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ManuAlzurušŸ„‘
@manu
Sharing something that I posted on X: https://x.com/manualzuru/status/1890403646048768450?s=46 Thereā€™s a deep cultural trauma around collectivism. When people hear socialism or communism, they think of failed authoritarian regimes and for good reasons. Those who claimed to practice them have often created systems that lead to oppression & economic failure. 1/ šŸ§µ Thread
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ManuAlzurušŸ„‘
@manu
Instead of a classless society as Marx envisioned it, communist regimes concentrated power even more. Ruling elites controlled wealth & resources while the majority struggled. These systems claimed to empower people but ended up reinforcing inequality under a different name. 2/
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ManuAlzurušŸ„‘
@manu
I grew up in Venezuela, where socialist propaganda justified government control over land, resources, media, institutions & political powers. They expropriated my familyā€™s land & attacked us just for thinking differently. 3/
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ManuAlzurušŸ„‘
@manu
My dad owned radio stations where free thinkers could share opinions but that was enough for the government to see him as a threat. Under the banner of ā€œpower to the people,ā€ they silenced anyone who questioned them while enriching themselves. 4/
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ManuAlzurušŸ„‘
@manu
My dad has Spanish origins, and the government used ā€œcolonialist & imperialistā€ propaganda to justify targeting people with European roots & seizing their land, even though Venezuela declared independence from Spain in 1811. So my dad and my grandpa had nothing to do with it. 5/
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ManuAlzurušŸ„‘
@manu
Itā€™s clear to me that what happened to my family wasnā€™t about justice or equality. It was about consolidating power. The same leaders who preached against imperialism lived in luxury while using identity politics to divide people & justify expropriating land & resources. 6/
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ManuAlzurušŸ„‘
@manu
During university years, I protested after they took my fatherā€™s land. Later, I got hired at Schlumberger one as an apprentice wireline field engineer, working on rigs for PDVSA (the state oil company). Every single rig I went to, we found oil šŸ¤Æ. Venezuela is insanely rich. 7/
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ManuAlzurušŸ„‘
@manu
One time in Barinas, we found transparent oil (ultra light crude). Seeing this firsthand was surreal. Venezuela has some of the worldā€™s largest oil reserves, yet the people live in extreme poverty. The wealth is there, but it never reaches the people. Itā€™s just benefit few. 8/
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ManuAlzurušŸ„‘
@manu
When Chavez died, I spoke out & protested against authoritarianism & government tried to kill me, not once but 3 times. They murdered one of my best friends, jailed many of my friends & extorted us constantly. They wanted to silence me & I had to flee the country to survive. 9/
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ManuAlzurušŸ„‘
@manu
This pattern isnā€™t unique to Venezuela. Many ā€œsocialist or communistā€ states follow the same path where elites hoard power & wealth while using collectivist propaganda and silencing those against it. Instead of abolishing class distinctions, they become the wealthiest class. 10/
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ManuAlzurušŸ„‘
@manu
Yes, capitalist societies offer some meritocracy where people with valuable ideas can escape poverty & gain freedom. But in reality, capital follows capital. Most successful entrepreneurs get backing from those who already have power & wealth. There are few exceptions. 11/
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