Socialism in East Timor

["Alan Bradley" <alanb@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I've been a little pessimistic about East Timor of late.  Here a few
thoughts about some of it's future possibilities.  I wrote them at the pub,
so be warned!
------
The closest ET can come to socialism is to trade commodities produced by
state owned enterprises to the "Imperialist world", for "First World"
health care and education.

That doesn't entirely suck.  In fact, for a neo-colony, it's very good.

What's Cuba, but a "Third World" country with an educated population with
"First World" life expectancies and standards of health?

Well, all that, plus the ability to say "No!" to the Imperialists.

This is a modest enough goal that, with the support of (particularly) the
Australian working class, the East Timorese could hopefully achieve it.

This is near enough.  Maybe socialism *is* possible in East Timor.

Will the current presence of Imperialist troops prevent this?  No, or at
least, not necessarily.

The PST and the DSP are correct in general terms, in the current situation.
 The struggle continues.

Alan Bradley
alanb@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx