i made the dreadful mistake of asking a venezuelan fellow what goes on in venezuela and that was the end of our bird walk. it was a torrent. he says it's all because of the communists, it's not about the oil, it's about russia and china and cuba undermining everything, and there is no u.s. coup, and trump is only trying to help bring about a democratic regime change. 
it was vitriolic, and i can understand, whatever the truth, it's fucked up, but after a few minutes i wanted to fly like a bird. i felt kind of assaulted, not by passion or truth- by propaganda. it's hard to know what's going on, but after a lifetime of the u.s. brand of propaganda about spreading democracy and freedom, i recognize when i'm hearing a politically slanted rant, and it makes me wary, even of my own tendencies. we can be influenced by propaganda even if we think of the oppressed, and it really is hard to see what is real. i know in my gut what america is about now though, and it is not about enlightening the planet with freedom and democracy. 
meanwhile, as this guy was talking i was pulled down to earth by catherine and mister. and after we escaped the garden we peeled off happy for home. 
still you have to believe in something, or you end up saying it's all propaganda, and then believe in nothing, and then it continues as it does regardless, power decides the fate of the powerless.