Why He Crushed the Oligarchs

[bemildred]

Nice quote.

The turn-out in Venezuela last Sunday was huge. 94.9 percent of the electorate voted in the recall referendum. Venezuela, under its new Constitution, permitted the right of the citizens to recall a President before s/he had completed their term of office. No Western democracy enshrines this right in a written or unwritten constitution. Chavez' victory will have repercussions beyond the borders of Venezuela. It is a triumph of the poor against the rich and it is a lesson that Lula in Brazil and Kirchner in Argentina should study closely. It was Fidel Castro, not Carter, whose advice to go ahead with the referendum was crucial. Chavez put his trust in the people by empowering them and they responded generously. The opposition will only discredit itself further by challenging the results.

---

The Bolivarians wanted power so that real reforms could be implemented. All the oligarchs have to offer is more of the past and the removal of Chavez.
It is ridiculous to suggest that Venezuela is on the brink of a totalitarian tragedy. It is the opposition that has attempted to take the country in that direction. The Bolivarians have been incredibly restrained. When I asked Chavez to explain his own philosophy, he replied:

'I don't believe in the dogmatic postulates of Marxist revolution. I don't accept that we are living in a period of proletarian revolutions. All that must be revised. Reality is telling us that every day. Are we aiming in Venezuela today for the abolition of private property or a classless society? I don't think so. But if I'm told that because of that reality you can't do anything to help the poor, the people who have made this country rich through their labour and never forget that some of it was slave labour, then I say 'We part company'. I will never accept that there can be no redistribution of wealth in society. Our upper classes don't even like paying taxes. That's one reason they hate me. We said 'You must pay your taxes'. I believe it's better to die in battle, rather than hold aloft a very revolutionary and very pure banner, and do nothing ... That position often strikes me as very convenient, a good excuse ... Try and make your revolution, go into combat, advance a little, even if it's only a millimetre, in the right direction, instead of dreaming about utopias.'

And that's why he won.

CounterPunch

[burythehatchet]

1. wonderful

a ray of light in this bleak environment. Thanks.

[Warpy]

2. When he's done reforming Venezuela

Can we have him?

[dumpster_baby]

3. a radical, pragmatic reformist; I only wish we could get one in America

But we cannot even get such a person into contention for the nomination....

[eridani]

6. Well, at least we had one who ran--

Dennis Kucinich. Dean may be pragmatic, but I don't think he is a reformer in the sense that Kucinich is.

[dumpster_baby]

7. DK==good ideas, bad media handlers; Dean==faux progressive, crypto-RWer

DK has his head in the right place politically, but he was a DISASTER handling the media. He LET THEM demonize him, make him out a buffonish radical.

Dean was exposed here on DU and by the leftists on the Net as a faux progressive, and as a Major Neoliberal, one who had quite a bit of animosity towards the Left.

[Gyre]

4. And to think he was held hostage in a CIA plane a few years ago.

Life is good. The People own their government somewhere. Bushco is gnashing their teeth thinking this dangerous trend might catch on. At least they did their best to do a Haiti there. Can't say they didn't try.

Gyre

[bemildred]

5. Yup, it is a "terrible" example.

I think that bothers the State Department more than the oil even.
It might catch on here someday, or who knows where else?