Dogma – something held as an established opinion. Too many to quote from author and posters.

But will give one example: “…the autonomous pro-Chavez communal councils, linked to the Ministry of Culture and Popular Power, is probably the most effective counter-hegemonic movement.”

In my experience in Latin America, there have always been “communal councils” linked to the popular revolutionary goverment, organized to counter the meddling of those who do not support the current president/government. Initially they work well as everyone is euphoric on hope and change.

But without fail the councils deteriorate into neighborhood snitches tattling on anyone who voices complaint about ____ insert president’s name. Legitimate complaints cannot be aired, petty power plays arise, some folks just get tired of waiting for promises to be fulfilled and stop supporting the revolution.

Watching the FSLN disintegrate in the ’80s was the saddest thing I have ever witnessed, and I blame solely the US meddling in Nicaragua. Unless the West (including the “right” and “left”) leaves other nations alone to shape their political and social futures I suspect those nations/peoples will always fail.

Hue, I am compelled to try. :)

Please be specific, cite the sentence or/and paragraph?

Thank you evie so much:)

(and I laugh at your stuff Evie…no offense, I’d like to keep reading the wit and cynicism you feel compelled to share)

‘”The contribution of the Cuban army was “decisive in consolidating
Angola’s independence and achieving that of Namibia. It was also a
significant contribution to the liberation of Zimbabwe and the demise
of South Africa’s repugnant apartheid regime,” President Castro told
his troops. “Rarely in history has war … been accompanied by such
humanism and humility on the part of the victors,” he added.”
http://www.afrol.com/articles/17553

further:

“[Castro:] In other words, the discovery of America and the conquest
of this hemisphere was accompanied by the revival of slavery,
something which belonged to centuries past, to Greek and Roman times.

“Twelve million Africans, according to conservative estimates, were
snatched from that continent and used here as slaves, doing the
hardest, most unbearable work and in the most inhumane conditions
conceivable. They were brought mainly to the Caribbean, the southern
United States and Brazil, twelve million of them.

“Now, what does history tell us? That the first to fight for freedom
and independence in this hemisphere were the African slaves (Applause).

…

“In our struggle against apartheid, or against the soldiers of
apartheid who occupied Namibia and constantly attacked Angola, our
country ran great risks. However, our support to Angola we did offer
on our own, it was a completely spontaneous action by Cuba (Applause);
first the instructors, and then, at a given moment, when we had a few
hundred instructors there training the young recruits, and the South
Africans were rapidly advancing with elite armored troops toward
Luanda while the army of Mobutu-a man notoriously famous for his
service to imperialism-approached from the north to shatter the
independence of Angola, we felt obligated to send complete units,
thousands of men, tens of thousands of men.

“In 1975 and 1976, 35,000 Cuban combatants were concentrated in Angola
(Applause). There was no alternative. Once a struggle begins there is
no choice other than victory or death (Applause); hesitation invites
defeat. Therefore, without consulting anyone, we sent troops, complete
units, as I explained.”

http://www.cuba.cu/gobierno/discursos/1998/ing/f300798i.html
http://archives.econ.utah.edu/archives/cubanews/2007w16/msg00037.htm

Surely the Cubans are grateful James addressed their warts and Brazilians their landless peasants.

Meanwhile, back on the home front … Stay tuned to watch Intelligent Idol TV this week starring world renown Prof. Baldwhite discussing his new book Post Imperial World, regarding the happy, simple Americanites who live in a classless society without conflict.

Well, some smartass ignoramus made a snide remark about Petras being a comfortable N. American “armchair revolutionary” or sthg. FYI whoever it was, Petras spent eleven years in NE Brazil working at the grassroots level of the Landless Peasant Movement.

To me anybody calling themselves a “leftist concerned about Latin America” & isn’t informed re Petras and his record in the international class struggle has been neglecting they homework. FY further I, Petras is the opposite of — oh, I see Evie posted this silliness:

“For more years than I care to state, I’ve watched American “dissidents” adopt Latin revolutionaries like pets, and call it solidarity in the fight against empire – all while living quite comfortably in the empire. A few such Americans will venture to briefly visit the revolution (drinking and having a good time, advising) to report upon returning home to the States how intellectually uplifting it was to see the “revolution” firsthand.”

Which may in the abstract appear to have some surface relevance? But is absolutely not applicable with regards to James Petras.

Conclusion: both Evie (whose earlier posts I found encouraging) and this Crass Criss character seem to be recycling stale Anarchist dogma, instead of relating to concrete facts re concrete conditions in the now & here. So they wind up as just as destructive as their “Marxist-Leninist” opponents like PSL, CPUSA, CCDS et al.

Petras is way ahead of you would-be “critics”. Suggest you catch up before making fools of yourselves again? Try visiting his webpage: petras.lahaine.org, where all his articles can be read free gratis. (the books you hafta pay for, Clarity Press Atlanta, or Amazon).

Pay special attn, since we’re talking about Latin America, to how he respectfully takes Fidel to task about various warts still holding back progress in Cuba, most of which are now being at least verbally addressed by Raul et al.

Sniff, let them eat words.

I would have liked to have more details about Petras’ use of the term ultra-sectarian, but he covered an awful lot in this rather lengthy and excellent article. What I have seen of left sectarianism is that a few people have their own theories on how to advance socialism, become intolerant of other views, and disruptive in organizations. For example, they often don’t believe in any kind of parliamentary struggle. They tend to be so sure of their ideas that they cannot take into consideration concrete realities. They come strictly from dogmatic theory.

This is an absolutely outstanding assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the Bolivarian Revolution, and an excellent historical context with which to understand current events there. In addition he has suggested what, I believe, are excellent recommendations that their government should carefully consider to counter the problems that are currently obstructing the revolutionary agenda. From one who visited Venezuela in late 2005 and have read extensively about events there, I believe that Petras is one of the most astute observers of Venezuelan revolutionary struggles.

I believe that Venezuela represents a living laboratory for anyone who wants to create a society that is truly democratic from the bottom up, and to struggle against the capitalist elites’ fake versions of democracy. That is why his article, and others like his, is so important for people like us in the US and other Western countries.

The hard rain is gonna fall on all those who, in and out of uniform, have bellyached the past 8 years but didn’t procure an umbrella, b/c they believe the government will give them one.

I am not convinced yet Hugo is all that.

Nor do I for a moment believe the Venezuelan oligarchs let Chavez step up to power w/o their consent. The ruling class in Latin America never cede power w/o a bloody fight. And Chavez will need the middle class whether he knows it or not, much of which he has alienated.

While “free” housing, healthcare, education, etc. sound good the reality is somewhat different for the majority of recipients – ask any mother on section 8 with Medicaid and public schooling.

But take heart American leftists – similar social “ism” is upon the US. A nation with a small very wealthy class, a small affluent class, and a huge poor and “working” class with the State providing a minimum of staples to stave off the revolt. Nearly everyone, in one way or another, very dependent upon Big Daddy Guv to provide the means of their existence. Backasswards. Ask not what you can do for your country – but what your country can do for you.

If you think inflation/recession is bad now comrades – just wait until the US “loses” the wars in the Middle East.

And, Mr. S., you may find of interest a still-to-be-continued book of Fidel Castro: My Life: A Spoken Autobiography by Ignacio Ramonet, which I’ve been posting up at Amazon.com and which can be read at

http://www.amazon.com/gp/cdp/member-reviews/AEHALOZC9JRS6/ref=cm_cr_auth/103-3283066-5558260?%5Fencoding=UTF8

Lloyd Rowsey