Re: Wolfie at the World Bank

[Leigh Meyers <leighcmeyers@xxxxxxxxx>]

On Sunday, August 07, 2005 7:38 PM [PDT],
Michael Perelman <michael@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Paul and others, isn't it the case that many of the recent Latin
> American "revolutionaries" are just liberals or technocrats, who are
> appalled by the overreaching of the capitalists and their
> functionaries rather than people driven by radical ideologies?
>  --

Define "radical ideologies"?  Is that like the belief that dominating the world's 
economic systems for the gain of a small (ok... medium size) cabal of powerful 
individuals is OK?

But seriously... Chavez would fit the category of "technocrat", although 
I suspect the description isn't fully inclusive. Nationalism and regional interests
help shape much of his actions and rhetoric as well. Chavez, a military officer
in charge of indigenous areas of Venezuela had the support of the peasants,
and that certainly says something unique in a region where the military and
it's personnel are not trusted by many folks outside the major cities.

Maybe he was good at "playing" the technocracy... getting it to do the most 
good and the least damage, and was noticed by the very people he was 
commanded to suppress, and helped to power because of it.

A real fairy tale... but it ain't over till it's over.

This came today courtesy of my one of my rss feeds at blogspot:
http://leighmdotnet.blogspot.com/2005/07/rss-feeds-courtesy-rss-to.html


BBC
2005/08/07 
Chavez says US drug agents spying 

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has accused the US Drug 
Enforcement Administration of using its agents to spy on the 
south American country. 

Mr Chavez said his country would sever its ties with the DEA 
and no longer collaborate with the US. 

Last month Venezuelan prosecutors opened an investigation into 
the activities of DEA. 

Mr Chavez said the country would continue to work with other international groups. 

"The DEA was using the fight against drug trafficking as a mask, to 
support drug trafficking, to carry out intelligence in Venezuela against 
the government," Mr Chavez said. 

"Under those circumstances we have decided to make a clean break 
with those accord," he added. 

President Chavez also criticised the US policy on drugs for concentrating 
on the supply rather than the demand of drugs. 

Last week US Ambassador William Brownfield had said the US hoped to 
continue collaborative anti-drug efforts in the country. 

He warned that, without them, "there is only one group that wins, and 
that group is the drug traffickers." 

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/americas/4130354.stm


Leigh
www.leighm.net