[Marxism] fronting for Morales

[S. Artesian]

Stuart,

You provide a well thought out and well written survey of the difficulties 
and conflicting forces at work in Bolivia.  Certainly victories can be 
partial.  They can be transitory.  And they can be reversed.
We seem to agree that the progress that has been achieved is the result of 
the strength of the popular movement.  Clearly that strength and that 
movement is outside the parliamentary channels.  The reason I believe the 
election, and program, of the MAS represents-- if 1 step forward-- at least 
1 step back, is that the self-organization of workers and poor, in urban and 
rural areas, will be suspended, interrupted, at the very least, and 
forcefully suppressed at worst.

While I think that the nationalization enacted under Morales should be 
supported, it is a critical support, and I do not think such 
nationalizations will be will be effective, will materially resolve the 
conflicts at the heart of the struggle in Bolivia, nor do I think the 
nationalizations will be sustained or avoid being reduced to a symbolic 
gesture, without that fundamental transfer of power to those class-based, 
unparliamentary organs.

More than that, if we look at the history of the "national revolution" in 
Bolivia, under the MNR and/or under the "left-wing" military before and 
after the MNR, we clearly see that the national component always shrinks in 
terror and opposes the real revolutionary component, which in Bolivia is a 
class based movement for the seizure of property. More than give way to, the 
"national" "democratic"  component  calls forth, and in the case of the MNR 
actually rearms,  counterrevolution against that working class based 
movement.



From: "Stuart Munckton" <stuartmunckton at gmail.com>
To: <sartesian at earthlink.net>
Sent: Wednesday, June 18, 2008 11:28 PM
Subject: Re: [Marxism] fronting for Morales