>
>That's way too charitable. What I have read in the Spanish media
>makes no mention of a change of heart from the trade unions. The
>CTV has consistently been Anti-chavez and pro coup. I would say
>that the main reason the coup took place in the first place was its
>support by the CTV. The anti-coup forces appear to have come from
>the slums and they protested not only the directors of the coup, but
>the Venezuelan media, surrounding their offices, because of their
>anti-Chavez slant.
>
Che
This needs to be heard. Unions are NOT going to be the force for the kind of changes needed in the US or anywhere else really. We no longer live in the 1920s. I have to agree with Katha Pollit on her scepticism re the thnking that unions are our route to social justice though they can play a positive role for the workers who are members of particular unions. Frankly, they've been a huge disaappointment as a force for social change. marta - --
^^^^^^^
Charles: It would seem that, at least, the positions and actions of trade unions, must be judged more on a case by case basis, without a sort of rebuttable presumption in their favor in general. Trade unions and especially their leaders can be integrally part of capitalist ruling class institutions, although not all are.
One might even speculate from the reports on revolution and counter-revolution in Venezuela, that we do need a category "middle class" , which includes rottenly opportunist sectors of privileged workers, and especially , their trade union leaders, as well as traditional petit bourgeoisie. The working class masses, the real People, seem to have formed a consciousness of this split within the working class, and have established their own party in power. By the events of this last few day, the Bolivarians seem to have the overwhelming majority of the population conscious and active in defense of the revolution. In other words, they have actually established DEMOCRACY, the last thing the U.S. and its stooges around the world want.
All power is with the People, in Venezuela . Viva Bolivarianism and viva Chavez ! All praises to the rank and file soldiers of Venezuela.