Michael's Question

[Carrol Cox <cbcox@xxxxxxxxx>]

Michael Perelman wrote:
>
>
> Let me ask a different question: a revolution has broken out in a poor
> economy, without the ability to confront the imperialism powers head on.
> Clandestine operations can do great damage to the society.  Less committed
> citizens can be bribed.  Misinformation can confuse people, creating factional
> divisions.  Suppose further that the society is divided among different ethnic
> groups?
>
> How far will an open society get?
>

It seems to me the answer is "An Open Society will only get them a
bloodbath" (Chile is paradigmatic here).

For revolutionaries under such conditions to create an "open society"
can be rephrased: They would do so only on the basis of trusting the
United States. Juan Bosch, who attempted to build an open society in
Santo Domingo, commented later that all patriotic Latin American leaders
who trusted the U.S. ended up dead or in exile.

Carrol