[Marxism] The evolution of the PT

["Jurriaan Bendien" <adsl675281@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Fact: What the "trendy lefty" article forgets to mention is that the PT has
just 90 out of 500 seats in the Brazilian Parliament, and that PT
representatives represent 3 states out of 27. The ability of Lula to
implement specific PT policies was therefore severely limited from the
start. He became head of state principally because of his personal
integrity. Personally I predicted back in October 2002 an accommodation with
the neoliberals and some splits in the PT - but that was a safe bet, it's
much more difficult to answer the question of "what is to be done".

Fact: As regards the public service pension reform, female public servants
in Brazil could traditionally retire *on full pay* at age 48 and males at
age 53;  3.5 million *retired* public servants were on the government
payroll, even although many took another job in the private sector. This was
an anomaly you won't find in many countries in the world anywhere. It must
cost Brazil tens of *billions* of dollars a year.

It is always easy for Marxist armchair spectators to sneer at people who
have taken on political responsibility, and wield power to solve problems of
their constituency - especially if those people are not very successful for
one reason or another. But really it cuts no ice, and it explains why the
future will not be Marxist - most of this so-called "Marxism" is a kind of
"critical criticism" venting a bit of bile, a bit of frustrated hate talk,
but actually it *solves* nothing. Marxism is useful only if it offers a real
and substantive analysis, and a real alternative.

It isn't my purpose to invent apologisms for Lula's government, but I think
before leftists start ranting about the "betrayals" of Lula and so forth,
they ought to acquaint themselves better with the realities of Brazil's
economy and politics. I don't claim to be an expert on it at all, as I said,
but that is also precisely why I am more cautious in offering any
judgements.

Jurriaan


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