Re: Chavez

[Chris Burford <cburford@xxxxxxxxxx>]

At 14/04/02 10:46 -0700, Michael Pugliese quoted from
marxism-thaxis

[BTW Michael the format comes out rather unreadably. Were you using web
email or an email package? Did you unwrap the text? I have tried to
unwrap part of it below]

I think this argument is interesting because "Dave B", whose
comments on my remarks come first, presents a left application of the the
idea of intensifying the dictatorship of the workers and poor peasants as
the remedy for saving the revolution. Chavez however wisely appealed for
national unity on his return to power. That of course does not preclude
vigilance about securing control of the armed forces and other centres of
power, but it is in conformity with my argument that in a developing
country in very unfavourable world conditions the political appeal of a
radical  regime must be much wider than merely to its core
supporters.


> So are you saying that the great majority can
> be mobilised by a left bourgeois leader like Chavez to win against global
> capital, or does a revolutionary party and program need to intervene to
> call for the building of soviets and a workers militia?
>
> > That IMO opinion points to the need for an agenda that is not
> exclusively socialist, but is "new democratic", embracing civil
> rights  issues but from a progressive social perspective.
>
> 'Not exclusively socialist' can only mean part bourgeois. That is the
> class confusion of the popular front. The communist program embraces
> bourgeois civil rights but it recognises that workers have to overthrow
> the bourgeois state to realise any real workers democracy.
>
> > Let us hope Chavez can stay and this has an impact on the global
> balance of forces.
>
> It will take more than hope. The lessons of similar regimes, the Popular
> Unity in Chile, the Sandinistas in Nicaragua, the popular revolution in
> Ecuador in 2000, all show that if there is no worker and poor peasant
> seizure of power, the right will regroup and stage a counter-revolution
> against the masses.
>
> Dave B


BTW I most certainly do think it is possible, and a duty, to clarify how
a great majority of the population of all countries can be won
over to support inroads against the power of global capital.

Chris Burford