> That's not my attitude. I admire him because he's trying to do something
> really hard - keep a country together and promoting development while
> resisting US power. You make it sound like it would be easy to
> accomplish. In fact, you sound a lot like the ISO guy I was arguing
> Chavez with a few weeks ago - he dismissed him for taking the "Castro"
> route. I suspect this attitude has something to do with why Trostkyists
> and anarchists - two different kinds of purists - have had so little
> impact on real-world politics.
I really don't understand how my position reflects that of a "purist" who has "so little impact on real-world politics." My statement was simply a gut reaction to all of the Chavez-worshiping that goes on among the American left these days. After years of being closet Castro supporters, the American left needs a new leader that it can support openly. This uncritical support is then grounded on arguments about fair elections and U.S. interference.
It's really stupid that there is this either-or dichotomy in leftist thinking about Chavez. It's either you support and celebrate Chavez or you are an opponent who is in league with the American imperialists.
How about other positions, including my anarchist position and positions held by Venezuelans, many of whom hate American interference but feel indifferent about Chavez. Sometimes I get the feeling that American leftists are bigger supporters of Chavez than actual Venezuelans who voted for him.
Of course, it's too early to tell if Chavez will turn into another Castro. This will become clearer with future elections. There are already some signs that he is using the threat of U.S. intervention to build a base of support in the military and among the population. Then there is simply the history of new leftist leaders who looked good in the beginning and then turned out to be like every other leader or politician.
I'm encouraged that Latin America is standing up to U.S. imperialism. But I think that it is foolish to get excited about any one leader as the avatar of these growing movements.
Chuck