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0 pointsAlupis5mo ago0 comments

It's important to note only the top of the pyramid was removed here - not the entire government. Most everything will continue as usual for quite some time, or forever.

Just like removing the President of the United States wouldn't mean the country descends into chaos.

It does send a very clear message to whoever becomes the top of the pyramid next, however.

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seanmcdirmid5mo ago· 3 in thread

> Just like removing the President of the United States wouldn't mean the country descends into chaos.

Oh, it would definitely. There would be a power vacuum, people would wonder if the remaining government would obey the constitution or ignore it, etc...before Trump I would have said the process would have been resolved smoothly, now I have no idea.

Removing the head of a government doesn't break the government, but it definitely creates chaos before the top is filled. If the government has transitioned into a top-down autocracy, the chaos is even worse, as government agencies would have lost their ability to act independently over time. At that point, various factions start shooting at each other to try and take control of the country (aka a civil war). Throw in one or two foreign militaries in the background and there is even more reasons to start shooting.

AlupisOP5mo ago

> before Trump I would have said the process would have been resolved smoothly, now I have no idea.

Kind of absurd to say this. Even with Jan 6. - things still ran like they were supposed to, and will continue doing so. The government is huge and filled with millions of people. It would take an unprecedented level of coordination to not do what is supposed to happen.

Venezuela has a VP, and a rightfully elected President (not Maduro). I guess we'll see what happens there. The US has committed to maintaining order during the transition - so it seems unlikely to devolve into a civil war as anyone initiating such a thing would have to contend with the US military.

Time will tell... regardless - it seems clear as day Venezuelans will be better off without Maduro. The amount of money that is about to flow into Venezuela will be stunning. Yes, oil companies will swoop in, but the money spent there will rebuild a failed economy, provide untold numbers of jobs for Venezuelans, and lead to a more prosperous nation over time - like it was before Chavez/Maduro.

cdelsolar5mo ago

are you Venezuelan? did you know the country had like a 70-90% deep poverty rate before Chavez? Guess who the oil profits used to go to? Guess what Chavez lowered that poverty rate to before oil prices crashed?

seanmcdirmid5mo ago

Venezuela was on edge even before Trump did this, do you think they are going to be able to hold it together while the US military is demanding to take control and the people are anxious? Time will tell, but I bet this will wind up like every other case of American regime change in the last 30 years.

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