General Discussion

Ken Burch

(50,254 posts)

100. I suppose I see myself as Next Left...

Tue Mar 5, 2013, 11:11 PM

Mar 2013

Neither the Old Left(CP variety) of reducing everything to the class struggle nor the New Left notion that the class struggle doesn't matter(although I do agree with them on the need to reject the Stalinist rigidity a lot of the Old Left had degenerated into, something that to my mind wasn't Left at all). The other causes the New left introduced into radical thinking need to remain part of the struggle, and the greater emphasis on small-d democracy they brought in needs to be included as well, yet a recognition that workers are still part of it all, probably still the major part, needs to be there, too.

Action is always needed...but you have to know which actions to take.

And yes, strikes ARE needed, as is a general "culture of resistance&quot a term a friend of mine came up with).

The Next Left will combine the best ideas of the old with the need to combine greater speed of action and the need to adjust to new modes of communication.

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If Chavez is dead, we need to be in solidarity with the people of Venezuela. [View all] Ken Burch Mar 2013 OP

Maduro is favored in the upcoming election cali Mar 2013 #1

That assumes the State Department, the CIA and Wall Street will respect the results. Ken Burch Mar 2013 #4

I'm not assuming anything. I'm just posting what's being widely reported. cali Mar 2013 #7

Well, we're going to see what happens now. Ken Burch Mar 2013 #9

Obama does not have that power. zeemike Mar 2013 #18

Obama doesn't have the power to hold a press conference? n/t jtuck004 Mar 2013 #71

And say what? zeemike Mar 2013 #78

Exactly what was suggested above. n/t jtuck004 Mar 2013 #118

Obama is no different than previous presidents.... Swede Atlanta Mar 2013 #27

I hear what you're saying...and he did just that in Honduras(which is now a police state). Ken Burch Mar 2013 #28

So are you equating Obama with Nixon? BainsBane Mar 2013 #68

I'm saying the way our government deals with Latin America hardly ever changes. no matter the prez. Ken Burch Mar 2013 #84

I don't know BainsBane Mar 2013 #86

* cough * Honduras * cough * JackRiddler Mar 2013 #126

Exactly...that was exactly the same as what Nixon did to Chile. Ken Burch Mar 2013 #127

Although... I'm certain... JackRiddler Mar 2013 #130

I'm with you. Cleita Mar 2013 #2

Well said. redqueen Mar 2013 #3

No intervention though. DAVEDCHICAGO Mar 2013 #5

Our work will be to OPPOSE intervention. Ken Burch Mar 2013 #6

That train is never late! arcane1 Mar 2013 #8

Hasta la victoria! Siempre! Taverner Mar 2013 #10

There was no revolution. Chavez was elected democratically. nt stevenleser Mar 2013 #11

A democratic revolution. Ken Burch Mar 2013 #12

All the state institutions that existed before him, exist now. Hard to define it as a revolution. stevenleser Mar 2013 #13

The community councils didn't exist, and that's a massive thing. Ken Burch Mar 2013 #23

And it was with the help of our government that things were as they were prior to the 80s. Cleita Mar 2013 #30

I don't trust Chomsky. stevenleser Mar 2013 #32

Why do I bother? Cleita Mar 2013 #36

I'm perfectly willing to call out wrongdoing by people and countries that I like. stevenleser Mar 2013 #49

I've not known him to write about countries he doesn't like. He writes about those Cleita Mar 2013 #58

LOL, I know our foreign policy record very well. Its not one-dimensional stevenleser Mar 2013 #62

I don't just read Chomsky, but he really gets Latin America, so I like him best. Cleita Mar 2013 #64

If you agree that we get some things right, you are at odds with Chomsky stevenleser Mar 2013 #67

What else is raiding countries that really are no threat to us other than exercising empire? n/t Cleita Mar 2013 #70

Other than World War II(and even then only the European part of it) Ken Burch Mar 2013 #85

Let's cut to the chase, how many examples proving you wrong do you want. Pick a number. stevenleser Mar 2013 #99

What examples could you possibly offer? Ken Burch Mar 2013 #101

I'm not reading any response on this other than a number. nt stevenleser Mar 2013 #106

What does that even mean? Ken Burch Mar 2013 #108

I guess krhines Mar 2013 #111

What about Latin American specialists (not necessarily American) nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #80

