Re: NACLA on RCTV

["David B. Shemano" <dshemano@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Michael Lebowitz explains and defends the ongoing land redistribution in Venezuela:

>> Shame on you, Raghu! However, I confess you won't find anything in
>> the book to answer this. (In fact, only the latter parts relate
>> specifically to Vzla.) This is an area I haven't followed closely. I
>> can say, however, that many people in peasant co-ops have had
>> training in specific skills and principles of coops if they've gone
>> through Mision Vuelvan Caras, others get the same through the various
>> institutions funding and providing training and means of production
>> for peasants (several of these institutions are under the ministry
>> from the communal economy and keep inviting me to see their work...
>> but who has the time?)-- but there are lots and lots of screw-ups.
>> It's the nature of the beast. Eg., sometimes the land they get/take
>> isn't suited to what they were trained for; other times, they wait
>> and wait for necessary equipment or funding. Remember, all this is
>> happening fast... and the state institutions still populated by
>> oppositionists hired before Chavez are not necessarily either
>> competent or committed. Think revolution.
>>          Then, there's another kind of problem--- the coops which are
>> successfully producing food, etc and decide, well, let's sell this
>> stuff to Colombia where we can get dollars and trade them on the
>> street market for 80% or so more than the official rate for bolivars
>> instead of selling them locally to the Mercal for bolivars. Think--
>> deepen the revolution!
>>          michael

Just as it is easy money to predict without knowing any of the particulars that a revolutionary socialist government will find a reason to stifle dissent, it is even an easier prediction, without knowing any of the particulars, that the inevitable land redistribution will result in a decrease of the food supply, a new reliance om imports, black markets, etc.  Admittedly, actual starvation is not a guarantee, although reasonable odds would be available that starvation will occur.  What is the over/under on how many years before we get press releases blaming poor crop production on unexplainable "droughts," "sabotage," etc.  (Perhaps this list could explain to me why revolutionary socialist governments always act like they believe Animal Farm is an instruction manual.)

I should add that I am fully in favor of what is Chavez is doing.  Another easy prediction (actually, probably too late to call it a prediction at this point) is that a significant portion of the upper/educated class will leave and move to the United States, which will enrich the United States.  And I am all in favor of that.  Especially because they will probably vote Republican.  Viva la revolucion!

David Shemano

p.s.  Just as Chavez is sending oil to Cuba in exchange for doctors, any chance he will send oil to Zimbabwe in exchange for the assistance of the Zimbabwean land redistribution experts?