Chavez to Build Socialist Cities

[BayCityProgressive]

The spin in this article is MIND BLOWING.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/article1292676.ece

IN a controversial attempt to turn Venezuela into a socialist utopia, President Hugo Chavez is planning to build a network of egalitarian communities without mayors or municipal governments. He declared last week that his new “socialist cities” would be run by “people power”.

Chavez told the Venezuelan national assembly that vast tracts of the country’s largely unpopulated interior would be used for the construction of new cities, each covering up to 100 square kilometres (38.6 square miles).

He gave few other details at swearing-in ceremonies after his recent re-election other than to advise his critics: “Those of you who want to know what type of socialism I have planned for Venezuela should read Marx and Lenin.”

The president’s plan was denounced by political rivals as a ploy to reduce the power of state governments that provide the main source of opposition to his increasingly autocratic regime. The new cities would be self-governing and beyond the jurisdiction of provincial governors.

The plan was also dismissed as a deluded attempt to re-create the socialist paradises promised by despotic regimes in the 20th century, with pitiful results.


--- Someone in the article actually tries to compare Chavez to Pol Pot LOL.

[SoCalDem]

1. "...largely unpopulated interior ..." worries me a bit

That's likely to be virgin jungle land that's worth more UNpopulated.

Hugo should set out to clean up the cities and re-vamp the delapidated areas first.

What he's planning is an anarchist society, but as long as HE is the supreme leader, things might go awry when he does not agree with their plans..

Hugo needs to think a bit more on this plan :)

[ngant17]

7. I think Florida was largely worthless swampland at one time

but a lot of it has been transformed into high-priced real estate. We have a ways to go before we can build any socialist utopias here, unfortunately.

[Xithras]

27. One mans worthless swampland...

...is another mans pristine wetlands, and a natural haven for wildlife. If it comes down to humans vs. animals, I tend to vote for the animals. We humans have mucked our world up enough already.

What was done to Florida was criminal. If Chavez wants to do the same to his country, it will be equally criminal. We already recognize that crimes against humanity are legitimate and prosecutable, and it's time to extend those same responsibilities to crimes against nature.

[tblue]

2. It does sound kinda freaky, doesn't it?

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

8. Yes, and it has such a great history of success...

Stalin's collitivisation of the Kulaks, the Great Leap Forward, etc.

[PLF]

11. The U.S. is an intentional society.

[EFerrari]

18. I don't copy you. Could you say more about that?

:)

[PLF]

24. People like to go on rants about "utopias" etc.

My point is that we all live in an intentional society of some form or another.

[EFerrari]

26. Thank you for the clarification.

Chavez is no utopian. His policies are working so, the article as the OP noted, is spin.

It's kind of funny because once you get indigenous people in power, things tend to get very practical no matter what labels the propagandists try to hang on them. Hot meals for all school kids, literacy programs so people can read their own Constitution, neighborhood medical clinics.

What crazy thing will he do next?

[PLF]

28. I feel really positive about what is going on in Latin America.

I know Obrador got the shaft in Mexico, but even there things are moving and shaking.

Sadly, it may be a result of the bloodbath in the ME but that's just the way it is.

I read a quote recently from Rafael Correa or Evo Morales to the effect of "We need partners not masters." They will no longer live under the thumb of Washington.

The empire is truly starting to fall apart.

[EFerrari]

29. Agree entirely. The BushCo focus on the ME has been a reprieve

for Latin America.

I hope as Democrats move into office, our policy in that region will be sane and not predatory. But then, I read a LOT of Gore Vidal. :)

[Prophet 451]

3. Worrying

By and large, I like Chavez but I do worry about some of the things he's coming out with recently.

Given that he's unabashedly endorsing communism here, look for the Right to compare him to the USSR (yes, I know the USSR never made it as far as communism but they don't). Possibly, Chimpy will start ratcheting up the agression again (a revival of the "domino theory"?).

Gonna be interesting to see how this plays out at any rate.

[EFerrari]

4. The last time I was spun this hard was during my honeymoon.

BushCo must be worried. :)

[The Anti-Neo Con]

5. This is great.

Viva Chavez! Viva socialismo!

[cali]

9. Just out of curiosity, what's so great about it?

And is the land truly uninhabited, or will their be displacement of indigenous people and despoilment of a fragile ecosystem? In addition Lenin, although a fascinating figure, is hardly someone to be held up as a role model of anything positive.

[ngant17]

6. Watch out for a Jonestown massacre

which will be initiated by US-backed troops in South America, and it will be blamed on those crazy leftists in Venezeula.

