by Stephen Lendman

Venezuela and America are polar opposites. Bolivarian social justice, participatory democracy and mutual cooperation with all nations contrasts with the myth of "we the people," neoliberal harshness and endless wars on humanity.

Differences between both countries are stark. In America, a permanent state of war exists against invented enemies.

Fundamental freedoms are disappearing in plain sight. A police state apparatus controls things.

A culture of violence persists. US streets in minority communities are virtual battlegrounds.

Social decay is deepening. Secrecy and fear-mongering prevail. Political imprisonments are commonplace. America runs the world's largest gulag - operating at home and abroad.

Torture is official policy. Injustice is standard practice. Dominant media function as virtual thought-control police gatekeepers.

Democracy exists in name only. It's the best money can buy. People have no say whatever. Monied interests run things. Duopoly power serves them.

Venezuela is polar opposite. Jimmy Carter calls its electoral process the best in the world. It's the most open, free and fair.

Social justice is constitutionally mandated. Included are free education to the highest levels, universal healthcare and much more.

Venezuelans get social benefits American's can't imagine. Living in the world's richest country doesn't help.

US resources increasingly go for militarism at home and abroad, war-making and enormous corporate handouts. Social benefits are being cut en route to elimination altogether.

Elections when held are farcical. Power brokers run them. Democrats are interchangeable with Republicans. They're in lockstep on issues mattering most. Independents are entirely shut out.

Modern technology makes election rigging easy. The entire process lacks legitimacy.

Secrecy and backroom deals characterize it. Candidates are pre-selected. Monied interests own them. Key outcomes are predetermined.

Voter disenfranchisement is rife. Half or more of eligible voters opt out of a process ignoring their needs and concerns.

The late Gore Vidal called US-style democracy "bribery on the highest scale" - a system "where numerous elections are held at great cost without issues and with interchangeable candidates."

Presidential elections are worst of all. "By the time a man gets to be presidential material, he's been bought over ten times," Vidal said.

Obama snubbed Russia's May 9 V-Day commemorations. Nicholas Maduro proudly participated along with around 30 other world leaders.

RT International interviewed him. Venezuelans will continue "defend(ing) the revolution," he said.

He warned of strong internal and foreign opposition wanting him ousted. "In the 25 months (since taking office), they haven't stopped the attacks against the Bolivarian revolution," he said.

Venezuelans won't tolerate returning to bad old days they deplored. "Chavez trained (them to be) very active, very critical and very demanding," Maduro explained.

Washington tries everything to destabilize Venezuela, he added. It's "creat(ing) difficulties for Russia (to pursue) its natural path."

Maduro vowed to stand with Moscow - to stay active against US imperialism and aggression.

"I arrived here with a good purpose, to be with the Russian people in this hour of great challenges," he said. "I am certain that peace will prevail."

"I am certain that, sooner rather than later, the US will go the way the British empire did 70 years ago."

"It used to be a powerful empire that ruled entire regions of Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean and Africa for 300 years."

"They ruled the world. But then they had to adapt to new historic circumstances. We believe the same thing will happen to America and that they would have to go through a series of conflicts."

He called Western leaders boycotting V-Day in Moscow "a case of short-sightedness…conspiring and petty grudges. (H)umanity has enough strength and values not to allow this pettiness to win," he maintained.

Europe turned a blind eye to an earlier "insane monster," he explained.

Humanity paid dearly for bad policy - repeated today by allying with a greater threat in Washington. Will history again be learned the hard way?

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Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks World War III".

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.

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