No to US intervention!

[GirlinContempt]

Yesterday we had a fantastic meeting here in Winnipeg. Lots of great speakers, music, skits, food. A friend of mine who's very involved with the Hands Off Venezuela campaign came up and spoke, we watched the DVD "Venezuela Bolivariana: People and Struggle of the Fourth World War". Had some discussion. Sold some DVDs and books, including Alan Woods AMAZING book about the Venezuelan Revolution.
What I'm asking you people here today is:
Get involved.
The Hands Off Venezuela campaign is a fantastic international movement in solidarity with the Venezuelan people, their right to self determination, and wholeheartedly against US intervention in their democratic political process.

There may already be something in your area. FIND OUT.
http://www.handsoffvenezuela.org/solidarity.htm

Join the mailing list.
http://www.handsoffvenezuela.org/venezuela_mailing_list.htm

If theres nothing in your area, START SOMETHING. It's so incredibly easy you can't even imagine. Get in contact with the wonderful people who organize HOV, talk to people, play the DVD for your friends and relatives, spread the education and information. Get in contact with me, I can give you any help or information you need, if you'd rather go that way.
Just please, get involved. This goes beyond party lines, political affiliations, and boils down to the right of the people of Latin America to self-determination, self government, and a democratic process of their own choosing in their own way. These are rights we can NOT allow anyone to take from them, and these are rights we should ALL be fighting for. By fighting for the people of Venezuela, even if it's just educating yourself and a couple around you, you are promoting and stabilizing the rights of humanity to create new societies in which direct voice and direct action is possible.
SET A PRECEDENT.
Choose to speak up, please.

[bluestateguy]

1. But how will we stop the dictator of Venezuela?

Hugo Chavez is out of control! :evilgrin:

[GirlinContempt]

2. Damned proletariat dictatorships

They're UNSTOPPABLE

[GirlinContempt]

3. Kick

Important

[GirlinContempt]

4. And again

[GirlinContempt]

5. doot doot do

[GirlinContempt]

6. aaand one more time

[TreasonousBastard]

7. OKOKOK already...

I'll kick it.

Latin American politics is bizarre enough to get lost in. I have several Venezuelans I'm in touch with, and still can't get a real picure of what's going on down there.

What I do know is that Chavez isn't the nicest guy in the world, but he might be their best bet if we don't invade, or keep trying to destabilize his government. Open revolution is still a real possibility.

I have heard rumors that we are setting up Columbia to invade them, but the Colubians don't seem to be terrbly interested in the idea.

Other than a massive change of government attitudes here, I really have no idea what any of us here can actually accomplish down there.

[GirlinContempt]

8. You can't destabilize their government

They tried, they failed. I'd like to hear some more about him not being a nice guy. I'm not sure what that means.

The fact of the matter is, the people of Venezuela have taken the power of their government into their own hands. The revolution has come, and it continues to come, every time they throw out a mayor who's being funded by the US. Every time they take to the streets to reclaim what is theirs, and re-establish the government of the masses. It actually has very little to do with Chavez. He is their chosen representative, but he is not Venezuela. the people have realized that THEY are Venezuela, that THEY are the true power in the country. Get rid of Chavez, and they will find a new Chavez, a new president, because the Bolivian mentality is alive and strong. This isn't a Chavez revolution, this revolution started in '89 and will continue until they people have true economic and personal freedom and dignity.

The most important thing that can be done HERE is education. The promotion of truth is a huge tool in the fight against the imperialist aspirations of the north. The more we present, defend, and encourage working models of participatory government, of sustainable economies, and of the power of the people who truly run our society, the harder time the propaganda campaigns will have. The harder it will be for oil-hungry classists to discredit, dismiss and overtake the governments of the people. Education is the most important thing that we can do, in our lives, for the promotion and protection of our species, of our humanity. It goes beyond Venezuela. And it's important to EVERYONE.

[TreasonousBastard]

9. It's tough to get unbiased information from there...

a lot worse than here. But, it seems that he's been heavily cracking down on the opposition-- democracy is still not that well installed down there. But, wtf, it's not that well installed here either, from what we've been seeing.

Yes, there is a movement to overthrow the old landed aristocracy the Spanish set up and that all of the revolutions Latin America has had still hasn't managed to stamp out. A large part of the problem is that the US has been supporting those aristocracies over the years when it suits our purpose-- that purpose usually being cheap stuff we can buy from them, be it bananas or oil. Chavez may only be a symbol of that movement, but like all politicians, he has own agendas and priorities. And, without much Cuban involvemnet lately, just who is supporting the revolutionary movements? Who's behind Chavez?

Mexico, Panama, Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, Venezuela, Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador... and that's only the last 20 years. Sometimes what we do works, and sometimes it doesn't. Most of the time our meddling makes things worse for the people, and our meddling does have a destabilizing effect. Look at Haiti for the most recent "success."

Educating the citizenry about the goings on down there is a good idea, but I have never seen it work as planned. Even after all of the publicity, most people still don't know about the El Salvador death squads, and, worse, don't care. Yes, it was the US responsible for killing the nuns. Nor did they ever care much what was really going on in Nicaraugua. Where the hell is Paraguay, anyway?

I live in a heavily Hispanic neighborhood with everyone from Cubans to Uruguayans, and a LOT of Brazilians. When Latin politics comes up, although it rarely does, nobody agrees much on much of anything. Most, though, seem to be of the opinion that all of their politicians really, really, suck. They're not so much different from us in that matter.

[GirlinContempt]

10. Venezuela is completely different

and I don't really see how someone can try to argue that they don't have a democracy. The majority of the people, not only voting for their leader, but forcibly reinstating him en masse is pretty democratic. Creating laws and constitutions directly with the people is FAR more democratic than anything we see. No, it's not perfect. Hundreds of years of oppression cannot be abolished in 10. The thing is, the Venezuelan revolution is so revolutionary because it was never about party politics, it wasn't founded or funded or orchestrated by a party or political organization. The people are behind Chavez, and they CHOSE Chavez, a former commander in their military, to be their leader. Chavez has to keep the people with him if he wants to keep his power. He wasn't a politician, and the policies we see coming out of there show this. The power that Venezuelans unleashed cannot be locked back up again. They tried. Continue to try. And they (the people) keep exerting their will on their own government. This isn't a revolution in the way that most USians think of revolution. This isn't founded on Marxism or Trotsky-ism, this is founded on the basic belief of a people that they deserve a say in their own lives. The lives of their children. The future of their country. Sure, some of Trotsky's basic principles of revolution are coming into play, as we see it, but the movement is pure Latin America, and based on a true evolution of ideology based in a non-globalistic mentality.
Venezuelans have looked at the failures of their neighbours and friends and learned, grown & restructured based on those very mistakes. I think that the least we can do as a nation of information whores is try to do the same. Defeatism is the tool of the bourgeoisie. We are not helpless, the people of Venezuela PROVED that to us, and I feel at least a certain responsibility to at least ensure that every person I can contact knows whats going on, what is possible, and continues a culture of education that promotes the advancement of our society. Because for me, thats what it boils down to.

[GirlinContempt]

11. P.S.

I don't call thousands of Dr's a lack of cuban involvement

[Mika]

12. I love Cubas doctors..

They are a dedicated bunch of practitioners. I've worked with some of them, in Cuba, and it was the thrill of a lifetime.






www.stopbolton.org

[GirlinContempt]

13. Awesome!

I may end up working with some in Venezuela, I'm really looking forward to it