We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Sunday, November 7, 2010

The Becoming of Social Democracy in Venezuela

by Rosa Tristan from Venezuela Analysis

I am posting this today mostly because the author provides a very good, concise explanation of the concept of "social democracy". You see, here in the US the political IQ of the average person is very low. And because of this, it is very difficult to have an intelligent conversation regarding political issues with my fellow Americans. 

No, this is not because Americans are stupid because they eat engineered foods made from genetically modified corn with which US agri-businesses feed them. It is because capitalist organs of indoctrination--mainstream media and education--have deliberately confused political concepts. You see, they know that if American were ever able to really understand how their society is governed, they would immediately overthrow capitalism. 

Most Western capitalist ruling classes have chosen the methods of indoctrination to induce obedience to the existing order rather than the use of a police state regime. However, if such methods are unsuccessful, they would never hesitate to resort to using fascist governments and police state methods as they did in Germany, Italy, and Spain in the 1930s. The infrastructure for a police state has already been largely completed in the US in case it is needed. (See this, this, this, and this.) 

So, please read how the concept of "social democracy" has manifested itself in Venezuelan history. (You will be tested on it.)