As described by Paul Canning in “Venezuela: the Left’s giant forgetting”, Jeremy Corbyn prudently deleted a slew of pro-Chavez and Maduro content from his website in 2016. The same pattern was followed by others on the Shadow Front Bench who had once described themselves passionate defenders of the Venezuelan Revolution but who have now rediscovered the advice their mothers gave them about how if you can’t say anything nice, say nothing.
However one of Mr Corbyn’s most devoted allies, Chris Williamson MP, still has nice things to say about the Maduro regime. I must praise him for his rare honesty – the “Deleted by the PC media” tag this post bears applies to his leader, but not to him.
The Spectator‘s “Steerpike” writes,
Chris Williamson on the joys of Venezuela
Venezuela is a country in crisis: inflation hit one million per cent last year and GDP has plummeted by half since 2013. Those who dare stand up to president Nicolás Maduro risk finding themselves locked up – or worse. Many have opted to leave: three million migrants and refugees have fled the country in the last few years. But ever the optimist about the joys of socialism, Labour MP Chris Williamson has managed to find some good news about Venezuela – the country’s social housing programme is ‘on track
From the tweet:
Mission accomplished. They didn’t say the new housing couldn’t be tents, lean-to’s, cardboard boxes, and hovels in Colombia.
It’s comical these people act like they do not know the web is forever. You deleted this – therefore even you know how much it exposes you. You deleted this, therefore you know selling socialism doesn’t just require hiding all past outcomes of socialism; it also requires hiding your own past attempts to sell socialism. You deleted this – so that makes your deleting it the story.
It’s like The Independent deleting their “Snowfalls thing of the past” page without any attempt to explain or clarify or moderate or even spin like a top. Turning “Vote for socialism – Venezuela shows the way” into “Vote for socialism – please forget what I said yesterday” confesses they have no answer, no story, not even the most absurd spin.
The most bizarre aspect is not the original tweet but the number of supportive replies along the lines of “all problems in Venezuela are because of the evil capitalists/Americans/insert pantomime villain of your choice here”.
We really do seem to be back in a 1970’s student union – except that, thanks to May’s incompetence, there’s a real chance these people might get their hands on actual power.
The left in both Britain and the United States support the POLICIES that have reduced Venezuela to such as desperate state – so whether they still support the regime is not relevant.
Venezuela was not reduced to its present desperate condition by “corruption” or “badness” – the cause was the collectivist policies of the regime, and these policies are MAINSTREAM on the left. Someone like Speaker Nancy Pelosi would follow them – there is nothing special about them (you can find them in Labour Party policy documents – price controls and all).
The astonishing thing is that much of “Big Business” seems to SUPPORT such policies.
“No, no, no Paul – Big Business only PRETENDS to support the Diversity Social Justice left, they do not really mean it”.
Well then – Big Business should stop saying it supports such policies of “Public Investment” (wild spending), “Diversity” (the control of society by the state) and “Social Justice” (the “redistribution” of income and wealth) – and it should stop throwing money at people (such as Nancy Pelosi) who really do support these things.
By the way….
I just watched Prime Minister Theresa May say, and say in a PREPARED SPEECH, that “poverty, inequality and discrimination” were “injustices”.
Does the lady have any idea what the words “justice” and “injustice” mean?
Poverty, inequality and discrimination may be very bad things – but they are NOT about “justice” and “injustice”. People can be poor without any injustice being committed against them. And to “discriminate” against someone, for example to refuse to trade with someone because they have red hair (“get out of my shop ginger”) has only been considered a crime in this country since 1965 – was the entire history of the Common Law before 1965 wrong and only in 1965 did we suddenly discover that the word “injustice” included refusing to trade with certain people?
And how can the wife of a very rich banker denounce “inequality”? Does Mrs May have no self awareness at all?
The spirit of San Francisco and New York City – the spirit of the far left RICH, seems to dominate Westminister – and it is indeed the spirit of Venezuela (accept that they are not rich anymore).
This is how a country becomes poor – the political elite (including very rich people in the political elite) accept (“internalise”) the doctrines of the extreme left.
If you look at most progressive American politicians right now, you’ll note that our 1970’s student unions DID get their hands on actual power, and it’s not pretty.
bobby: Strewth. 👿
bobby b – yes indeed.
And do you think that Prime Minister Theresa May did not go to school and university – and did not basically agree with what she was taught?
Remember the “Student Union” are NOT really rebels – they are “teacher’s pets” just taking what the teachers and the academics taught them to its logical conclusion.
Mrs May might take us to Venezuela more SLOWLY than Mr Corbyn – but she is most certainly NOT offering an alternative direction.
Some people on Samizdata know a person whose name is David Carr – and the horrible thing is that there is a lot of TRUTH in what he says.
This reminds me of a similar left-wing scam back in the war years, mentioned in BBC correspondent Paul Winterton’s ‘Report on Russia’ of 1945. A Soviet report that huge numbers of houses had been built (for Soviet citizens rendered homeless by the war) opened the door to complaints that British capitalism was far inferior to communism in its building of new houses (to replace bomb-damaged ones). Winterton pointed out that the soviet ‘houses’ were log cabins. He assured his readers that they were “first-rate log cabins built of fine timber with excellent local craftsmanship” (which, under communism, I doubt), and he also did not question the large number allegedly built (which, under communism, I also doubt), but he pointed out that they were some way from what a UK person understood by the word ‘house’.
I also note that 2025 is a date in the future. Like Venezuela’s currency, Chris excuses the worthlessness of past promises by offering new promises.
In one of the “Thwarbles it’s cold out!” parts of the US…
Citgo gasoline, up to 10 cents lower per (10% corn alcohol adulterated-they ALL are)gallon, than ALL others.
Hollywood activist heros Mssrs. Glover and Penn apparently spending more time with family
Rep. Kennedy (D Mass.) not heard from concerning continued “free heating fuel assistance”.