Boy, that bus trip kicked my ass! It was a beautiful ride, though, at least in the afternoon as we ascended the Andes. One thing about Bolivia I don't think I'll ever grow used to is the varying geography and climate zones. This county has it all.I've been out of the loop for the past few days, and I need to play catch-up. Luckily, Otto at Inca Kola News is on it as always.
- Read his take on the breakdown in negotiations in Cochabamba between Morales and the rebel prefects.
- Do you doubt that fascism in the medialuna exists? You saw the video, now read the report of an ex-government minister getting attacked in Santa Cruz by the UJC--the Santa Cruz Youth Union, hereby referred to as the Hitler Youth. These people are deplorable.
- Over and over again, I listen to people bitch and moan about Hugo Chavez. Sure, the man can be a loose cannon, but I think the complaints hinge
on issue that he's a strongman with full coffers who actively opposes the U.S., denying the behemoth to the north opportunities to meddle in the south as it once so actively did. I wish people would read their history books and learn about the consequences that this interference has wrought on Central and South America. But some people never learn, and Otto takes one of those to task for his resentment of Chavez's stature at the expense of the little people. Well done, Otto. Well done.
But not all estadounidenses are stupid. I'm proud to have a friend who's actively working toward understanding vis-a-vis North and South America. There was a book party last week in New York City for Richard Fleming's Walking to Guantánamo. It looks like it was fun: See for yourself.
1 comment:
Strongman...or just a strong man?
I've been following Chavez's actions and words for a while, and I'm of the opinion that he's definitely the latter, not the former. He's a democrat, not a despot; he can take no for an answer; he compares favorably to all of his "democratically elected" (by rigged elections) predecessors on every count. He's faced down HOW many coup attempts now? And he's still alive, and still brave enough to say what used to be unspeakable, but which is now becoming routine utterance all over Latin America in one form or another? Let's face it, he's a trailblazer. He made it possible for Lula, Evo, Correa, etc. to take power and make it count for something.
Someone's gotta go there first, and it might as well be a big, badass, irrepressible ex-soldier who just can't keep his mouth shut.
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