Venezuela and Santa Claus vs Thomas Sowell and the Little Red Hen | International Liberty

Venezuela and Santa Claus vs Thomas Sowell and the Little Red Hen | International Liberty
Earlier this year, I borrowed from Dante’s Inferno and created the Five Circles of Statist Hell.
At the time, I suggested that Venezuela was on the cusp of moving from the third circle (“widespread poverty and economic misery”) to the fourth circle (“systematic and grinding poverty and deprivation”).

Since we now know that children in the country are suffering from hunger and malnutrition, I think we can safely confirm that Venezuela has made that crossing, joining the dystopian hell of North Korea (though you can make a good argument that the savage regime based in Pyongyang actually belongs in the fifth circle).
And just in case you need another piece of evidence about Venezuela, consider these excerpts from a surreal BBC report.
Venezuelan authorities have arrested two toy company executives and seized almost four million toys, which they say they will distribute to the poor. 
Officials accused the company of hoarding toys and hiking prices in the run-up to Christmas. 
Last week, the government issued an order to retailers to reduce prices on a range of goods by 30%. …Venezuela…said…”Our children are sacred, we will not let them rob you of Christmas,” it said in a tweet, along with photos and video of thousands of boxes of toys. …
The agency also posted photos of the two executives being marched from the premises by a squad of heavily armed soldiers.
...Anyhow, here are some final passages from the article.
The Venezuelan government is becoming increasingly unpopular as the country’s economic crisis grows. …
The International Monetary Fund estimates that inflation – the rate at which prices go up – will hit 2,000% next year.
Yup, Venezuela is a regular Shangri La.
No wonder Bernie Sanders is so infatuated with the place..."
Read on.