by Stephen Dietrich, Managing Editor
The real tragedy of Venezuela’s new “bread war” was how totally predictable it was. How many times in history have we seen socialism destroy an economy within a decade?
In Venezuela, the heart of liberalism-gone-wild in America, their economic collapse has taken the next step. In the capital of Caracas this week, more than 700 bakeries were raided by pro-government police and some were seized in the name of the people. At least four bakers were arrested and two charged with crimes… for making too many brownies.
According to government sources, these so-called “greedy” bakers were responsible for the bread lines and food shortages in their shops.
Of course, we know that to be untrue.
History proves that capitalism and the free market are far superior to central government control.
And in the end, it all breaks down to one simple truth — Capitalism leads to full supermarket shelves, while socialism leads to bread lines and starvation.
It’s remarkable, if you pause to think about it.
The next time you walk into the grocery store in America and see the shelves stocked with food, pause and remember that no one mandated they be there. No bureaucrat in Washington, D.C. writes laws dictating how many pounds of bread must be shipped to Missouri, or how baby diapers should be distributed in Louisville, or how many thousands of gallons of cows milk must be shipped into New York City daily.
Instead, the stocked shelves of every store in America are decided by consumer choice. It’s the “invisible hand” of the free market that pushes the right amount of shoes where they need to go. It’s capitalism that puts the exact amount of car tires where they’re wanted.
It’s an incredibly complex system, and it’s so successful that it is taken for granted by many Americans.
I never question which of the stores nearest to my house will have eggs. My concern, instead, is who will have the best price?
Not everyone takes the system for granted, however. In fact, millions of voters in America want it stopped.
Because it makes some people incredibly rich, this free market system is something liberal Democrats believe is unjust… and therefore believe it must be centrally controlled.
Liberals are constantly fighting to punish the owners of factories and stock holders of giant corporations — and their ultimate goal is to give control of production to bureaucrats in Washington, D.C.
That’s a truth that we, as conservatives, cannot afford to forget.
The tragedy in Venezuela must be a reminder that our vigilance is critical to America’s economic freedom.
Democrats want to punish the owners of the means of production with unfair taxes and burdensome regulations. They want the government to use your tax dollars to decide economic winners and losers based on what political bureaucrats — not consumers — deem “fair” or “just” or “right.”
After all, just last year millions rallied and voted for socialist candidates like Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who once praised Fidel Castro and the bread lines in Cuba as a more just economic system than in America.
It’s an unacceptable trend. Because once leftists begin seizing the means of production, bread lines will naturally follow.
We cannot allow that to happen here.
So the next time you walk into a grocery store and see fresh fruits and vegetables, thank a conservative.
When you see bread lines and starvation in Venezuela, thank a liberal.
— Stephen Dietrich is the Managing Editor of The Horn News. He has over six years of experience in applied economics and financial research.