RE: [OPE] Venezuela is the most democratic country in Latin America

From: GERALD LEVY <gerald_a_levy@msn.com>
Date: Mon Feb 23 2009 - 21:52:25 EST

> > "You can believe the workers themselves and their unions or you can take the word

>> of a reactionary Mayor. *This* is my biggest gripe with those who are anti-Chavez

>> but who claim to be to his "Left".

>> *Almost without exception*, these people (many of whom ironically refer to
>> themselves as "anti-authoritarians") accept *uncritically* the narrative of events
> > put forward by the right wing in Venezuela and the US government."
> This is usually your fallback position, but it doesn't work.
----------------------
 
Paula:
 
It does work: evidence of that is that *you can't cite sources which aren't
reactionary and/or the bourgeois press in support of your skepticism*.
 
 
> On the other hand, I know for sure that the abolition of term limits proposed by Chavez
> and just approved by referendum is anti-democratic.
 
 
You know "for sure" that what the people *democratically* decided upon is "anti-democratic"?
Excuse me for being skeptical of that claim, especially since it was said with such certitude.
 
 
> entitle me to be skeptical.
 
 
You are entitled to be skeptical, just as I and others are entitled to be skeptical of the claims
put forward by reactionary politicians and the bourgeois press. Given a choice, I would rather
stand with the masses in struggle for self-determination and 21st Century socialism than stand
with the skeptics.
 
 
> Furthermore, there's a long tradition among the radical left of falling for all sort of unsavory
> 'socialist' regimes, so we have a duty to be skeptical.
 
 
There's also a long history of sectarianism on the Left.
 
 
In solidarity, Jerry

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Received on Mon Feb 23 21:55:04 2009

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