A Socialist Les Miserables in Venezuela, by Daniel Greenfield.

A mob of starving people advanced on the presidential palace chanting, “We want food”. They were met by soldiers and police dispatched by the tyrant from his lavish palace decorated opulently with a golden sun, giant rock crystal mirrors, sparkling chandeliers and towering oil portraits.

The scene wasn’t 19th century France, but 21st century Venezuela.

And if you are wondering why you haven’t seen it on the news, it’s because Venezuela is a Socialist disaster area that was once being used as a model by the left. Now it’s a place where the vast majority of people can’t afford basic food staples and a third are down to two or fewer meals a day.

The message of history is clear: private property and economic freedom make for much wealthier, more pleasant, and politically tolerant societies. Case in point: there is a high correlation between economic freedom (which includes private property) and wealth levels in today’s countries. It’s so obvious, but socialists miss it, even when it is pointed out to them.

Chavez of course destroyed property rights in order to achieve political goals, and the rest followed like night follows day:

After the fun of electronics stores forced to discount televisions at gunpoint, there were no more televisions. And no more cars. Then no more toilet paper, milk and other basic necessities.