Stop Me Before I Vote Again

When Chavez is right, he's right, but I think Chavez is overstating the case for Ahmahdinejad this time. I think for politicians like Chavez, the need to create some new form of non-aligned movement to counter these bastards will often outweigh his commitment to the democratic resistance to capital,and while I respect his motivation, I think that's going to pose some real serious problems for the revolutionary working class in Venezuela in the coming period, if it hasn't already.

MH: Chavez is technically correct in using "democratic resistance" in this case, to the extent that the elections were honest and express the will of a majority. That's the issue of the moment, not the theocratic character of the state.

As Aristotle might say: all socialist states are anti-capitalist; all democratic states are anti-capitalist; all socialist states are not necessarily democratic.

The issue of the moment is the life of the democratic process in Iran, which is endangered by both Ahmahdinejad and Mousavi in different ways. The massive rallies that have gone on daily for several days running now have a mixed character, but according to many witnesses, are a huge expression of discontent with the status quo, theocracy or otherwise, larger than anything seen since the days just before the Shah was deposed. It's the sort of political question that bears some looking into, and I'm saying that Chavez is avoiding that question out of a sense of political expediency, and for the sake of a non-aligned political movement to counter the west. That non-aligned movement in Venezuela has some socialist features, but is largely a mixed bag, just as the original alliance of non-alligned states was.

I don't know Aristotle, or even what he might say, but I do know socialism, and I know that socialism is democratic or it is nothing. The quality of the elections in Iran is directly proportional to the quality of the democratic engagement of the population, which is in question right now on a massive level. That bears some looking into, and I don't believe it would have hurt Mr. Chavez' non aligned movement one bit for him to have been alittle more circumspect at this moment. On the other hand, if Ahmahdinejad is crushing democratic engagement, Chavez' support of his regime is the sort of memory that is going to rankle in any future support the masses of Iran may lend to a non-aligned movement that Chavez is a visible leader of.

Given the circ

Hugo might have simply deplored outside interference
And asserted
Its. Exclusively up to the people of iran
to judge this
Contretemps
And settle on an outcome

Middle class upheavels
Hey we're all clio's useful idiots
I try not to take sides
This isn't spain
1936 ....Yet

MH: Well said on socialism! On the demos, I tend to think they're US/Mossad sponsored, until proven otherwise.