As I read your analysis, I feel the need to exclaim "excellent" at almost every line. (I remembered the countless attempts to assassinate Castro during JFK's time - some so ridiculous, so absurd, that I wonder if the CIA wasn't a nursery of tragicomedy screenwriters).
There’s a good chance that if all the Armenians that lived in California lived in a Swing state like Florida Nagorno Karabakh would never have been taken by Azerbaijan
The Greek-Armenian lobby is pretty solid, but they lost Menendez. After the fact we got AZ's aid waiver stripped (I supportef that because was the right thing to do)
This is a really good article. I was in the gold exploration business and traveled to Venezuela in the early 1990s in an effort to obtain exploration licences in eastern Venezuela. The notion that rural Venezuelans in pre-Chavez Venezuela were "rich" is delusional (as you observe). In 19th century Ontario, rural farmers with few resources built substantial farm houses but Venezuelans in Callao and other towns and villages lived in shanties. Government corruption in pre-Chavez Venezuela was endemic and toxic to the economy. Geologists needed permits for even minor tasks and each permit had "administrative" costs. Venezuela's pre-Chavez oil revenue wasn't used to build a diversified economy but to build a grossly oversized and overweening bureaucracy which traveled to Miami for holidays and to shop. The connection between Miami and Venezuela upper and middle class goes back a long time. I was actually in Caracas in 1992 during the first (and unsuccessful) Chavez coup. I was staying at a Tamanaco hotel overlooking the air force base which was a center for the rebellion. The government set up heavy guns on the roof of the hotel and fired down on the base, while the base fired heavy artillery at the hotel. The guests were evacuated to a basement restaurant while a battle took place in the parking garage. Next to me under one of the tables was the then famous marathoner Bill Rogers who was in Caracas to be grand marshall of the Caracas marathon. The next day, I went downtown on the subway and was trapped for a while in an alley, pinned down with about 20 others by a sniper. Government troops arrived and we ran to safety, You are 100% correct that pre-Chavez Venezuela was no paradise, particularly for anyone not in the bureaucracy.
As I read your analysis, I feel the need to exclaim "excellent" at almost every line. (I remembered the countless attempts to assassinate Castro during JFK's time - some so ridiculous, so absurd, that I wonder if the CIA wasn't a nursery of tragicomedy screenwriters).
Alas for Venezuela!
I’m glad you liked it. I wasnt sure if it was good while I was doing it but thats often a good sign for quality.
There’s a good chance that if all the Armenians that lived in California lived in a Swing state like Florida Nagorno Karabakh would never have been taken by Azerbaijan
The Greek-Armenian lobby is pretty solid, but they lost Menendez. After the fact we got AZ's aid waiver stripped (I supportef that because was the right thing to do)
Super detail.
What do you make of the claims that Rubio's wife comes from Miami Vice cocaine money?
I dont know anything in particular about it but find it entirely believable.
The US needs another war like another hole in its head. Trump would be making a huge mistake.
This is a really good article. I was in the gold exploration business and traveled to Venezuela in the early 1990s in an effort to obtain exploration licences in eastern Venezuela. The notion that rural Venezuelans in pre-Chavez Venezuela were "rich" is delusional (as you observe). In 19th century Ontario, rural farmers with few resources built substantial farm houses but Venezuelans in Callao and other towns and villages lived in shanties. Government corruption in pre-Chavez Venezuela was endemic and toxic to the economy. Geologists needed permits for even minor tasks and each permit had "administrative" costs. Venezuela's pre-Chavez oil revenue wasn't used to build a diversified economy but to build a grossly oversized and overweening bureaucracy which traveled to Miami for holidays and to shop. The connection between Miami and Venezuela upper and middle class goes back a long time. I was actually in Caracas in 1992 during the first (and unsuccessful) Chavez coup. I was staying at a Tamanaco hotel overlooking the air force base which was a center for the rebellion. The government set up heavy guns on the roof of the hotel and fired down on the base, while the base fired heavy artillery at the hotel. The guests were evacuated to a basement restaurant while a battle took place in the parking garage. Next to me under one of the tables was the then famous marathoner Bill Rogers who was in Caracas to be grand marshall of the Caracas marathon. The next day, I went downtown on the subway and was trapped for a while in an alley, pinned down with about 20 others by a sniper. Government troops arrived and we ran to safety, You are 100% correct that pre-Chavez Venezuela was no paradise, particularly for anyone not in the bureaucracy.