> I) Jerry: **The story that you asked about concerned protests by workers after over 7,000 workers were fired by Mayor Ledemza**
> Does this justify that armed supporters of Chávez took over city hall and three other vital government buildings? The run of the city
> council was virtually impossible.
Yes, Alejandro. It was entirely justified and I express my solidarity with
their struggles.
Your list below enshrines and elevates a VERY limited and contradictory
experience - the experience of BOURGEOIS democracy in the leading
imperialist power (USA) . This was not EVER *REAL* democracy!
This point was made to you previously.
Even in that limited context, it is wrong - on virtually very count.
> 1) Free elections.
Freer in Venezuela than in US.
>2) Party control of the candidate selection process.
Much freer in Venezuela.
> 4) Access to direct public resources.
Abuses in both countries.
> 5) Terms of executive office occupancy.
Not a relevant criteria. What is important is that *the people decide* - as they are
doing in Venezuela, rather than the 'founding fathers' in the US or the City
Council in NYC.
> 6) Presidential legislative power.
You haven't been following the news in the US in recent years, I gather.
> 7) Division of power.
> Severely questioned during Chávez government.
Yes. Severely questioned by those who supported the coup and thus are
bitter enemies of democracy.
> 8) Presidential partisan powers.
President Chavez is a partisan supporter of the working class and the poor;
Presidents Bush and Obama were and are partisan supporters of the ruling
class. All you have to do is look at the bailout of US banks to see proof of
that.
> 9) Supreme audit agencies.
Almost completely corrupted in US. Look at how the Securities and Exchange
Commission acted in relation to a massive Ponzi scheme.
> 10) Ombudsman offices.
Like term limits, a relatively recent change in US. Very
contradictory experience in practice here. And often very
corrupted: e.g.civilian complaint review boards controlled by
the police.
>11) Press freedom.
Just as free in Venezuela, if not more.
>12) Violence against journalists.
Yes, there have been many progressive journalists who are on
the side of the Bolivarian Revolution who have been murdered
by 'opposition' forces.
I fear all of your information only comes from right-wing sources.
In solidarity, Jerry
_______________________________________________
ope mailing list
ope@lists.csuchico.edu
https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/ope
Received on Sun Feb 15 08:31:44 2009
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.8 : Tue Mar 24 2009 - 20:30:37 EDT