"The best argument in favor of having these conversations seems to be that if smart people can all agree on a certain label, then surely something will be done. But in Venezuela, the only reward many intellectuals got for eventually being proved correct was the right to say I told you so. I don’t think it gave them much satisfaction."
Authoritarianism Feels Surprisingly Normal—Until It Doesn’t
Life in Venezuela was deceptively mundane. Then everything collapsed.
theatlantic.com