[Marxism] Lula's first anniversary,

[David Walters <dwalters@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Walter, I can't comment on Cuba's position vis-a-vis Brasil or the
PT...but a '...rush to judgment...' is hardly what exists. Serious
criticism of Lula and the PT/gov't doesn't emanate from the far left in
London or Melbourne, it comes directly from Lula's own Party and the
workers movement in THAT country. It is there for everyone to see if
you look....

If you go to laborstandard.org, you will find the views of the USFI's
Brazilian section. This is not a bad starting point as the "DS", the
USFI group there, has thousands of members and is very influential
inside the PT. It's critical, in certain ways, and very critical of
these expulsions that just took place of four socialist Senators from
the Party. That this is national news and now international news means
there is a real story there. The Cuban's can comment or not on this, it
doesn't change what is going on there nor should it be guide for others
to comment or not.

The fact is that the PT has international significance for Marxists
specifically and revolutionaries everywhere. What goes on there is
'everyone's business' in a way, just as what goes on in the AFL-CIO is
everyone's business...nothing is 'off the table' for discussion, IMHO.

Brazil just got over a round of strikes (October) that was the largest
in this country's history. In the eye of some in the CUT (Brazil's
unions) and statistically according others, Lula has implemented MORE
IMF/World Bank mandates than Cardozo (previous Pres.) ever did,
"reformed" social security (some Cardozo was unable to do), and has
gone back on promises to the landless peasant movement. More MST
activists have been murdered since Lula came to office than during the
entire administration of Cardozo. Some are saying that Lula is the most
effective IMF tool Brazil has ever had as President. Lula presents
*nothing* as an alternative to NAFTA since his Economic Minster (not a
PT members, but a member of the capitalist liberal party) has be
negotiating far more draconian measures as an implementation of the
debt repayment schemes that entail more roll backs of social services,
social welfare and other gains of the working class that the PT itself,
and Lula in particular, have fought for.

The above is simply my take on all this. Over the next few weeks, I
will be posting here a lot of VERY detailed information of the failure
of the PT to follow through on it's promises to the MST, the CUT, the
destruction of internal party democracy inside the PT, the expulsions
taking place, etc. [on that, the National PT Directorate has expelled
the four Senators...but the Regional PT's, the real rank and file of
the PT, have NOT expelled them and are fighting to keep them as their
representatives, this is why NY Times articles, while providing some
information, never provide all the information]

Walter, the most salient point you made, correctly in my view, is that
30 million or more people still adhere to the PT and support the Lula
gov't because of the promises he made. In my view, the PT is a historic
gain of the working class and it's worth defending what the PT stands
for...and is rapidly shedding...this is why discussion on this is good,
people shouldn't stand back and just say "well, it's their business".
Yeah, right.

David


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