Re: [OPE] Latin America

--On 12/14/2008 12:42 PM -0500 dogangoecmen@aol.com wrote:

> When I say I support Cuban and Venezuelan government unconditionally it
> means that I am clearly on the side of revolutionary movement

Dogan,

In my opinion, you would be better off just saying straight up: "I support
the revolutionary movement of the workers and peasants of Cuba and
Venezuela" and let the government respond to that.

Lenin did not like Luxemburg's opinion but she gave it anyway even after
the creation of the Soviet state. I have the clear sense the Luxemburg was
genuinely coming from the bottom up.

We can express our opinion about a proposed constitutional amendment in
Venezuela whether Chavez or the newly formed party leadership likes the
opinion or not. Indeed, contrasting opinions are healthy and should be
welcome (not considered "airy" or "unwanted").

--On 12/14/2008 2:33 PM +0000 paul bullock wrote:

> Paul do you see 'unconditional support' as actually conditional upon the
> supporter's notion of perfect behaviour, where there are unmet
> 'criticisms' ? and so an impossible sort of support? I see it as the
> support that does not simultaneously demand conditions, which is, I
> believe, Lenin's conception.

I never referred to perfect or imperfect behavior but rather to the phrase
"unconditional support". Your prior email states your admonition to those
in the movement against making opinions which are "airy" or "unwanted":

>> It seems to me that the task of communists/ socialists/ democrats in the
>> imperialist states is to expose and fight against the activities of their
>> own state, and businesses in continuing to exploit the nominally
>> independent state, not give airy opinion about, or unwanted advice to the
>> movements that are struggling against imperialism.

Expressing opinions is a necessity of a democratic revolutionary movement.
Expressing contrary opinions under Stalin were considered
counter-revolutionary acts ("you are with us or against us") and we should
have gotten over that nonsense long, long ago.

Paul Z.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(Vol.23) THE HIDDEN HISTORY OF 9-11 Seven Stories Press soft, 2nd ed. 2008
(Vol.24) TRANSITIONS IN LATIN AMERICA ~~~Research in Political Economy~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/PZarembka

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Received on Tue Dec 16 20:53:03 2008