This is exactly what happens in Animal Farm. I always thought that the book was a bit of a ridiculous parody....but time proves it to be entirely accurate. It is almost like a chemical reaction....mix fuel and oxidizer in the proper proportions, introduce a spark and you get an explosion. Mix Marxist socialism with a thriving economy with no restraints on the leadership group and you get starvation, misery a collapsed economy and dead people.

Fox News had an American socialist on, and when asked to point to any successful socialist country, he launched into the usual song and dance about how successful Cuba and Venezuela would be if the U.S. wasn't busy "oppressing" them.

That's always the excuse, that the only reason socialism fails is because of evil capitalists' dastardly machinations. When I point to a very successful capitalist country that tried socialism and gave up on it, Sweden, socialists are stumped to explain it. They often try to point to China, but they have no answer when I point out that China didn't begin to succeed until they found a way to incorporate capitalism into their authoritarian rule.

This moron is beating the war drum against America, as though we're a threat. It needs to be pointed out by the highest official in our land that all we need to do is sit idly by and watch this collectivist mess collapse. I'd even throw in that it's a free education for America's children. I'd thank Maduro for it. I'd even thank Russia for getting involved...

He doesnt want "his people" to see that others can do more to help them than HE can (or will). His motto isnt "let them eat cake- its more like "let them starve"

A friend of mine whose son lives in Chile told me yesterday that Maduro sent troops into a neighborhood and machine gunned people! I am trying to fact check this.

Once tried, the need for altruism seems more addictive and more dangerous than heroin.