&ple&entation of his fair3price law, onl# leads to political suicide, Viera said fro& ontreal.
centur" socialism,>