[DerBeppo]

14. Must be an intellectually comforting life you live.

Make up your mind ahead of time and work your way backwards when what you predict does or doesn't happen. Much, much easier than being rational.

[EFerrari]

17. How much of our history in Latin America is familiar to you, DerBeppo?

That poster just described what we've always done down there. Dirty tricks, assasinations, fake reasons to invade and install US Corp friendly despots, offshore Marines just as a friendly reminder, funding a few death squads here and there. Voila! US policy in Latin America.

[ngant17]

22. Jonestown -- this poster has no clue

of what actually happened in the South Am. nation of Guyana, nor has he much understanding of South American history or geography, for that matter. BTW check your maps, Guyana borders those areas where Chavez wants to build his socialist cities in the boondocks of Venezuela. So the "Jonestown" scenario is not so outlandish, although Jonestown itself was located in the northwestern corner of the country, NW of Georgetown.

In his book The Strongest Poison, Attorney Mark Lane of JFK fame argues that people in Jonestown were murdered. He reported hearing automatic weapon fire, and presumes that U.S. forces killed Jonestown survivors. He believes that, given the radical politics and power of Peoples Temple, intelligence agencies regularly monitored the group in the U.S. and in Guyana.

Laurie Efrein Kahalas, a former member and Temple loyalist, has writen that a government conspiracy followed Peoples Temple from San Francisco to Guyana and ultimately caused the deaths of the Jonestown residents by framing them for the murder of Leo Ryan. Her book "Snake Dance: Unravelling the Mysteries of Jonestown" (New York: Red Robin Press, 1998), provides documents supporting her belief — and that of Temple members — that different government agencies were spying and harassing the organization. Kahalas claims that an elite core of Army sharpshooters, not Jonestown residents, shot Ryan. As part of her evidence, she cites the audiotape made on the final day on which Jim Jones says, "I didn’t order the shooting... I don’t know who shot the congressman..." (Kahalas 321). Kahalas believes that government assassins killed Ryan because of his support for congressional oversight of the CIA.

The good news about Chavez and his decision to build socialist cities in Venezuela is that US special forces will be tied down in Iraq and Afghanistan for the long term and will be essentially unable to subvert any large-scale attempts at creating socialist cities in the jungles of Venezuela. This wasn't the case in 1978. It's a different world now and the US cannot so easily run amok anywhere all the time like 'the good old days'.

[EFerrari]

25. Not to mention, you can't build "socialist cities".

Socialism is a batch of ideas, not a batch of bricks and mortar.

Really, it takes so little to freak out Americans, it's just sort of silly.

How afraid are we of IDEAS?

SOCIALISM! RUN! HIDE! PEOPLE MIGHT EAT AND GET HEALTH CARE! AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!

[Doondoo]

10. K&R

[LaPera]

21. Kick!

[slackmaster]

12. One question comes to mind immediately

Who the hell is going to collect the garbage?

[William Bloode]

13. I like the idea.

I love it in fact. I do however concur with other posters, and their concerns about indigenous people, and environment. I would love to see a city working through Anarchy/Socialism. Being a bit of a commie at heart this sings to my soul.

Yes i am also aware how such idealistic matters often turn out. One can hope and dream though.

[EFerrari]

16. When I look at Hugo Chavez's beautiful brown face, I have a lot

of hope for his policies regarding indigenous people and the ecosystem. :)

[LaPera]

19. Wow...a young bushy tail idealist, how refreshing!

Viva Chavez! I hope his socialism spreads all over the Americas.

[EFerrari]

20. Not young but old enough to know that we've finally got some raza

in leadership positions!

Adelante! I can't help thinking that Caracas must be a very happening place these days. :)

[GreenTea]

15. I like it...Capitalism sure in the fuck doesn't work, but for the corporations and the wealthy

who use the capitalist system to keep people down in poverty, low wages, no health care or free advanced education for the citizens who bear the tax burden for the rich & corporations, while the same rich & corporations exploit and pollute the environment for their own personal & corporate gain. As these same greedy evil lying capitalist republicans imperialistically invade sovereign nations to steal those countries resources... While the poor and their kids fight & die, to pay the taxes for the capitalist "PIGS" war machine, all in the bullshit name of patriotism and Christianity that they've programed into us since we were born!

Fuck Capitalism!

[Raskolnik]

30. Wow, it sounds like captialism sure is terrible...

what are you proposing as its replacement?

[manic expression]

23. Looks very interesting and encouraging

The idea is a great one, hopefully it can be well-managed. Definitely something to watch closely.

Hasta la victoria siempre!