MINISTRY OF SUPREME HAPPINESS

The title of this column sounds like something out of a Pearl Buck novel. Wrong time, wrong country. It involves not the China of yesterday, but the Venezuela of today.

 

President Nicholas Maduro of Venezuela announced Friday the creation of a new Venezuelan ministry. The Ministry of Supreme Social Happiness which already is being referred to as the Ministry of Supreme Happiness. Its stated purpose is to enforce happiness.

 

Sounds good! About as good as President Carter telling American citizens during the oil/heating fuel shortages  to wear sweaters.

 

I doubt the new Ministry will be successful in permeating a feeling of supreme happiness. Things have gone too far and are too bad.

 

Hugo Chavez preceded Maduro as President. Chavez died from cancer several years ago. Things were extremely better under Chavez.

 

Venezuela is blessed with the largest oil reserves in the world.  Chavez took advantage of the blessing. He nationalized the oil industry and made Venezuela a major exporter of oil  Add to this Chavez's keen political judgment and it is easy to understand why Venezuela was a success under his rule.  .

 

Maduro has succeeded in screwing things up in his time in office.

 

Chavez upon taking office, nationalized other industries. In effect, screwing foreigners and capitalists. Venezuela for Venezuelans. As a result, Chavez was able to fund health care and education for the masses. He made significant reductions in poverty, constructed thousands of free medical clinics for the poor, and enacted programs to provide food and housing subsidies. Literacy was a problem. Chavez was responsible for more than one million adults becoming literate.

 

During Chavez's tenure, Venezuela had sufficient supplies of toilet paper, toothpaste, powder, milk, and meat. These same items are in short supply today.

 

I have commented on my television show and blog of Venezuela's acute shortage of toilet paper. Much needed and not appreciated till a person is without.

 

Maduro has screwed up. He faces election in six months. His solution.....the Ministry of Supreme Happiness. Sell Venezuelans a bill of goods. Let them think things are better when they are not. Lie, in effect.

 

One thing is successful under Maduro. The stock market. The Caracas Stock Market this year is the most successful stock market in the world. Returns of over 300 per cent.

 

The rich keep getting richer. Very rich. The poor poorer. Sound familiar?  In a fashion similar to what has been occurring in the United States. Record high stock prices, yet 99 per cent of the people suffering economically.

 

Maduro also devalued the currency.

 

Venezuelans have lost purchasing power.They suffer from increased poverty.

 

Whatever money people have buys little. There is little to be bought.

 

Inflation is near 50 percent. The U.S. dollar is seven times the official rate on the black market.

 

Venezuela is a sort of democracy. Elections are held. The President is king pin in actuality, not in name alone. The government is referred to as a Presidential democracy.

 

Physical beatings have become common place under Maduro. Big time. Generally by the police. The situation is reportedly out of control. Opposition party members and journalists are frequently subjected to the beatings.

 

Maduro must have figured that when there was nothing he could do, the creation of a Ministry of Supreme Happiness was the answer. Such genius! Do not put toilet paper, milk and food back on the shelves. Do not correct the economy so Venezuela's 99 per cent could afford these commodities. Merely tell the people they are happy and that the government is working to keep them  happy. It suffices.

 

Hopefully, they will believe Maduro and he will be reelected in six months.

 

Good luck!

 

By the way, the United Nations did a recent study regarding happiness. The title consisted of many words. Shortened, it was the U.N.'s Happiness Report for 2013. Venezuela was listed as the happiest country in Latin America. World wide, Venezuela was listed 20th.

 

My concern with the Happiness Report  is two fold.

 

First, how can Maduro make an already happy people happier? Is the Report really valid? With all their problems, how can the people of Venezuela be happy?

 

Second, the United States is listed 17th world wide. Are we that happy or unhappy?

 

If Obama or his successor establish a Cabinet department of Supreme Happiness, it will be a sure sign we are in trouble. On the other hand, the U.S. has no need for any type happiness ministry/department. Our Founding Fathers spelled it out for us in the Declaration of Independence. The right to "...life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."