American politicians and media whores are fond of saying that socialism has never worked. Yet Sweden is considered a socialist country, and it seems to be working. Cuba excels among Latin American nations in a number of respects, in spite of the United States’ political and economic embargo. And one could argue that the United States itself was a socialist nation, at least until George W. Bush stole the White House.

Unfortunately, socialism is not a simple topic. Merely defining it can be difficult.

Yes, I’m aware of the traditional dictionary definition. (See Merriam-Webster, for example.) But has private property been outlawed in either Venezuela or Sweden?

In fact, the word socialism has a strong connotation of social justice for many people. Ironically, right-wingers often spit at the idea that socialism offers social justice, only to label anyone who advocates accountability for corporate crooks a socialist. You can’t have it both ways.

So, to get to the point, exactly what does Hugo Chávez aspire to accomplish with his socialist revolution? And what do I mean when I preach socialism as a solution for America’s problems? Let me address the second question first.

My View of Socialism

I’m a firm believer in a so-called mixed economy, one combining capitalism and socialism. I feel that free enterprise (capitalism) is a dynamite way to run an economy in general...let the market determine prices, and all that stuff.

But all government and economic systems are prone to corruption, and capitalism is no exception. Free market whores—people who believe corporations should be allowed to do whatever they want—are full of it.

I believe in regulation, not deregulation. I think privatization is one of the greatest evils of our generation. If I could be President for a day, I wouldn’t nationalize everything in sight, but I’d certainly nationalize the energy companies.

I’m also a fervent believer in accountability. The idea that the rich and powerful should be allowed to thumb their noses at laws the rest of us are forced to follow is un-American, illogical and simply stupid.

I sometimes characterize my vision of socialism as capitalism with a conscience.

The Chávez Plan

So what about Hugo Chávez? Is his Bolivarian Revolution designed to bestow on Venezuela a mixed economy, similar to that which the U.S. was blessed with after World War II? Or is Chávez aiming for something a little more aligned with Cuba’s economic system (though presumably without a dictatorial government)?

The simple truth is I don’t know. There are times when I think Chávez is being a bit reckless, and I fear Venezuela’s economy is going to simply collapse (just as I fear for my own economy). But closer investigation often suggests that Chávez is a surprisingly smart guy.

Some of Venezuela’s problems may actually be symptoms of success. For example, the terrible inflation that is currently gripping the country is allegedly the result of increased demand outstripping supplies.

I tend to look at what’s happening in Venezuela as one super-ambitious experiment. Some critics claim Chávez’ social reforms are nothing more than political stunts. There could be some truth to that, but it’s hard to believe he doesn’t really want to succeed.

Sovereignty

To keep things in perspective, U.S. citizens must keep in mind that Latin Americans are fighting for their sovereignty. For generations, they’ve been treated like colonies of the United States and pilfered by foreign corporations.

Ironically, the U.S. itself is now evolving into a banana republic, with a growing gap between the rich and the poor. That’s why so many of us empathize with Hugo Chávez’ tirades against “Yankee imperialism.”

Dual Nightmares

One of my greatest nightmares is that it might all come tumbling down. Suppose Venezuela’s economy implodes, or the U.S. invades Venezuela, murdering the dreams of millions of people around the world.

Another nightmare is that people might reason that, since Chávez more or less failed, all of his reforms were therefore bad.

That would be an utterly stupid conclusion. Simple logic tells us of the importance of holding corporations accountable. In that spirit, Chávez was absolutely right to stand up to Exxon.

Many people have criticized Chávez for spending billions of dollars on weapons. In fact, I think it’s sad to see any nation spend huge sums of money on weapons.

But let’s be logical. The United States poses a very real threat to Latin Ameria in general and Venezuela in particular. In fact, Venezuela is bordered by a U.S. proxy in the form of Colombia.

In this spirit, I don’t think Venezuela has much choice but arm itself. I also applaud Latin American nations for taking the first step to forming a regional military alliance similar to NATO.

But I’m beginning to ramble.

Summary

In summary, I believe in a mixed economy that could be loosely described as socialistic, though it would be predominantly capitalistic. I’m not sure if that’s the idea Hugo Chávez has in mind, but the evidence I’ve seen suggests as much.

In either event, I wish him the best of luck with his experiment. If he somehow fails, I would still support many of his strategies. And if, a few more years along, it becomes obvious that Chávez is succeeding, then this guy’s popularity is going to skyrocket, because the U.S. is going to be in sorry shape by then.

Get involved! You can join the team by simply visiting Urban Dictionary > Hugo Chavez and clicking the yellow thumbs up icon , indicating you agree with my definition of Hugo Chavez (the first one listed). It may seem trivial, but it’s quick, easy and free, and words and ideas do matter. (On May 13, 2008, the score was 1-3.)