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Yes, let's get beyond the rigamarole and the simple-minded "Are We Happy Yet?" interpretation of history-- because for every one of those happy events, there has been an equal but opposite unhappy event, paid for again by those who are always forced to pay. Are we happy that colonialism was defeated in Vietnam in 1975? Sure, so are we happy that colonialism was restored to Indochina after WW2? Are happy that Allende was elected in Chile? Sure. So are we happy that Pinochet followed Allende? Are we happy that the Shah is not running Iran? Sure. So are we happy that 1979 revolution consolidated itself with the execution of communist and labor militants? It's not the names, or the happiness that counts, it's the connections between these mood swings that occupies us-- those connections are the real history of class struggle. Those happy things Carrol lists did more, or less, than not result in the exact copy of socialism in my head-- they proved incapable of creating a viable, sustainable, socialism anywhere outside of somebody else's happy, blissed out heads. Carrol mentions Venezuela. The struggle in Venezuela is in a very precarious situation. You might remember the esteemed economists of the CEPR telling us a year ago [maybe less] how everything was going to be all right in Venezuela even though the price of oil had declined so steeply because of the positive balance of trade Venezuela maintained. Well... in 2009 the economy contracted about 3 percent, with 25 percent inflation. And the government has taken to arbitraging its own currency in its domestic markets to refinance itself-- getting its revenue, from oil, in newly appreciated dollars, while the rest of the economy struggles with newly depreciated bolivars. This arbitrage will tie Venezuela that much closer to the US economy. Shortages will increase as the bourgeoisie, and petty bourgeoisie, conduct "owners strikes" when not allowed to raise prices-- in effect locking out the economy. Expect to see [spontaneous or not] isolated, actions of occupation and expropriation, but without a collective organization to synchronize these actions, the actions will wither. In simple terms-- without independent organization of the working class, articulating a program for the social expropriation of the means of production, without creating the mechanism for that expropriation and governance separate and apart from the current institutions of government, the revolution in Venezuela will be stopped. The Chavez government will fall and counterrevolution will rule. So let a smile be your umbrella all right-- and while your at it-- try running between the raindrops. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Carrol Cox" <cb...@ilstu.edu> > > > We are happy that the > USSR and not Nazi Germany won the war, are we not. We are happy that > Chiang and his descendants don't still keep the Chinese peasantry in the > state once described as standing in water up to one''s nose, on tip-toe, > with every ripple threatening to drown you. We are happy that the Shah > is not still running Iran. We are happy that Venezuela is not a tool of > the U.S. in managing Latin America. Aren't we. And that those struggles > did not result in some exact copy of the Socialism which exits only in > your head doesn't seem ver relevant. > > Carrol > > ________________________________________________ > Send list submissions to: Marxism@lists.econ.utah.edu > Set your options at: > http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/options/marxism/sartesian%40earthlink.net ________________________________________________ Send list submissions to: Marxism@lists.econ.utah.edu Set your options at: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
