Yesterday was election day here in the US, and the results have confirmed that an increasingly large amount of Americans are unhappy with current conservative policies, and the Republican party's increasingly costly and chaotic war in Iraq.
As the Democrats took the house and look as if they are going to take the senate, we must think. What difference will a democrat controlled legislative branch make? The answer? none whatsoever. I do not see the democrats making any changes to the War in Iraq. It's almost naive to think that they'll get us out of the mess most of them voted for. They have put forward no plan of action and no ideas other than, the idea that they oppose the Republicans. They claim that they'll set up deadlines and timetables, but have not elaborated in any way how they're going to stabilize Iraq, actually pull out our troops, and when they would pull us out. So in reality, there will be little change, if any with this new Democratic controlled house. As Emma Goldman once said,
On another note, in Nicaragua, Daniel Ortega, the Sandinista leader, was re-elected to his post as the president of Nicargua, 16 years after being voted out. Sadly, as I soon learned, this isn't the same Daniel Ortega as we saw in the 80's. He has become a social democrat and a catholic who embraces CAFTA, the Central American Free Trade Agreement, which is quite sad of a former Revolutionary Socialist who liberated Nicaragua and brought democracy and freedom to it despite America's attempts to prevent him. In anycase, this is as a good a result as leftists could hope for as it means another leftist President joining the 'axis of evil' in Latin America consisting of Chavez, Castro, and Morales. Still, I can't stop from keeping my finger crossed that we see nationalizations and a working class movement emerge in Nicaragua as a result of this. Anything else would be just painful to watch.
As the Democrats took the house and look as if they are going to take the senate, we must think. What difference will a democrat controlled legislative branch make? The answer? none whatsoever. I do not see the democrats making any changes to the War in Iraq. It's almost naive to think that they'll get us out of the mess most of them voted for. They have put forward no plan of action and no ideas other than, the idea that they oppose the Republicans. They claim that they'll set up deadlines and timetables, but have not elaborated in any way how they're going to stabilize Iraq, actually pull out our troops, and when they would pull us out. So in reality, there will be little change, if any with this new Democratic controlled house. As Emma Goldman once said,
If voting changed anything, they'd make it illegal
On another note, in Nicaragua, Daniel Ortega, the Sandinista leader, was re-elected to his post as the president of Nicargua, 16 years after being voted out. Sadly, as I soon learned, this isn't the same Daniel Ortega as we saw in the 80's. He has become a social democrat and a catholic who embraces CAFTA, the Central American Free Trade Agreement, which is quite sad of a former Revolutionary Socialist who liberated Nicaragua and brought democracy and freedom to it despite America's attempts to prevent him. In anycase, this is as a good a result as leftists could hope for as it means another leftist President joining the 'axis of evil' in Latin America consisting of Chavez, Castro, and Morales. Still, I can't stop from keeping my finger crossed that we see nationalizations and a working class movement emerge in Nicaragua as a result of this. Anything else would be just painful to watch.
Lefty, do you seriously think that making nicaragua a solcialist country will make it any better.
Look at Chavez he spends billions to get on the U.N security consuel when people in his own country, are starving and dying of already cured diseases that can be cured easily. Look at Castro do you wish for nicaragua to become a total dictatorship like cuba. I would not have expected someone with your beliefs to be supportive of Castro's neglect of human rights and of freedom of speech. Also I'm not sure if your aware there hasn't been a free election in Cuba for many years, I thought people who believed in solcialism believe in free elections. So Lefty I think that we should all keep our fingers crossed that nicaragua does not become solcialist country for the good of the Nicaraguan People!
There is nothing harder, than getting a progressive person to believe that the Dems aren't more reasonable.
They always have a new, more radical "lesser evil".
Anon,
you bring up some good points about Cuba. I have been thinking about writing about Cuba, so we'll see. For now I'll adress your points
Lefty, do you seriously think that making nicaragua a solcialist country will make it any better.
Yes, I do. Nicaragua has been capitalist for almost 20 years and all that has come is poverty, loss of the great education and healthcare systems installed by the Sandinistas, and one of the greatest inequalities of wealth in the Americas. Nicargua is the 2nd poorest nation in the Americas thanks to capitalism.
Look at Chavez he spends billions to get on the U.N security consuel when people in his own country, are starving and dying of already cured diseases that can be cured easily.
Did he really spend billions of dollars? I don't think so. Could you provide a link? In anycase Chavez isn't a socialist. The last semi-socialist country in the world is Cuba which has become increasingly capitalist since the fall.
Keep in mind, Bolivarian (Chavez) Venezula has actually decreased alot of the poverty and general poor living conditions of the working class. The world bank released statistics several months ago that confirm that poverty in Venezula has decreased from 40% of the population to 30% during Chavez's presidency.
Look at Castro do you wish for nicaragua to become a total dictatorship like cuba.
Cuba isn't a dictatorship. Cuba actually has a fair electoral system in which they elect representives at all levels. For more see this link. I have more and If I have time later I'll dig them up.
http://www.cuba-solidarity.org/democracy.htm
I thought people who believed in solcialism believe in free elections.
Socialists do, but actually free democratic worker elections. Not the money based, "one millionaire or the other" we see here in the US.
You answered him well Henry. No one pretends Cuba is a perfect socialist state, nor Venezuela for that matter. They are works in progress up against a leviathon called neoliberal capitalism.
Anon, as someone who has spent time in Venezuela I can assure you no one is starving or dying of "already cured diseases".It is a very poor country thanks to years of US supported oligarchical rule. You should turn off ORielly and crack a book. The US has a far higher rate of infant mortality.
I did read something ominous about Ortega in Guardian. Latin america has been a testing ground for all the imperialist and capitalist policies of U.S. Off late we are seeing a reversal in this trend and Ortega is the latest outcome of that; Lets hope for the best!!
My God, are you ever satisfied? "This isn't the Daniel Ortega we saw in the '80s." This, I thought, was a huge victory for you. I think being dissatisfied might actually be the central focus of Socialism.
lol, well sadly, reformism hardly ever makes socialists happy. An Ortega victory is the best outcome that socialists could hope for, but it isn't much. Ortega has sold out and become a free market capitalist, but I guess that's understandable considering being a Marxist would be like signing a death warrant.
Lefty i have to say you are very tolerant of dissenting views for a Communist but your not a Cuban official.As far as Cuba goes you are a little off track.How do i know my family is Cuban dissenting views get you in hot water really hot water.
Nobody wins real elections for 47 years it's never been done.
I could tell you a lot about Cuba some good some bad but we have to be careful.We are afraid more than you can possibly imagine.
You may laugh and think this is a joke but believe me we are not laughing or joking not at all.
The Cuban people want change more tolerance and not be afraid.