realist: "Look at Venezuela, they are so cash strapped they are raising their gas rates 2000%. That is from .08 cents to $1.60. Their leaders"

Rulers. No leading done down there since Chavez.

realist: "vilify business so no one wants to do anything, sound familiar. The biggest problem is when the country is run into the ground how do you recover??? If we were looking at a business then it would be ripe for take over. So do we let China come in an take over?"

Any help the US would tender would be called imperialism. China's logistics chain is too long at this time.

The prudent soul, with any grain of wit in his head, will read back from Chavez's appearance on the scene to the present bunch and take notes, if for no other reason than to see what to avoid.