'The Start of the Dark Ages in Venezuela'

So writes Fausta Wertz in describing the ongoing meltdown in Venezuela.

The transition from a soft tyranny to a hard tyranny can be slow or sudden. It might seem inexorable, like the tide, or happen in a rapid burst of events so as to appear nearly instantaneous.

The government that tells you how much water your toilet can use, what kind of car you can drive, what type of light bulb is permissible, how much carbon dioxide can be emitted by every business, what kind of medicines you are eligible to receive, what kind of health care specialists you are permitted to see, whether or not you will be forced to join a union -- well, my friends, that government is on the move.

Freedom is a precious thing and -- once lost -- nearly impossible to regain.