Gallup Poll: Venezuelans More Satisfied Than Other Latin Americans

[JimmyJazz]

Should be hard for the ideologically capitalist to argue with this:


http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news/4016


"Although the study showed a tendency for a negative correlation between economic growth and happiness, Venezuela was an exception, as the happiness of its citizens remained high despite experiencing robust economic growth in the last four years."


So economic growth under global capitalism actually makes people less happy. Whereas robust social-democratic measures can at least stall this decrease in happiness. Interesting.

[GPDP]

"But Venezuelans are oppressed, have no freedom of speech, and Chavez is a no-good dictator!" -my mother (more or less what she says)

[#FF0000]

"But Venezuelans are oppressed, have no freedom of speech, and Chavez is a no-good dictator!" -my mother (more or less what she says)

"Prove it" - Me. :|

[JimmyJazz]

"But Venezuelans are oppressed, have no freedom of speech, and Chavez is a no-good dictator!" -my mother

As I said on the one other board where I posted this link, a board which is full of libertarians:


The only possible refutation of this is to say something stupid like, "of course the people are happy, they've been bought off by Chavez with social spending." But there's no way around it: if you take such a position, you admit that people's aggregate happiness is not what you consider the ultimate good by which any social system should be judged. That makes you an authoritarian.

Someone will surely say that it's due to oil wealth, and I can't speak to that, as I have no idea how that figures into calculations of national productivity. But even if that was conceded, the only thing that would be proven is that perhaps social democratic measures can't under normal circumstances prevent the negative correlation between happiness and growth. It doesn't address the crucial point that said negative correlation exists.Another guy added:


Libertardians believe that an arbitrary set of property rights is the ultimate good. It is, of course, extremely authoritarian to attempt to enforce these articles of faith on a society which does not remotely identify with these beliefs. However this sort of inherent contradiction is easy for a libertardian to deal with - they have advanced training in doublethink.There ain't nothin in Venezuela as authoritarian as the imposed, alternatingly free market/corporatist system we've got in the U.S., and the two-headed party that enforces it.

[DancingLarry]

"Prove it" - Me. :|

"Everyone knows" - The Hegemonic CorporateMediaState Narrative

[JimmyJazz]

"Prove it" - Me. :|

Joe Biden said, "We can no longer be energy dependent on Saudi Arabia or a Venezuelan dictator."

What more proof do you need???!?

[cyu]

Interesting stuff. Thanks for the link.

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

If Chavez is a "dictator" then what exactly does that word mean? He's been elected and gone through a recall referendum. "Dictator" is thrown around like "fascist," often with no real connection to its actual meaning.

[chebol]

http://www.borev.net/2008/12/venezuela_sometimes_you_just_w.html

[KC]

If Chavez is a "dictator" then what exactly does that word mean? He's been elected and gone through a recall referendum. "Dictator" is thrown around like "fascist," often with no real connection to its actual meaning.

Authoritative executive mandate is a dictatorial policy (in the theoretical and not the moral sense), although the way it is implemented in Venezuela even that couldn't be construed to consider him a dictator.

[Revy]

"But Venezuelans are oppressed, have no freedom of speech, and Chavez is a no-good dictator!" -my mother (more or less what she says)

My mother said he kills people. She listens to too much right-wing talk radio.....

[Vendetta]

http://www.borev.net/2008/12/venezuela_sometimes_you_just_w.html

Haha, that made me chuckle.

[Robespierre2.0]

Dictator means 'anybody who won't let U.S.-multinationals rob their people blind'.

[Wanted Man]

"Prove it" - Me. :|
"It's common sense." ;)

[Sankofa]

Dictator means 'anybody who won't let U.S.-multinationals rob their people blind'.

^ This.