AUDIO: Reflections on Venezuela - Bolivarian Socialism - Politics Forum.org | PoFo

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“This is a reflection on the current situation in Venezuela and background history of the Bolivarian Revolution, the ideas of Simon Bolivar and their relationship with communism, capitalism and Western thinking by someone that has lived for 20 years in South America.”

Marx was a man of theory, Bolivar one of action: 'All theory is gray, my friend. But forever green is the tree of life.' said Goethe. The European intelligentsia in Marx’s time believed that Latin America was too backward to undergo a communist revolution as it had not passed the supposedly essential stage of the emergence of industry and the bourgeois.

Europe has produced a lot of political theory, many ideas, but a Eurocentric world view in which the only possibilities of social organization are the theories of European intellectuals is just another form of the colonial mentality. Bolivar, on the other hand, saw that Latin America’s situation, it’s problems, required a Latin American solution rather than some system imposed from outside.

He was not a political theorist and he didn’t formulate the exact means of social organisation, this he left for later Latin American thinkers. He attempted though to achieve in practise his vision that the Latin American states should unite and form a great federation. This was much like Hugo Chavez’s vision as well, Chavez certainly wasn’t a European Communist and his Bolivarian Revolution was not a Marxist revolution.

Now we see that Chavez’s revolution is falling apart, the country is in a terrible state and people are fleeing left, right and centre. Why has it fallen apart, what is the problem? For one we must look to Maduro, who clearly doesn’t understand how his egotism is playing into the hands of counter-revolutionary reactionary forces. It always happens when something like the Bolivarian Revolution is attempted, it is attacked from two sides: those who have fallen under the spell of Marxism-Leninism, the enemy within, and the capitalist powers (in particular the USA), the enemy outside. Thus the best intentions and efforts are sabotaged.

This illuminating podcast deals with these subjects along with others relating to Latin America’s unique situation, providing fundamental insights that you won’t find in university textbooks, from someone who has lived and experienced the campesino life in various Latin American countries.

https://www.spreaker.com/user/muchmiller/reflections-on-venezuela-part-2-bolivari

https://socialgnosis.org
#14987014
Rancid wrote:What i find interesting is that as far as I know. Bolivar was not a communist. It just seems like different political parties just co-opt his name to try and bring legitimacy to what they are doing.


I also have the same opinion. He didn't leave a legacy of governance but a legacy of fighting for independence and trying to establish a country. Realistically he won the independence but failed in his idea of establishing a grand empire in South America.

Communist narrative from Marx himself:

Marx dismissed Bolívar as a "falsifier, deserter, conspirator, liar, coward and looter", and a "false liberator who merely sought to preserve the power of the old Creole nobility to which he belonged"


Also Marx:

"Moreover a longish article on Bolívar elicited objections from Dana because, he said, it is written in a 'partisan style', and he asked me to cite my authorities. This I can, of course, do, although it is a singular demand. As regards the 'partisan style', it is true that I departed somewhat from the tone of a cyclopedia. To see the dastardly, most miserable and meanest of blackguards described as Napoleon I was altogether too much. Bolívar is a veritable Soulouque"
#14987089
Rancid wrote:What i find interesting is that as far as I know. Bolivar was not a communist. It just seems like different political parties just co-opt his name to try and bring legitimacy to what they are doing.


:eh:
Not sure who claimed that he was a communist, he's just celebrated in some countries because he supported their independence.
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skinster wrote:Not sure who claimed that he was a communist, he's just celebrated in some countries because he supported their independence


Exactly. Yet his name was borrowed/co-opted for the so called Bolivarian Revolution Chavez carried out.

Thinking about this a bit more. This is a common practice with political movements (right or left). It helps bring an aura of legitimacy when you take a revered historical figure from the past, and basically claim that this figure would support your cause in the present. It frames your political movement within a larger historical context/continuum, and thus projects a feeling of "this is our destiny". This is very compelling and can mobilize a whole nation. It doesn't matter if this past figure would really support your cause or not (who cares he's dead!), so long as you can convince people he would, that's what matters.

It doesn't always have to be a person, it could just be a political movement/cause/idea from the past.

It's very effective.

Examples of people doing this sort of thing:
Trump: Make America Great Again.
Hitler: 3rd riech
USSR: Marx

I'm sure there are a bunch more.
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Fun fact, The Dominican Republic was to join the union with the country of Gran Colombia which Bolivar liberated and became the president of. However, Gran Colombia broke up before the DR was able to gain independence from Haiti.

I wonder what the world would be like had Gran Colombia not broken up, and the DR would have joined it. I think at one point Cuba as well was interested in joining Gran Colombia. At the time, people around the globe thought Gran Colombia would be a powerful nation.
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Some good podcasts on Venezuela, to add to the audio sharing.

https://www.patreon.com/posts/video-revolt-of-23999269

https://www.patreon.com/posts/video-economic-w-24267841

The prof of Latin American studies interviewed in the above two podcasts also did a talk on Venezuela and the Bolivarian revolution:


And this one:


There are more but I'm lazy.

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