Bolivia on the verge of revolution?

[lord of the mark]

so far the Morales forces have called for a new election. A new election now would be against the Constitution, since there is still time to run till the next one. The left opposition would respond, IIUC, that the govt policy on gas goes beyond what they said before, and that since this is a major commitment a new election is necessary (and this being Bolivia, constitutions dont mean much).

Ok. Let them have the new election. Lets see what the majority want. Lets also see what the majority of Santa Cruz wants.

Whoever wins the election, let Bolivia keep an independent judiciary and freedom of the press.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara


Which is why a gathering of South American governments told the U.S. to back the **** off and stop trying to destabilize Venezuela. Chavez is actually quite the hero, for standing up to el Norte. Of course, the comprador bourgeoisie despises him, but they make up a tiny sliver of the population.

The fact that they dont want the US to destabilize X, does not mean they admire X. Or are you suggesting that everyone who opposed Op Iraqi Freedom admired Saddam??

The largest country in South America, by far, is Brazil. Its freely and fairly elected social democrat president is apparently withdrawing investment from Bolivia.

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by Lancer
Yes MrFun, that's right. You remember Jimmy Carter?

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by Velociryx
The point was that on the one hand, the reds love to talk about this society where everyone is "free," but what they don't like to mention (and get right offended if anyone dares to bring it up) is the fact that, in societies where private ownership is firmly established and fully appreciated (read: most every well-advanced nation on the planet (also known as the places where communism is most likely to succeed, per Marx), and several not so advanced nor well-off), those WITH a stake (even if it is a relatively small stake) in property will be unlikely in the extreme to vote to give up their holdings to the state (or to some smaller collectivist grouping), the only other option left open to the reds is to take said property by force (in Bolivia, for example, the people who live ON the land where the gas is, are now being threatened by the folks who live elsewhere).

Umm.. The only option left is to take it by force because the government is corrupt.

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by ravagon
Bolivia has had, iirc, about 200 revolutions

A coup d'etat, or more properly in this case, a golpe de estado is not a revolution. Just because one set of generals or landlords has seized power does not mean a fundimental restructuring of society has occured.

[Jaguar]

Originally posted by lord of the mark


Im in the mood for a Harry Potter discussion. Any takers?

Sure.

[Agathon]

Originally posted by Last Conformist
You appear to think said business elite constitutes the entire non-Indian population in Santa Cruz. Possibly so, but I've as yet seen no reason whatsoever to believe that to be the case.

I've never said that.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Last Conformist
You appear to think said business elite constitutes the entire non-Indian population in Santa Cruz. Possibly so, but I've as yet seen no reason whatsoever to believe that to be the case.

apparently theres is a large Mestizo population in Bolivia, esp. in Santa Cruz. The discussion thus far seems to ignore them.

[Agathon]

This is hilarious.

Every time there is a popular movement against the right, and remember that two-thirds of Bolvians live in poverty, we get another version of the same old story: "Well, in this part of country X live the loyalists (our stooges) who are a majority there and will be unfairly treated by the majority in the country".

Pull the other one, it's got bells on it. If the white people go down, it is no more than they deserve.

[Dinner]

Originally posted by Lancer
Yes MrFun, that's right. You remember Jimmy Carter?

Carter was the anti-interventionist. The only brief military forey he ordered was an aborted rescue mission for the Hostages after the Iranian revolution.

[Dinner]

Originally posted by Lancer
Did I say Jimmy Carter was a 'might makes right' president? I'm sorry if you misunderstood it that way.

No, Jimmy was a communist

Carter ended Nixon's price control policy in favor of a free market approach.

[Lancer]

I was just screwing with MrFun guys...erm, let me rephrase that...

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by Oerdin
Carter was the anti-interventionist. The only brief military forey he ordered was an aborted rescue mission for the Hostages after the Iranian revolution.

He also began the funding of what would become the Contras, Somoza's old National Guard. He also funded RENAMO, UNITA, and the mujahedeen in Afganistan before the Soviet intervention.

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by Oerdin


Carter ended Nixon's price control policy in favor of a free market approach.

Yep, and inflation got worse.

[Last Conformist]

Originally posted by Agathon


I've never said that.

Thence the "appears".

You spoke of the Indians as if they constituted the majority in Santa Cruz, and you ridiculed the idea the business elite were the majority. Unless those are the only groups in SC, the obvious fact that a business elite won't be the majority doesn't support the notion that the Indians are the majority.

The beauty miss's claim about people being white in her part of the country rather suggests the indigenous element is smaller than in the highlands.