[Marxism] Chavez embraces socialism (but not the old kind),

[David Walters <dwalters@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

This whole thing on Chavez and whether he's a socialist or not is
interesting.  At least we can examine what is going on with all the
reportage, visits, internet, etc.

There was a discussion here a few years ago over whether Chavez is even
a revolutionary or not, or if there is even a revolution unfolding in
Venezuela. I don't think there was a consensus.

I think Louis is closest to the truth when he says that all these
upsurges are supportable as they represent blows against imperialism
(or, as Revolutionary History magazine put it once "A Blow Against the
Empire"). Where there is consensus here is that clearly everyone
defends Venezuela against imperialism (and I assume, the two historic
wings of Labour Militant in the UK that received attention by Louis).

Trotsky's view on Mexico under Cardenas, however, is more nuanced. He
never considered Cardenas a "socialist". He considered him a radical
nationalist, certainly deserving of unconditional defense. But he had
warned his own followers in Mexico of becoming "Cardenistas" with
regard to some of these very same nationalizations (which LT generally
supported against imperialism) in large part because of the way the
nationalizations were carried out (bureaucratically, more or less).

I think Chavez is far more radical than Cardenas. I state this because
even though less nationalization and appropriation of productive
property has been carried out in comparison to Mexico in the period
1946 to 1940 Chavez is doing something that Cardenas only did
periodically: the basically mass mobilization of the Venezuelan working
class in defense of his gov't and the policies of the gov't. And, he
can't control the mobilizations. The mobilizations are carried out by
the mostly independent workers organizations and the more hard-core
Chavista movement with in it.

The UNT is the best example of this. It supports/defends Chavez, but
the actual "Chavista" current...the Bolivarian Workers Front is a
*minority* within the overall Directorship of the UNT. The majority
current comes out of the unions that affiliated to the UNT as it split
from the scab CTV, but is called the "Class struggle current" or
"Classistas" in the UNT.[Many in the BWF came out of these CTV unions
too, obviously, I don't mean to imply they are somehow alien to the
workers movement, they too are organically connected with it]

These Classista folks reject subordinating the UNT to the broader
Chavista current while defending the Gov't against attacks and
supporting it's policies *when it agrees with them*. To the degree that
Chavez himself, and the gov't he leads, allows this to continue or
accepts this, is a big PLUS sign in my book.

In Mexico the PRI, or what became the PRI, had it 'red' hand OVER the
unions during the Cardenas period. Thus, it was able to control and
limit, and eventually demobilize the working class. Chavez, has, on
occasion done the same thing, but back off quickly as cooler heads in
his gov't prevailed. But, by and large, Chavez has overall supported
this mobilization and independence and this makes him far more radical,
despite not overt moves to change property relations in the country or
move to more socialist form of working class governance.

David Walters


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