St Pete Times likes new Bolovian president, my letter back
Posted: January 24th, 2006, 10:48 am
Lordy I couldn't retrieve me eyes when I saw this editorial in todays Times and wrote back a more assertive response. Will let ya know if'n it gets printed.
Tuesday's editorial surprise!
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I support your editorial " "Bolivia's New Presidente" because it makes sense. It makes sense that the common people of Bolivia would not want the USA to dominate the region politically, which really means economic domination, which means sweat shops and a small wealthy elite sucking profits upward, not creating new wealth, just a promulgation of the increasing gap between the rich and poor.
It makes sense that the Bolivian common people want their natural gas reserves protected through nationalization, again to avert the kind of policies that a USA dominated intrusion would make.
And yes, it makes sense for Bolivia to legalize the growth of coca. Coca Cola annually imports many tons of coca leaves from Peru and Bolivia. The plant has been traditionally used in the native culture for centuries as stimulant, anesthetic, and as a nutritional source as well. The economics of cocaine (traces of which were found in Shakespeare's pipes) is what drives poor peoples to export for income. In Columbia, the drug lords control its harvest and production and export. In Bolivia, the government is saying that it will oversee the growth, monitor its usage as export commodity. This is good for controlling narco-trafficking.
The re-emergence of progressive populist governments in Latin America will not be bullied into submission by right-wing military coups, as was the history for so many years. These military dictators were friendly to the elitist model and to aggressive greedy economic policies construed through American politicians by their corporate sponsors. Our political muscle, the American military, has been unfortunately in collusion with harsh military and police activities in Latin America for many long years., through the School of the Americas and direct presence in those countries.
I went into the military at a young age, wanting to serve freedom and democracy. These fine sounding words, I soon discovered, through a broader education and then a tour of duty in a tragic and unnecessary war, were empty seductions and manipulations of my patriotism by reckless lying politicians, who were really construing policies for the military-industrial complex and the elitist model.
Jeemboloco
© Copyright 2006 St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved.
Tuesday's editorial surprise!
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
I support your editorial " "Bolivia's New Presidente" because it makes sense. It makes sense that the common people of Bolivia would not want the USA to dominate the region politically, which really means economic domination, which means sweat shops and a small wealthy elite sucking profits upward, not creating new wealth, just a promulgation of the increasing gap between the rich and poor.
It makes sense that the Bolivian common people want their natural gas reserves protected through nationalization, again to avert the kind of policies that a USA dominated intrusion would make.
And yes, it makes sense for Bolivia to legalize the growth of coca. Coca Cola annually imports many tons of coca leaves from Peru and Bolivia. The plant has been traditionally used in the native culture for centuries as stimulant, anesthetic, and as a nutritional source as well. The economics of cocaine (traces of which were found in Shakespeare's pipes) is what drives poor peoples to export for income. In Columbia, the drug lords control its harvest and production and export. In Bolivia, the government is saying that it will oversee the growth, monitor its usage as export commodity. This is good for controlling narco-trafficking.
The re-emergence of progressive populist governments in Latin America will not be bullied into submission by right-wing military coups, as was the history for so many years. These military dictators were friendly to the elitist model and to aggressive greedy economic policies construed through American politicians by their corporate sponsors. Our political muscle, the American military, has been unfortunately in collusion with harsh military and police activities in Latin America for many long years., through the School of the Americas and direct presence in those countries.
I went into the military at a young age, wanting to serve freedom and democracy. These fine sounding words, I soon discovered, through a broader education and then a tour of duty in a tragic and unnecessary war, were empty seductions and manipulations of my patriotism by reckless lying politicians, who were really construing policies for the military-industrial complex and the elitist model.
Jeemboloco
© Copyright 2006 St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved.