CAL THOMAS COMMENTARY JANUARY 8, 2026
HOW CAN ONE OF THE RICHEST COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD WITH TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF ENERGY AND MINERAL RESERVES, BEAUTIFUL BEACHES AND BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE BECOME IMPOVERISHED INNJUST 25 YEARS? THE QUESTION IS ASKED BY STEPHEN MOORE ON HIS PROSPERITY HOTLINE WEBPAGE.
THE ANSWER HE GIVES IS SIMPLE. VENEZUELAN COMMUNIST LEADERS HUGO CHAVEZ AND THE RECENTLY ARRESTED NICOLAS MADURO ABANDONED FREE MARKETS AND “RUGGED INDIVIDUALISM” IN FAVOR OF THE “WARM EMBRACE OF COLLECTIVISM.” DOES THAT SOUND FAMILIAR? IT SHOULD. THESE ARE THE WORDS OF NEWLY INAUGURATED DEMOCRAT-SOCIALIST AND RADICAL MUSLIM ZOHRAN MAMDANI.
VENEZUELA SHOULD HAVE HAD CAPITAL WEALTH EQUAL TO SAUDI ARABIA AND TOURISM IN BERMUDA, NOTES MOORE. YET, HALF OF ITS CITIZENS NOW LIVE IN EXTREME POVERTY. VENEZUELA MOVED FROM FREE MARKET CAPITALISM TO SOCIALISM AND AUTOCRACY. THE COUNTRY’S ECONOMIC FREEDOM INDEX RATING FELL IN HALF AND NOW RANKS 165TH IN THE WORLD. THAT’S NEAR NORTH KOREA WHERE PEOPLE ARE ALSO STARVING.
SOCIALISM IS ATTRACTIVE TO MANY YOUNGER PEOPLE. THAT’S BECAUSE THEY HAVE NEVER HAD TO LIVE UNDER IT. LET THEM CONSIDER VENEZUELA AS A MODERN EXAMPLE OF HOW THE IDEOLOGY CAN RUIN A COUNTRY…AND A CITY LIKE NEW YORK. I’M CAL THOMAS.