First off, they are not revolutions. In each case, these folks were elected. stevenleser Mar 2013 #102

A revolution CAN come to power in an election. Ken Burch Mar 2013 #103

Your say so is not compelling no matter how many times you repeat it. It's not a revolution. stevenleser Mar 2013 #104

What, pray tell, does it have to be to COUNT as a revolution? Ken Burch Mar 2013 #107

Something like these stevenleser Mar 2013 #112

The Velvet Revolution wasn't really a revolution. Ken Burch Mar 2013 #114

The difference between us is that I have backup and links for my opinions. nt stevenleser Mar 2013 #115

You have no backup for the idea that the Velvet Revolution was a real "revolution" Ken Burch Mar 2013 #116

I got it from the link. The link is my backup. nt stevenleser Mar 2013 #117

I went to the link...nothing there supports the notion that it was a revolution Ken Burch Mar 2013 #119

If you define a revolution only by the force of arms you'd be correct nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #105

None of those are large enough changes to qualify. stevenleser Mar 2013 #109

Alas historians do not agree nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #110

Yes they do, see my response upthread. nt stevenleser Mar 2013 #113

A revolution is only a revolution if it produces left-wing results Ken Burch Mar 2013 #122

Then you have invented a new definition of the word. One that I do not accept. nt stevenleser Mar 2013 #123

How can you define something as a revolution when the rich win? Ken Burch Mar 2013 #124

It only qualifies if the change is to the genuinely democratic and radical Left Ken Burch Mar 2013 #128

Alas he is not the only one reporting on this nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #81

What dimensions is he missing, for God's sakes? Ken Burch Mar 2013 #88

As I said the main critique from abroad f the New Left nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #89

I see. Well, Occupy was action(and the New Left backed it). Ken Burch Mar 2013 #90

Occupy is not the new left though nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #91

Who, exactly, are you defining as the New Left? Ken Burch Mar 2013 #93

Not me, common term in usage. nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #95

The Sixties New Left was enormously active...they didn't succeed in transforming this country Ken Burch Mar 2013 #96

Well, here we enter into the long view of history, don't we? nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #97

I suppose I see myself as Next Left... Ken Burch Mar 2013 #100

I don't trust stevenleser. Comrade Grumpy Mar 2013 #37

I dont trust you either. nt stevenleser Mar 2013 #47

You don't have to trust Chomsky BainsBane Mar 2013 #72

I lived in Chile before Allende became President. I'm quite familiar with that event and Cleita Mar 2013 #82

I know all of that already. nt stevenleser Mar 2013 #98

That's not mutually exclusive in a sense. Fantastic Anarchist Mar 2013 #14

Hungry wolves surround - rich oil supply + fantasies of privatization in their heads lunasun Mar 2013 #15

I love how unreadierLizard Mar 2013 #16

Being critical was one thing...declaring his government illegimate was another. Ken Burch Mar 2013 #20

From what I remember unreadierLizard Mar 2013 #21

Basically, he paid some poor folks to attend his rallies(a common practice in Latin America). Ken Burch Mar 2013 #24

No matter the different opinions on DU, the people of Venezuela supported him. randome Mar 2013 #17

Chavez was a great man. He was a social democrat and one of the few in South America who stood up craigmatic Mar 2013 #19

Hear, Hear. timdog44 Mar 2013 #51

thank the f*** Hillary isn't Sos or she would install Lanny Fuckin' Davis as leader of Ven. n't Whisp Mar 2013 #22

Not Lanny-Rahm...with his own drones...and Pinochet's laid-off torture squads. Ken Burch Mar 2013 #25

She can't do that! Fuddnik Mar 2013 #26

She could've said he was having trouble making ends meet, and needs a second job. n/t. Ken Burch Mar 2013 #29

You think Hillary Clinton RudynJack Mar 2013 #31

She had a major role in it...she never just took orders from Obama. Ken Burch Mar 2013 #34

Chavez Dead - now there is hope for Venzuela dbackjon Mar 2013 #33

Venezuela never had democracy before Chavez Ken Burch Mar 2013 #35

Post removed Post removed Mar 2013 #38

"And shun the frumious bandersnatch"! Ken Burch Mar 2013 #39

I may have to take my vorpal sword in hand. Comrade Grumpy Mar 2013 #41

Given the lies and misdirection, and direct intervention in the Americas over the last 100+ years AtheistCrusader Mar 2013 #40

