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VENEZUELA AND A TALE OF 3 LEADERS“An ignorant and corrupt citizenry cannot remain free.” James Madison“An ignorant, corrupt citizenry gives a usurper all he needs to usurp the power of government.” James MonroeJanuary 23, 1958: Venezuela transitions to a democratic form of republican government headed by an elected president. Things go really well for the Venezuelan people. As a country Venezuela has been blessed with a huge supply of crude oil which they sell at great profit on the world market. Thanks to the oil and excellent agriculture, they will soon have the 3rd wealthiest country in the Americas, behind only the United States and Canada.1999: Hugo Chavez, leader of the ‘United SOCIALIST Party’ is elected president of Venezuela because he tells the citizens what they wanted to hear: ‘there will be more ‘free stuff’ if you elect me president.’ In his campaign speeches, he tells Venezuelan citizens that the oil companies are making too much money and that Venezuelan citizens are being ‘ripped off’. Chavez failed to tell the citizens that his real reason for running for president of Venezuela. It was NOT to take care of his citizens! Rather it was to acquire PERSONAL POWER, PERSONAL WEALTH, and PERSONAL FAME. Gradually, Chavez seized more and more power until he became a virtual DICTATOR rather than a PRESIDENT. Chavez introduced a harsh form of socialism to Venezuela. He seized control of the oil industry and much of the economy of Venezuela. The wealth generated by Venezuela’s vast natural resources now flowed to the government which Chavez controlled instead of providing for the needs of the people. To make matters worse, he established political and economic deals with Russia and became a harsh critic of the United States. The consequences of his actions did not become immediately evident, but as time passed, the economy began to tank. Venezuelans began a slow descent into genuine poverty. The ‘plenty’ that they had enjoyed just a few years earlier would transition to shortages of food, medicine, and other essential goods. To make matters worse, prices on everything including food and medicine began to rise but the incomes of working Venezuelans got smaller. In 2012 Chavez was diagnosed with cancer. He would die the next year. At his death, his daughter inherited his fortune. It was reported that this daughter was now worth approximately $4,000,000,000 and had become the richest citizen of Venezuela. Nicholas Maduro ran as Chavez’s successor as president of Venezuela. Maduro wanted complete power over the Venezuelan people and to personally profit from his leadership position in the same manner as his successor Chavez. Maduro won the election, but evidence uncovered by his opponents revealed that the election had been rigged. Although he had stolen the election, citizens opposing Maduro were unsuccessful in overturning the result. Once in office Maduro’s enacted policies that were just as harsh as those of Chavez. Not surprisingly Maduro did nothing to halt the slide of Venezuelan citizens into deep poverty. The economic and political situation in Venezuela continued to deteriorate, culminating in the current massive shortage of food, medicine, and supplies. Venezuelan citizens today report that there is almost nothing to buy in the market places. What few items there are for sale are exorbitantly priced, a result of an INFLATION rate that has exceeded 1000%. An estimated 2,000,000 Venezuelans have migrated to Columbia just to avoid starvation. Samaritan’s Purse, a ministry of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, has established a presence in the refugee camps in Columbia near the Venezuelan border, providing food and medical assistance to these suffering people. Ministry officials are calling the situation tragic. NOW, contrast the leadership of Venezuela with that of one of the great leaders in all of history.GEORGE WASHINGTON, following the battle at Yorktown which brought American victory over the British in the Revolutionary War, led his army back to New York. INCREDIBLY, instead of using his army and his authority to take control of this new independent country, Washington simply said goodbye to his troops, resigned from the army, and returned home to Mount Vernon. Washington, however, was the most popular and admired man in America. In 1887 he was persuaded to return to public life by participating in the Constitutional Convention that met in Philadelphia. It was during this convention that the AMERICAN CONSTITUTION was written. Washington, who served as president of the Convention, and his colleagues (John Adams, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, Benjamin Franklin, etc.) produced the document on which our government is based today—the United States Constitution.George Washington then had to be persuaded to become a candidate for President in the first presidential election in our country’s history. He would easily win that election. In fact he won 100% of the electoral votes in that first election and then was elected for a second term…again with 100% of the votes. His popularity was so great that he could have been elected for a third term and maybe for life. However, rather than seeking a 3rd term in office, Washington again opted to leave public life to return to private life at Mount Vernon. George Washington did not want power and wealth at the expense of the American people. Rather, he wanted what was best for them. Thanks be to God that he was a man of INTEGRITY, a good man who was sensitive to the needs of others and did not always think first of himself. His willingness to voluntarily pass the leadership of government to others was a crucial factor in the early success of our country. Before leaving office, George Washington gave this ADVICE for Americans who wanted to keep their liberty. Hear and heed his words: 1. STAY INFORMED 2. LIVE MORAL LIVES----------What a stark contrast between GEORGE WASHINGTON and HUGO CHAVEZ/NICHOLAS MADURO!George Washington was a moral, God-fearing man who wanted nothing more than what was best for his American brothers and sisters. He had every opportunity to take total control of this new country called the United States. He could easily have become a tyrant! However, rather than seeking power and riches for himself, he made sure that power rested NOT in his hands but the hands of American citizens. The country that he helped found stands today as the freest, wealthiest, and greatest country in the history of the world. GEORGE WASHINGTON’S ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN REVIEW: He was a hero in the French and Indian War, displaying incredible valor at Fort Duquesne He was general of the victorious patriot army who secured independence from England. He was president of the Constitutional convention that produced the foundational document for his country’s government—the Constitution. He served as President for 2 terms and could easily have been re-elected for another. He was loved and respected by the entire country because he put his country ahead of himself. He was a man of honor and integrity, a man who practiced Judeo-Christian values. Maduro and Chavez were TYRANTS who brought oppressive government to the people of Venezuela and stole from the resources belonging to them. Their legacy is a country on the brink of ruin where people are in revolt because they are starving. Maduro and Chavez are prime examples of how MONEY and POWER corrupt humans. STUDENTS, BEWARE OF WANTING PERSONAL POWER AND MONEY! Power and the ‘love’ of money have corrupted MANY people who were never leaders of governments…just normal people just like us. So respect the scriptural warning about the LOVE of money leading to all kinds of evil (sin). Chavez, Maduro, and the Venezuelan people would be in a much better place had those warnings been heeded.QUESTIONS:1. List some character traits that you think might accurately describe Chavez and Maduro.2. List some character traits that you think might accurately describe George Washington. 3. What might be different in our country today had George Washington been the same kind of man as Maduro or Chavez? 4. What motivated the Venezuelan people to elect a tyrant like Chavez to be president of their country?5. Why do you think Washington advised Americans to STAY INFORMAED and LIVE MORAL LIVES if they wanted to remain free? ................
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