Re: [OPE] Special TV report on Venezuela

Venezuela: US-backed right wing murders unionists, attacks revolutionary gains

Links - International journal of socialist renewal <feedblitz@mail.feedblitz.com>

This article in the December 'Links' might help the discussion here. There seems to me no doubt that, after this last election, the situation in Venezuela is one where there is no 'middle' ground , the 'third way' perhaps that Chavez spoke of and was searching for in 1997-2003. He learned that such a direction did not exist. Much of the middle class have join the forces that want to keep 80% of the population in its historic poverty, and another section of the middle class understands its future and has joined Chevez. Very few of the 'middle' classes have stood looking anxiously in both directions. They all know thay have no independent future. A socialist in Venezuela MUST, it seems to me, work within the PSUV to argue their views and support the building of socialism. This is the debate the party is organising. However the fact that a coalition exists around the PSUV provides room for more 'radical' and more 'timorous' souls, and which deepens the overal discussion in the country. It is not even clear what the idea of standing in the middle might mean other than being swept in one or other direction without any say at all.... it is meaningless, other than being relegated to the sidelines, an ivory tower etc etc. There is plenty of discussion in the PSUV and its allies, more than enough, in fact it is far richer than the stuff emanating from the middle ground socialists in the imperialist states. Talking of a middle ground means abandoning the actual practical discussion.

Paul B.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Dave Zachariah" <davez@kth.se>
To: "Outline on Political Economy mailing list" <ope@lists.csuchico.edu>
Sent: Sunday, December 07, 2008 11:09 PM
Subject: Re: [OPE] Special TV report on Venezuela

> on 2008-12-07 16:17 dogangoecmen@aol.com wrote:
>> As the report says there is no middle ground in Venezuela. You are
>> either for people's power as presented by Chavez or for the opposition.
>
> Dogan, with such a position I cannot understand why you should waste
> time on a *discussion* list. There would be nothing needed to discuss or
> analyse about the developments in Venezuela, only to *debate* in which
> you try to defeat your opponent. There are forums to do so, but in my
> mind OPE-L is not one of them.
>
> In my opinion you expressed the type of dogmatism that over and over
> again destroys any form of unity within the Left.
>
> //Dave Z
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> ope@lists.csuchico.edu
> https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/ope
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Received on Mon Dec 8 17:27:38 2008