zein al-abdeen
2nd October 2008, 10:27
Editorial
The Bolivarian revolution in Venezuela has not witnessed a stage more critical than the current one, and perhaps we will say the same thing to describe each and every upcoming stage. When the revolutionary anger increases, the confrontations become more intensive which will raise the size of danger facing the revolution; this means that the revolution will be subject to a stronger immunity in order for it to be able to withstand and continue under such circumstances.
There are internal and external risks, as well as self-difficulties and objective obstacles; the region which had seemed since a very short time the most secure is now the most dangerous; the alliance that President Chavez had formed – the National Alliance – has never seemed at risk of collapse as it does today neither have its parties been a source of danger as they are today. However, reasons of a future collapse is something to be optimistic about, because mixing the revolutionary with the bureaucratic is as impossible as mixing oil with water. While on the other hand, if the collapse had not happened and the alliance continued and became stronger instead, this will cause even more optimism; we will then know that the obstacles of steel which were hampering the revolutionary soul of the alliance have started to come to an end; at that time the first beneficiary will be the Venezuelan revolution.
A weak alliance will not be the only problem of the revolution; the revolution's popularity, which cannot be denied and was proven by concrete results, is an essential issue for a revolution which depends on democracy and seeks to develop it into a firm workers' democracy. Therefore, the revolution was forced not to ignore any issue related to the daily life of the Venezuelan people; it was not a revolution of military intimidation or a political party suppression, it was instead a revolution of which the social range is the most important; a revolution which succeeds or fails only depending on its supporters' points of view.
However, if this popularity remained strong and is still expressing the class division and the class dimension of this revolution which is supported by the majority of a whole class, that does not mean it is time for laziness and inaction; on the contrary, this situation should impose more determination, insistence and great efforts in order to correct the mistakes in all different fields and achieve more improvement in the Venezuelans' life living.
We are on the verge of a revolution seeking socialism; its supporters including President Chavez realize that their revolution will not reach its final success one day unless it defeats the very last capitalist castle in the world; this was the reason behind the attempts of approving the socialist constitution last year; the attempt had not been achieved then, but President Chavez promised afterwards that the amendments will be adopted anyways and the revolution's internal support will be seen even if through other legal methods; that was when President Chavez announced in the last day of his authorization several presidential decrees approving a number of those amendments in order to fasten radical changes directed towards Venezuela.
A revolution with fastened legs inside, will not maintain its endurance nor its revolutionary trend if it had not set off towards the world; for the revolution had been born in an atmosphere of hatred and hostility, but it had sought to change such atmosphere till it reached a level where opposing the revolution has become a strange case in the continent while getting closer and trying to keep pace with it is the goal.
We cannot exaggerate in our optimism and say that the revolution has become internally and externally safe of any defection towards capitalism, this safety will not exist before the complete defeat of international capitalism; however, what really forces us to be optimistic is all those accomplishments and victories which the revolution is achieving and of which the results are appearing day after day to teach us many lessons the international left, especially that of the third world, is in need of; in order for this left to see a live, practical and alternative option that differs from previous options which have proven to be unsuccessful; instead it should learn from the socialism of the 21st century which shows unprecedented results proving that building socialism and enhancing democratic constants are two duties that can go along and even accompany one another; there is no need to delay democracy under the pretext of building socialism; this revolution proves that the right building of socialism which is required to continue and rise is possible only if the revolutionary democracy was bonding it and was at the same time its main objective by liberating humanity from all types of captivity and not through replacing a captivity by another.
The Bolivarian revolution in Venezuela has not witnessed a stage more critical than the current one, and perhaps we will say the same thing to describe each and every upcoming stage. When the revolutionary anger increases, the confrontations become more intensive which will raise the size of danger facing the revolution; this means that the revolution will be subject to a stronger immunity in order for it to be able to withstand and continue under such circumstances.
There are internal and external risks, as well as self-difficulties and objective obstacles; the region which had seemed since a very short time the most secure is now the most dangerous; the alliance that President Chavez had formed – the National Alliance – has never seemed at risk of collapse as it does today neither have its parties been a source of danger as they are today. However, reasons of a future collapse is something to be optimistic about, because mixing the revolutionary with the bureaucratic is as impossible as mixing oil with water. While on the other hand, if the collapse had not happened and the alliance continued and became stronger instead, this will cause even more optimism; we will then know that the obstacles of steel which were hampering the revolutionary soul of the alliance have started to come to an end; at that time the first beneficiary will be the Venezuelan revolution.
A weak alliance will not be the only problem of the revolution; the revolution's popularity, which cannot be denied and was proven by concrete results, is an essential issue for a revolution which depends on democracy and seeks to develop it into a firm workers' democracy. Therefore, the revolution was forced not to ignore any issue related to the daily life of the Venezuelan people; it was not a revolution of military intimidation or a political party suppression, it was instead a revolution of which the social range is the most important; a revolution which succeeds or fails only depending on its supporters' points of view.
However, if this popularity remained strong and is still expressing the class division and the class dimension of this revolution which is supported by the majority of a whole class, that does not mean it is time for laziness and inaction; on the contrary, this situation should impose more determination, insistence and great efforts in order to correct the mistakes in all different fields and achieve more improvement in the Venezuelans' life living.
We are on the verge of a revolution seeking socialism; its supporters including President Chavez realize that their revolution will not reach its final success one day unless it defeats the very last capitalist castle in the world; this was the reason behind the attempts of approving the socialist constitution last year; the attempt had not been achieved then, but President Chavez promised afterwards that the amendments will be adopted anyways and the revolution's internal support will be seen even if through other legal methods; that was when President Chavez announced in the last day of his authorization several presidential decrees approving a number of those amendments in order to fasten radical changes directed towards Venezuela.
A revolution with fastened legs inside, will not maintain its endurance nor its revolutionary trend if it had not set off towards the world; for the revolution had been born in an atmosphere of hatred and hostility, but it had sought to change such atmosphere till it reached a level where opposing the revolution has become a strange case in the continent while getting closer and trying to keep pace with it is the goal.
We cannot exaggerate in our optimism and say that the revolution has become internally and externally safe of any defection towards capitalism, this safety will not exist before the complete defeat of international capitalism; however, what really forces us to be optimistic is all those accomplishments and victories which the revolution is achieving and of which the results are appearing day after day to teach us many lessons the international left, especially that of the third world, is in need of; in order for this left to see a live, practical and alternative option that differs from previous options which have proven to be unsuccessful; instead it should learn from the socialism of the 21st century which shows unprecedented results proving that building socialism and enhancing democratic constants are two duties that can go along and even accompany one another; there is no need to delay democracy under the pretext of building socialism; this revolution proves that the right building of socialism which is required to continue and rise is possible only if the revolutionary democracy was bonding it and was at the same time its main objective by liberating humanity from all types of captivity and not through replacing a captivity by another.