Re: [Marxism] Bolivia where do Marxists stand?

[Walter Lippmann <walterlx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Unlike some people, I do not see the government of Bolivia as
one opposed to the interests of the Bolivian working class, and
further, I do not feel it necessary to take positions on or to
even comment on every single dispute in Bolivia today. My view
is one of general solidarity with the Bolivian struggle as it
is being led now by the Movement Towards Socialism (MAS).

Unlike some people, I don't think that the Bolivian government
is a capitalist government, even though the class nature of the
Bolivian state is capitalist, just as the class nature of the
Venezuelan state is capitalist, but one with a nationalist and
revolutionary leadership. I know less about the Bolivian MAS
than about Venezuela, but everything I've seen so far is that
the MAS government of Bolivia is doing everything that it can
to strengthen the working class and the Bolivian nation, whose
interests I see as essentially very closely interconnected.

So I do not assume that in every case, when workers or a union
organization says it's in favor of something, or against some
specific thing, THEREFORE they are right. Look at what workers
organizations in the United States do and advocate. And further,
the Bolivian trade union central, the COB, has not been backing
Evo Morales until this current round of struggles. 

Here in the United States, it's reasonable to assume that the
majority of the working class is opposed to immigration into
this country by people without the legally-required permission
documents. This is probably true at a higher rate among Blacks
in the United States. Should socialists follow the opinions of
the workers in this case, or should we not? 

The answer is obvious, that we shouldn't follow the workers when
it comes to a matter like this. Many bosses favor undocumented
immigration, and that's for a complex of reasons, starting in
the fact that they can derive extra profit from having some of
the working class produce profits for them and not be in a
position to effectively fight back since they are undocumented.

My basic starting point is to assume that Evo Morales and the
MAS party has led the struggle so far in a positive manner,
and has moved Bolivia forward politically, more forward than
the country has been at any time in its history. Whatever the
deals that government has to make, whatever negotiations that
it chooses to engage in, I'm not in a strong position to start
to criticize every specific move. The contrary approach, the
one some here now follow, is to watch like a hawk, assuming
that Morales and his people are either trying to hold back
the struggle at every point, to derail it, and so they must
be watch with suspicion and hostility at every moment. 
Sartesian reflects this approach openly, as others such as
Socialist Action also do, while the IMT has become rather
more guarded in its formulations recently, which I take as
a good thing.

Indeed, the IMT has been actively participating in actions
in solidarity with the Bolivian government recently, which
is also a very good thing on their part. Within the context
of such solidarity actions, the IMT expresses its points of
view, which aren't cheerleading for Evo Morales, and I have
been reading their material and finding it informative as,
presumably others have as well.


Walter Lippmann
Los Angeles, California

================================================================
Optimism, Ease of Tension in Bolivia

La Paz, Sep 20 (Prensa Latina) After several days of anxiety and
sorrow after the killing of nearly 20 people in Pando department, 
the week ends with optimism in Bolivia, in the wake of an easing of
tension amid the prevailing political crisis.

The eagerly awaited talks between government and the opposition
finally started, to the satisfaction of most people in the country,
who consider them as the only option to find a peaceful solution to
the current situation.

The meeting between the Executive and opposition prefect of southern
Tarija department, Mario Cossio, concluded with the signing of a
preliminary agreement, paving the way for the start of talks in the
central city of Cochambamba.

Talks started on Thursday, with the parties highlighting progress
made, which may lead to reach real agreements today.

President Evo Morales suggested the creation of three negotiation
tables to address the axis of the dispute: the autonomies and the 
new Constitution, the Direct Hydrocarbon Tax (IDH) and making
appointments to vacant judicial posts viable.

Morales put forward an initiative to approve the holding of a
referendum for the people to decide on the Constitution after finding
a balance in line with autonomic aspirations in Santa Cruz, Beni,
Pando, Tarija and Chuquisaca departments.

He also highlighted the need to reach consensus for the devolution of
several state institutions occupied by opposition groups in Santa
Cruz.

The negotiation tables on the IDH and the Constitution started work
on Friday, with Vice President Alvaro Garcia highlighting the
positive atmosphere prevailing and the Executive and its opponents'
willingness to support the conciliatory process.

The talks are being observed by the Union of South American Nations,
the United Nations, the Organization of American States and the
European Union, as well as Bolivian religious representatives.

rma/fmv/mf

PL-5

======================================================================
DAVID WALTERS writes:
The problem Walter with you method is that you 'cut and paste'. I think 
these miners do in fact represent what the "proletariat of Bolivia" 
thinks. I think their *defense* of Bolivia and the democratically 
elected gov't represents majority working class opinion. However, last 
month, when these same miners were demanding resolution of their pension 
claims and being opposed by the same government (until it was forced to 
sign an agreement) and they marched "with dynamite in hand", you were 
opposed to them or didn't care to comment.

What is good to see is that the Miners and other sections of the COB can 
prioritize their interests to the nation as a whole, indeed, to their 
class as a whole, since the working class and peasantry IS the nation of 
Bolivia. What is *equally* important is that they do not subordinate 
their interests to the government and ready to oppose the gov't when it 
goes against their class interests. They don't start, as you do, from 
where  the gov't stands, they start from where the working class stands. 
Good for them!


=========================================
     WALTER LIPPMANN
     Los Angeles, California
     Editor-in-Chief, CubaNews
     http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CubaNews/
     "Cuba - Un ParaÃso bajo el bloqueo"
=========================================

________________________________________________
YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message.
Send list submissions to: Marxism@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Set your options at: 
http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/options/marxism/archive%40archives.econ.utah.edu