Poor old socialists...

Mr. Eugenides highlights a truly amazing piece by Richard Gott celebrating the suspension of democracy in Venezuela. Despite the illiberalism of Gott's article I find it hard to get upset. It is difficult to get angry at the old fashioned socialists these days. They must know that when all of your political hopes are resting on Latin America the end of the line isn't far away. The Tranzis have major international institutions behind them, a sheen of respectability and a sense of optimism that lures dreamy idealists. Islamism has a limited appeal but can genuinely threaten the west and has demographic trends on its side. By contrast the old fashioned socialists have the pot of oil money Chavez has laid his grubby little hands on and a couple of other dingy South American republics. They're not exactly threatening, just a little sad.