We've seen a similar phenomenon with UK Labour recently, and I think it's down to a complex of all of the above, multiplied by the fact that these people really are just incredibly right wing ghouls who believe that the silent majority are on their side 🤷

Even in genuinely revolutionary situations where violent overthrow is an immediate goal, discipline is absolutely key.

Yeah in the UK it's how they pay state assets lol

Far from an expert here, but imo you only need to look at the media coverage itself to at least see that the idea of a huge popular upswell is bunk. I've been scouring the reportage for a long shot of these protests, and nothing. How about the opposition figures in front of a crowd? Again, nothing. It's always a handful of goons in a conference room. Meanwhile, Maduro still demonstrably has a huge social base, going by the attendance at rallies, official support from social orgs etc.

There have almost certainly been irregularities dgmw, but, as has been mentioned elsewhere in this thread, the election was hopelessly compromised from the get go. It's just not possible to have 'free and fair' elections under circumstances such as this.

With regard to other forms of suppression e.g. Machado's disqualification, well... I mean she's openly calling for foreign intervention, is collaborating with hostile state actors, and she's a fucking nazi.

If liberal democracy worked as advertised, the opposition would have conceded to a new political consensus by now, and perhaps even be back in power. They could just say, "ok, the nationalized oil stays. Now, why not let us manage it instead?" But they have not ceded an inch on privatisations, and they won't either. Liberal democracy demands that the complete dismantling of the meagre gains of chavismo be on the table at every election.

But utopian socialism was right from the point of view of world history, for it was a symptom, an expression, a harbinger of the class which, born of capitalism, has by now, in the beginning of the twentieth century, become a mass force which can put an end to capitalism and is irresistibly advancing to this goal.

Imagine being alive at a time when this seemed undeniable 😕

So many tankies in this thread smdh

What are those indentations on his face? Was he a forceps birth or something

Top-tier endangerment bait lmao

I'd vote for a candidate who only communicates via ouija board over Trump.

Give it a few months

"optics" As if it were a trick of the light

Have you ever heard of a little thing called 'the rent trap'

I'm sorry but that is clearly a crisis actor