Re: [OPE-L] Venezuela After the Referendum

[Dogan Goecmen <dogangoecmen@xxxxxxx>]

Jerry:
======
"The key question, imo, in the upcoming period in Venezuela 
will be whether the Chavistas can build _more_  popular support 
and consensus.  This requires both a heightened education 
campaign (especially around the meaning of "21st Century Socialism")
and a mobilization of the masses.  Rather than call a tactical retreat, 
the way forward is by empowering the masses including the extension 
of land reform and workers' control.  What the referendum results 
show, at the risk of over-simplifying, is how much organizing 
remains to be done."

Dogan
=====
I agree wit heverything you say. But I feel that there is a deeper problem here that needs to be addressed.
Once again Venezuela experience shows that the change of political power must be accompanied by the change of property rights.
And this in turn requires some radical political measures. This cannot be done without centralising the political power. Justifiably people expect some improvements in the material conditions of their lives. If political measures are delayed in that respect understandably people will get impatient and will not show any interests in what so ever is happening in the country. That almost half of the people did not go to vote is a sign of tiredness. In South Africa political power has changed. Black people got their citizen rights. But the material conditions of their lives have hardly changed. Just because the South African government did not touched property rights.

Jerry
====
"While the Chavistas re-group, no doubt US imperialism will
heighten its efforts to destabilize the Venezuelan civil 
society and economy.  This is not a time, therefore, for 
complacency: now, more than ever, socialists need to 
organize against (covert or other forms of) imperialist 
intervention."

Dogan
====
I agree. That reminds of the debates about the October Revolution at the beginning of the 20th century. People were debating whether they should support the revolution in Russia. Clara Zetkin was one of the first who said that the Russian revolution must be supported without any hesitation and precondition. I take a similar stand in relation to Bolivarian revolution in Venezuela. The main issue is how to protect the political power in Venezuela. This may require sometimes unpopular political measures.

Jerry
====
"The referendum has failed."

Dogan
=====
I do not agree with this. The referendum is not won, but it is also not lost, because the majority of no-voters just by 1 percent is not a majority. 

Comradely,
Dogan


-----UrsprÃngliche Mitteilung----- 
Von: GERALD LEVY <gerald_a_levy@xxxxxxx>
An: OPE-L@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Verschickt: Di., 4. Dez. 2007, 15:48
Thema: Re: [OPE-L] Venezuela After the Referendum

The key question, imo, in the upcoming period in Venezuela
will be whether the Chavistas can build _more_  popular support
and consensus.  This requires both a heightened education
campaign (especially around the meaning of "21st Century Socialism")
and a mobilization of the masses.  Rather than call a tactical retreat,
the way forward is by empowering the masses including the extension
of land reform and workers' control.  What the referendum results
show, at the risk of over-simplifying, is how much organizing
remains to be done.
 
While the Chavistas re-group, no doubt US imperialism will
heighten its efforts to destabilize the Venezuelan civil
society and economy.  This is not a time, therefore, for
complacency: now, more than ever, socialists need to
organize against (covert or other forms of) imperialist
intervention.
 
The referendum has failed.  Long live the Bolivarian 
revolution! Long live the peoples' movement for 21st Century
Socialism!
 
In solidarity, Jerry


=

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