Re: [Louis Proyect: The Unrepentant Marxist] Comment: "NACLA on RCTV"

["michael a. lebowitz" <mlebowit@xxxxxx>]

Nice answer, Louis. Happily, I haven't run into 
EB here; we obviously hang out with different 
folks. For the record, the pollster who found 
that 70% of the population was opposed to ending 
RCTV 's putative property rights to Ch. 2 also 
was unique in discovering that Chavez was behind 
shortly before the election he won with 63% of 
the votes a few months ago. He and EB probably 
survey the same folks and see the same things. 
(Could be that, like a friend of mine here, he 
rents a room from an opposition family and gets 
regular reports on the revolution from them.) In 
any event, the problem is not EB and his 'good, 
moral' defence of the property rights of the 
latifundists who finance the paramilitary death 
squads who are murdering peasant activists. More 
serious are those really 'important' venezuelan 
intellectuals whose point of reference is the 
international market and who define anyone 
working for the process as no longer an 
intellectual. Margarita Lopez Maya, eg., opposes 
the development of communal councils-- a 
centralisation of power (to which Chavez 
responded months back--- put your glasses on, 
Margarita, you've got it backwards!). Nuff said.
        michael
At 12:31 06/06/2007, you wrote:

> Eric Biewener:
> Thank you for publicizing my work, but I should 
> clarify that the article is not on the RCTV 
> controversy (which I would be more than happy to 
> discuss with you, especially if you accept the 
> government's justification for it).  It is, 
> rather, on the propaganda of the Chavez administration.
>
> Reply:
> Excuse me? Didn't the article include the following:
>
> >>Often times the casting of the opposition as 
> not a part of Venezuelan society is 
> accomplished by simply ignoring its existence. 
> For example, a large banner currently hanging 
> in the capital district of Caracas reads, 
> â??For the Television that we deserve. No to 
> the Concession [of RCTV].â?? The banner clearly 
> does not speak for the millions of Venezuelans 
> against the governmentâ??s non-renewal of the 
> television stationâ??s broadcasting license?70% 
> according to a recent survey. Cháveez negated 
> the legitimacy of widespread student protests 
> against the move, claiming the students were 
> being â??manipulatedâ?? by the opposition, 
> which he called an â??enemy of the homeland.â??<<
>
> Eric Biewener:
> Your assumption that I have a "general hostility 
> to radical measures" is completely 
> ridiculous.  I think this world needs A LOT of 
> radical change.  I think the capitalist, US-led 
> economic system is a disaster. I think the 
> global political organization of the 
> nation-state system is a disaster.  I am all for 
> "radical measures."  But that doesn't mean that 
> I just go ahead and embrace every radical 
> measure that comes along.  Nor do I embrace 
> every megalomaniac that espouses socialist revolution.
>
> Reply:
> If you are for "radical measures," then why line 
> up with the counter-revolution in Venezuela?
>
> Eric Biewener:
> I don't know much about the land distribution 
> measures under Chavez, but it is clear that 
> there are some problems.  When some rural poor 
> people intimidate (burning their crops, death 
> threats, etc.) a wealthy rancher into giving up 
> his land and then Chavez legitimates the action, 
> that is not a good radical measure.  In a 
> country like Venezuela, in a region like Latin 
> America, and in a world like ours, I am all for 
> radical land redistribution.  But there are 
> good, moral ways to do it, and there are bad ways.
>
> Reply:
> There are good, moral ways to do land reform? I 
> would ask for examples, but you don't strike me 
> as somebody with a lot of experience in Latin 
> America. Genuine land reform is always 
> accompanied by confrontation. How in the world 
> can you expect the rural landlords to allow 
> their land to be expropriated? I know that you 
> are a bit young to be familiar with this, but I 
> would recommend Armstrong and Shenk's "El 
> Salvador: The Face of Revolution," which 
> documented how death squads operated against 
> landless peasants in El Salvador. Armstrong and 
> Shenk were involved with NACLA before it went down the toilet.
>
> Eric Biewener:
> I moved to this country with the hope of seeing 
> truly impressive, radical change from 
> Chavez.  So far, I have not seen it.  I do not 
> think Chavez's policies are really very 
> different from those of his 
> pre-1980s-debt-crisis predecessors, and he is 
> sadly repeating many of the same mistakes.  You 
> consider my piece "counter-revolutionary," but 
> that is impossible because there is no revolution to counter!
>
> Reply:
> I have a feeling that you don't know much about 
> Venezuela in general, not just about recent land 
> reform measures. I invite you to read as series 
> of articles I wrote about Venezuela here:
>
> http://louisproyect.wordpress.com/2007/04/15/hugo-chavez-and-the-venezuelan-revolution/
>
> http://louisproyect.wordpress.com/2007/04/17/hugo-chavez-and-the-venezuelan-revolution-part-2/
>
> http://louisproyect.wordpress.com/2007/04/20/hugo-chavez-and-the-venezuelan-revolution-conclusion/
>
> Eric Biewener:
> What, specifically, do you take issue with in 
> regards to my article? I'd prefer to discuss 
> this matter in the comment section underneath my 
> article on NACLA's website, so, if you don't 
> mind, please post your criticisms there.  I 
> will, of course, discuss it here though if you prefer.
>
> Reply:
> I take issue with your hostility to Chavez, 
> isn't that obvious? His efforts to use oil 
> profits to help the Venezuelan and American poor 
> deserves support from genuine radicals everywhere.
>
> Eric Biewener:
> And while you may have lost your faith in NACLA, 
> the most recent issue includes an interview with 
> the important Venezuelan historian Margarita 
> Lopez Maya.  She used to support Chavez, but no 
> longer does.  I think her description of the 
> situation under Chavez in Venezuela is very 
> helpful and essentially how I have come to 
> understand it.  If you are unable to obtain a 
> copy of it, let me know and I'd be happy to provide you with the interview.
>
> Reply:
> I just took a look at it. It is simply dreadful. 
> In the previous issue there was a debate between 
> pro and anti-Chavez intellectuals. I suspected 
> that the debate format simply gave NACLA the 
> opportunity to air some rightwing propaganda 
> while appearing impartial. Maya's interview 
> confirms the continuing rightwing drift.
>
> Eric Biewner:
> Finally, to give you a clearer sense of where my 
> feelings lie in regards to the status quo in our 
> world, I encourage you to read my other blog at 
> http://custodiansofhistory.wordpress.com.  It 
> focuses on critiquing mainstream US media coverage of international relations.
>
> Reply:
> You should stick to blogging. And maybe focus on 
> topics that don't give aid and comfort to the 
> imperialism's looming assault on Venezuela.
>
>
>
>
> --
> No virus found in this incoming message.
> Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.472 / 
> Virus Database: 269.8.9/834 - Release Date: 05/06/2007 14:38

Michael A. Lebowitz
Professor Emeritus
Economics Department
Simon Fraser University
Burnaby, B.C., Canada V5A 1S6

Director, Programme in 'Transformative Practice and Human Development'
Centro Internacional Miranda, P.H.
Residencias Anauco Suites, Parque Central, final Av. Bolivar
Caracas, Venezuela
fax: 0212 5768274/0212 5777231
http//:centrointernacionalmiranda.gob.ve
mlebowit@xxxxxx