Like all political ideologies, it is an idea, yes. So is capitalism. As far as adhering to the idea, how do you mean? Are you claiming that there were no socialistic policies under Chavez?
No, there were Socialist policies, but the Ruling Class doesn't have to adhere to these policies, they are free to accumulate as much wealth as they can, at the expense of the people, who are having to adhere to socialist policies.
Well, according to the stats BAC posted, they had quite a bit more than they started out with didn't they? Generally speaking, they were doing better than before he took office yes?
Stats are often used in propaganda to support a particular view or argument, but stats are often subject to interpretation as well as manipulation, you know this. The bottom line is, they were at least a billion dollars less well off, because that's what Chavez had, and he didn't earn it through free market capitalism. As has been pointed out, before he took over, Venezuela didn't have an oil industry. It's not really fair to compare 'bottom line' here, and ignore the fortune of Chavez, as well as my point.
Like I said to BAC, the people of Socialist Venezuela MUST have been better off... if Chavez had a billion dollars, then every average Venezuelan had a billion dollars, right? Wealth Equality? Everyone shares the pie? No more 1%ers to protest! Evil Capitalism is Dead! With glorious Socialism running the show, if Chavez had that much wealth, with as little as he produced, then most every Venezuelan is wealthy beyond belief, I would imagine.
You see, as the thread title says, this is an example of how Socialism fails. Chavez was the 1%, the Koch Brothers, the evil controllers of all the wealth. The problem with such a system is this; it removes the citizenry from any opportunity or freedom. In a free market capitalist society, ANYONE can aspire to be a Koch Brother. We have that freedom and liberty in our system. In a Socialist system, the people who enjoy such freedom are the Ruling Class. They make the rules and laws and they control the wealth and power, and the citizenry are dependent on their generosity and benevolence.
So the question becomes, are we better off with a system which allows everyone the same access to wealth acquisition, to reach the upper 1% through capitalist free enterprise? Or... with a Socialist system where the Ruling Class is the 1%, and have complete control of everything, including the people?