Bwahahaha! He was democratically elected. Only oligarchs and their running-dogs opposed him. WinkyDink Mar 2013 #44

This message was self-deleted by its author devilgrrl Mar 2013 #45

This message was self-deleted by its author timdog44 Mar 2013 #53

They are free to start building skyscrapers instead of spending money on healthcare! YAY!!! idwiyo Mar 2013 #153

Not much of an "if" there. WinkyDink Mar 2013 #42

Yes, unlike those right-wing assholes! santamargarita Mar 2013 #43

I wonder how many of you have visited Venezuela Perseus Mar 2013 #46

This message was self-deleted by its author devilgrrl Mar 2013 #48

Did you notice the link is 3 years old? uppityperson Mar 2013 #50

This message was self-deleted by its author devilgrrl Mar 2013 #52

I am expecting several of them coming in to inform us of all sorts of things. uppityperson Mar 2013 #56

This message was self-deleted by its author devilgrrl Mar 2013 #60

Its so easy to hide your lack of knowledge behind a wisecrack Perseus Mar 2013 #77

It is easy to claim things on the internet, to tell stories and all. Did you know I am an astronaut? uppityperson Mar 2013 #79

No one who cares about the poor and the workers is celebrating. Ken Burch Mar 2013 #94

Correct. timdog44 Mar 2013 #59

I am not taling about tourist Perseus Mar 2013 #73

Sounds like many large cities all over the world. uppityperson Mar 2013 #75

Are you Venezuelan then? timdog44 Mar 2013 #129

Have you visited Detroit, lately? Just saying... eom Purveyor Mar 2013 #55

Well, I've never been to Spain. n/t timdog44 Mar 2013 #66

But I kind of like the music n/t. Ken Burch Mar 2013 #92

Thank you for this anonwonder Mar 2013 #61

I say. timdog44 Mar 2013 #63

Could be. uppityperson Mar 2013 #76

One post timdog44 Mar 2013 #69

This message was self-deleted by its author devilgrrl Mar 2013 #83

Chavez was NEVER falling behind...no polls ever showed Capriles in the lead. Ken Burch Mar 2013 #87

I'm afraid they will turn into another USA magic59 Mar 2013 #54

Yeah we can only hope to reach the status of Venezuela Carnage251 Mar 2013 #65

If there was something I could do for them I'd do it madokie Mar 2013 #57

I wonder about timdog44 Mar 2013 #74

If there is a functioning system, then the death of one man does not harm it treestar Mar 2013 #120

All systems are, at least in part, of people as well as laws. Ken Burch Mar 2013 #121

Say what??? Flatulo Mar 2013 #139

Why? Ken Burch Mar 2013 #141

No, the system you describe and desire ca be corrupted by cronyism and political pull. Flatulo Mar 2013 #142

That is NOT what it means treestar Mar 2013 #147

Money will get them favored, no matter what. Ken Burch Mar 2013 #148

The law is written to try to be as fair as possible treestar Mar 2013 #149

No way. That is not the sentiment expressed there at all. treestar Mar 2013 #146

So how are we, the masses going to help the masses in Venezuela? rhett o rick Mar 2013 #125

Chavez committed the ultimate sin of educating them Catherina Mar 2013 #136

The problem with revolutions is that eventually a dictator takes over. nm rhett o rick Mar 2013 #144

It happens that way when the U.S. creates and finances the revolution Judi Lynn Mar 2013 #150

Yes but it doesnt matter who backs the revolution. The power vacuum sucks in rhett o rick Mar 2013 #151

American oil barons moondust Mar 2013 #131

Is Chavez Dead? tavalon Mar 2013 #132

Maduro announced it yesterday. Ken Burch Mar 2013 #133

Been a little busy in my real life tavalon Mar 2013 #134

Yes sadly. He died yesterday afternoon. Catherina Mar 2013 #135

I respected him and loved that he threw the Imperialistic American games right back in our faces tavalon Mar 2013 #137

Me too Catherina Mar 2013 #138

Edited my post to remove the snark. Sorry. Ken Burch Mar 2013 #140

You're a good man Ken Burch n/t Catherina Mar 2013 #143

Thanks, tavalon Mar 2013 #145

It's all good. Ken Burch Mar 2013 #154

K&R idwiyo Mar 2013 #152