“What’s funny about that is they assume my ambition is positional. They assume my ambition is a title or a seat. My ambition is way bigger than that. My ambition is to change this country. Presidents come and go, elected officials come and go, single payer healthcare is forever.”
I’ll take the bait. In what way, specifically, did you suffer under socialism?
First of, thanks for the opportunity of a proper conversation. Second, a quick rant:
Many countries here in South America lived through some form of socialism. So, for us Peruvians, we live what I am warning through the decade of the 80s.
With many public services collapsed, and a severe hyperinflation.
The presidents of that time, first Fernando Belaúnde Terry (who focused on housing, but not on security which lead to the formation of Sendero Luminoso) and the Alan Garcia ( whose strategy was similar to what AOC is doing right now, while enacting most socialist programs like price control, and healthcare (in reality, an oversaturation of the dangerously lackluster service (further context: it was common to die from diarrhea here))), had a socialist government which worsened the situation until the next government of Alberto Fujimori.
…with an often overlooked caveat that the US imperial empire, through the CIA, has staged coups, assassinations, embargos, sanctions, color revolutions, political meddling, contra scandals, and outright genocide during that time. The expressed purpose of all of that was to cause as much human suffering as possible, in order to get people to hate their government.
Peru has never been a Socialist state, although I will give it to you that there was a significant socialist movement during that time.
So, just to be clear, … there was never a Socialist society during that time, correct? You only had a leftish government, surrounding by US meddling, literal genocide, and death squads of Communists and supporters. Socialism doesn’t mean anti-market and doesn’t mean “government does stuff”.
Partially wrong. Most of what happened in Perú had been the prelude in many other countries like Venezuela and Cuba.
A leader who either took the power by force (Velazco) or by using the system, and then ruining the country for the rest (Garcia Perez). With many policies focusing on the "“wellbeing” of the people, which (sadly) backfired terribly.
Velazco is the first example, with the nationalization of many businesses; as well as the alliances with the USSR, for the acquisition of weaponry. He tried to do the “best” for the Andean people, yet many of his reforms (the most notorious being “La Reforma Agraria”) only weakened the productive capabilities of many farmlands. Only to be left forgotten, and squandered. La Piturrina in Ica being the perfect example of such.
Fortunately, Moralez Bermudez helped with the transition back to democracy.
Alan Garcia implemented many socialist policies, as already mentioned. He tried to control the prices, unaware of how it impacted on the economy of the average Peruvian. With most investments escaping the country, the Into (the currency of that time) devaluated to the point that a million of it were needed to buy one dollar.
And something I must admit I forgot to write is how we were affected.
The Constant devaluation of the currency made it difficult for the average person to buy the groceries, also diminished for only estate backed businesses operated then. A can of milk could cost almost 2 billion intis (more or less 20 dollars). Imagine feeding a kid during that time…
And thanks to the insecurity of the terrorists, we suffered constant blackouts. Imagine doing your homework by the lights of the candles… Many of my generation need glasses thanks to that.
And lastly, you would be lucky if you were alive the next day… For any second a car could explode nearby.
This is what many Peruvians, and many South Americans will warn you.