Venezuela Resorts To Changing Time Itself To Survive Socialism As Food Shortages and Power Outages Worsen

When heavily socialist countries collapse, and they always do, it is always interesting to watch what they do near the end.

Venezuela is the latest and its activities have gotten more bizarre by the day.  A few weeks ago, as we reported, the Central Bank of Venezuela blamed hyperinflation on a website.  Then they began flying in plane loads of Venezuelan Bolivars!

Yes, we are not kidding.  Flying in “money” in cargo planes to cure hyperinflation one-ups Helicopter Ben Bernanke!

Then it became too expensive to print the Venezuelan bolivar, as it cost more to print pictures of dead criminals on pieces of paper than the paper cost itself.

They’ve tried rolling electricity blackouts to save money and food rationing.  Then, as the economy completely ground to a  halt the government announced a rise in the minimum wage by 30% this weekend… like that would help!

And now, the latest move, the Venezuelan government said it is going to change time itself!

At 2:30am on Sunday, the Venezuelan government decreed that time had moved forward by 30 minutes, to 3am, in an effort to save money.

You can’t make this stuff up!  They should just move time forward two years to a time when this whole system collapses and people can begin rebuilding from the rubble of socialism.

Sadly, however, this comedy is a tragedy for millions of Venezuelans who live under a criminal socialist regime that now has entered into near starvation levels as the country and its currency have completely collapsed.

I recently risked my life to see what the end-stages of socialism was like.

A few weeks ago, I, along with Luke Rudkowski of We Are Change, flew into the murder capital of the world, Caracas, Venezuela, to see what a country in collapse looked like (See Luke Rudkowski’s Video of that here: “You Won’t Believe What We Saw In Socialist Venezuela“).

I had last visited Venezuela in 2008 and it was very nice.  I spent time in the nice parts of Caracas at high end restaurants and partied the night away at big discotheques full of beautiful women.  The people were optimistic, after all, Hugo Chavez had great plans for the country!

A lot can change in eight years.

We arrived and were met by some Dollar Vigilante readers… some of the only anarcho-capitalists in Venezuela.

After discretely changing $100 US for a backpack full of bolivars with some guy in the airport we were told to make a dash for the car we had waiting outside.  Apparently the airport is the most dangerous part of Caracas, as that is where people wait for foreigners come to kidnap and rob them.

We managed to get out of the airport unscathed and on time, but little else went according to plan. We had intended to stay for four days, but we left after 36 hours. It was simply just too difficult and dangerous to stay.

While I was there, however, a brave and very helpful TDV reader, Daniel, snuck us into the barrios where he lived to show us what conditions were like.

His “house” was basically a concrete foundation with some sheets and corrugated metal making up the walls and ceilings. It was there I conducted this interview, below, with him.

He gives us a view from on-the-ground of how Venezuela went from a country rich in wealth and natural resources to one of complete squalor, food shortages and rampant crime and murder in just a few years.

You can see my interview with Daniel here:

Here’s something Americans should take note of.  Everything that Venezuela has been doing over the last 8 years is very similar to what has been happening in the US.

Socialism, massive government deficits, central bank money printing, never-ending rules and regulations and gun control.  That’s what caused what is happening in Venezuela.  And that is what is happening in the US now… in fact, all throughout the West.

If you want to see the future, visit Venezuela.

Originally Appeared At The Dollar Vigilante