The Limits of Reforms in Bolivia

[the last donut of the night]

Yes, it's a Socialist Worker article (apologies to the fellow ML's), but I found it very interesting.

http://socialistworker.org/2010/08/10/limits-of-reformism-in-bolivia


Far from encouraging the class struggle in its Marxist sense, Evo Morales has updated the divisions already mentioned--nation/anti-nation, people/oligarchy and in practice is promoting a new "class alliance"--without using a term reminiscent of the 1950s. This alliance includes "patriotic entrepreneurs" and "nationalist military," to build a "productive and modern country," thanks to the profits from natural resources "repossessed by the State."

Although these reforms are very much welcome and are a blow to the rancid right-wing that populates the government halls of Bolivia (some American comrades play down these reforms because they don't understand the ugliness of these oligarchies, I think) and do put food on the table for millions of peasants that before had nothing, there is a limit to everything, especially reformism (which can get very bloody as we've seen before).

Discuss.

[Nolan]

It's ok. I read a lot of their stuff.

[theblackmask]

Does posting an article from a group you don't agree with really require an apology?

[Reznov]

As long as it is moving away from the Right and towards the Left, it is better for the people.

Thank you for the article!

[blake 3:17]

The revolutionary process in Bolivia is tremendously exciting. I've been involved in Bolivia solidarity work here in Canada and many of us do have tremendous hope and a few doubts about the MAS and the movements from below.

I think the article is fairly even handed. Resistance against the gross theft of natural resources and racism in Bolivia is phenomenal.

I don't know enough about the NGOs, and their role in Bolivia, that Morales is critical of to attempt to pass judegement.

[the last donut of the night]

Does posting an article from a group you don't agree with really require an apology?

Haha yeah, I think I went a bit too far there. Maybe I just meant it to myself; I think my sources are too few sometimes.

[Proletarian Ultra]

it's led to a regional version of state capitalism called "Andean-Amazonian capitalism."

Had to pull it out sooner or later, so why not paragraph two? Cliffism is so charmingly, exasperatingly predictable. :o


But there has also been significant criticism of Morales from the left. This year saw a mass rejection of the government's wage policy, which was widely seen as failing to adjust wages to compensate for lost purchasing power.


The MAS movement is to its detriment fundamentally peasant in character, and in instances like this the contradictions between the peasantry and working class show through. You also get some real snoozefests of braindead indigenist/environmentalist jibber-jabber from Morales himself. Like so...


Morales himself has become somewhat of a global voice for the environmental movement, hosting a climate change conference to build on the environmentalist movement that was spurred on by the U.S.- and European-dominated climate conference Copenhagen.

Lenin help us all. But on the other hand...


At the same time, however, Bolivia's need to continually generate new revenue has meant the gutting of many natural resources held sacred by the indigenous population. This includes the current megaproject to build highways through the Amazon in order to create trade routes connecting Brazil, Bolivia and Peru. This issue has increasingly brought the Morales administration into conflict with a variety of supporters, frustrated at their inability to meaningfully participate in decisions being made about their territories.


Well at least he's doing something right.

[REDSOX]

I always treat a lot of stuff from mike gonzalez as ultra left bull especially his comments on cuba which border on rabid but in terms of bolivia he is right to a large extent. Bolivia has enacted reforms for the poor and a renationalisation programme but more is needed

[chebol]

This is a useful article on recent events etc in Bolivia: Bolivia: Social tensions erupt (http://www.greenleft.org.au/node/45140)

[Monkey Riding Dragon]

There are no real benefits to reformism. Morales's policies may, as stated in the OP, "put food on the table" for many people, but far more fundamentally, doing that precisely serves to provide, in many people's minds, an alternative to a radical rupture with the existing system and hence serves the primary purpose of perpetuating the status quo by, if you will, buying off larger numbers of people, channeling their anger into what are ultimately dead-end paths.

[blake 3:17]

There are no real benefits to reformism.

Maybe this comes down to how one defines "reformism". Implementing reforms is not the same as being reformist.


Morales's policies may, as stated in the OP, "put food on the table" for many people, but far more fundamentally, doing that precisely serves to provide, in many people's minds, an alternative to a radical rupture with the existing system and hence serves the primary purpose of perpetuating the status quo by, if you will, buying off larger numbers of people, channeling their anger into what are ultimately dead-end paths.


Morales is the most radical elected head of state in the world. The MAS are most radical elected governing party in the world. They have strategically tried to change the nature of the international debate and response to climate change.

The Bolivian revolution is faced with many very hard decisions, and it is entirely possible that the revolution will be profoundly spoilt, ruined or defeated. For those of us in the global North, we need to do everything possible to defend Bolivia from imperialism. The MAS is in many ways similar to the Zapatistas with a few big differences -- being faced with the task of national governance and international relations, being land locked with capital intensive natural resources, responsibilities to ALBA.

The MAS, and its supporters, are very very aware of fascist and racist reaction as a fairly immediate possibility. We could say that the revolutionary processes in Latin America have been forced into a kind of very radical reformism -- in Venezuela this has pushed Chavez to the left, in Bolivia perhaps the MAS has moved to the right.

[blake 3:17]

Two new articles from socialists on anti-government revolt in Bolivia: http://www.socialistproject.ca/bullet/404.php

Events are unfolding...