Voters poised to push Ecuador into anti-Bush club

[bemildred]

Ecuador seems poised to elect a charismatic, US-educated economist as president tomorrow.

The result could turn the small South American country into the latest member of the anti-imperialist, anti-Bush club in America's backyard.

Rafael Correa, 43, a disciple of Venezuela's radical president, Hugo Chavez, was ahead in the polls, promising to "whip those who have always exploited us". The 43-year-old economics professor, who comes from a humble background and escaped poverty by winning a school scholarship, has run a slick and fiery campaign, portraying himself as an outsider.

Ecuador has had five presidents in 10 years, three forced from office, and is desperately looking for a figure to lift more than half of the population out of poverty.

Telegraph.UK

[w4rma]

1. Good. (nt)

[Richard D]

2. Ecuador has been so exploited

It's really something to walk around Quito and see high-rise buildings, elegant and modern, right next to broken down sidewalks. So few there have so much.

[Cha]

4. What's "muaic"?

:)

[Richard D]

13. I don't know . . .

. . . where do you see it?

[Cha]

19. Sorry, I looked at your

profile and under "hobby" it has.."Photography, Travel, Makin muaic."

I couldn't resist, sorry. :) I really know what it means I'm just playin'.

[Richard D]

26. Muaic . . .

. . . is a very obscure sexual yogic ritual that developed in Tuva after migrating from Tibet in the early 13th century. It involves multiple persons, normally of the opposite sex (but things can change here according to sexual orientation) pleasing the Muaici, or the person receiving their ministrations. So making muaic is actually covers everything from the initial inception of the place, time, and participants (full moon is the best time, btw), on down to choosing who the Muaici will be for that nights ritual, which is the great benefit of being the person making the Muaic.

[Cha]

33. My bad! I guess

I didn't know what muaic means:blush:

I thought "music" was a typo..:blush:

Thanks for enlightening me. :)

[Richard D]

34. Well . . .

(I was joking)
Thank you for pointing that out. It's corrected now.

[Cha]

35. I had it feeling it might be..but just

in case! :)

[Cha]

3. Tremendous!

Good Luck, Senor Rafael Correa!

[Dover]

5. Based purely on results, one can only assume

that Bushco intended to turn the entire global community against Capitalism and "Free" markets.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

11. Show me an example of when it ever worked for any but the few.

7000 years of history to work with.

[Dover]

20. Well, I actually applaud the results because Capitalism has not worked

as, perhaps, it was intended to. Corruption finds its way into every form of government and economic system I can think of. So now the dark underbelly of our own system has been exposed or at least we have become more consciously aware of our demons. This isn't to suggest that we stop having government, but it does leave the door for new possibilities wide open. Bushco is a destroyer, not a builder.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

22. Not that I advocate it...Is there corruption in Anarchy?

:shrug:

[Dover]

25. I think anarchy's probably the symptom or one of the results of corruption

and failed systems. Those attempting to hold onto the corrupt system vs. those who want to tear it down or restructure it. Depends on which side of that argument one stands on doesn't it?
But anarchists aren't usually the ones who actually corrupted the system. They are the response to it.

That said:
Some of those in Bushco's company (Faux-Federalist types, neocons and others) might be considered the anarchists destroying our government and its laws in order to achieve their ends and use those parts of gov. that cater to that objective, while simply dismissing and/or dismantling other parts.
That ideology is "any means to an end".
OR they might be viewed as the establishment of old money and dinosaur corporations who want to hold onto power (which is dependent on Capitalism with a fascist-syle government to serve it). It gets pretty convoluted. But I do think many neocons fancy themselves as anarchists of sorts or "liberators" from the restrictions and regulations which don't serve them.

Personally I do think our government requires change, but would not entrust that to the neocons or Bushites and their values (or lack thereof). Nor is the process of destruction without vision desirable in my book. It seems easier (less painful)to change by choice given some inkling of what the goal is. But it doesn't often work like that.

An interesting article: http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20050403/news_mz1e4davenpo.html

[Tarc]

6. No Operation Condor to bail out the righties this time around

Dan Ortega himself is poised to regain the Nicaraguan presidency next month as well. Good to see South AMerica returning to form; a shame it didn't happen naturally several generations ago.

[Robeysays]

23. no way... n/t

[David Zephyr]

7. Bush was right after all. He is a uniter, not a divider.

George W. Bush has done what Che and Simon Bolivar dreamed of: uniting all of Latin America.

Cuba, Venezuela, Boliva, Chile, Brazil, Ecuador...all left and moving left.

[Peace Patriot]

8. Viva la revolución!

Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay, Venezuela, and Bolivia. Now Ecuador. And the left will be back to win in the next election cycle in Peru (after Alan Garcia, Bush's choice, wrecks their economy. An indigenous leftist came out of nowhere early this year and almost won.) Mexico (temporary peace treaty between corporatists Fox/Calderon and the huge indigenous uprising in Oaxaca allied with the Lopez Obrador supporters in Mexico City--but the left will be back to take the country next time--it is the majority). Nicaragua (Daniel Ortega will win.) Columbia (small leftist movement growing). Honduras (dunno--absolutely devastated economy).

What we're seeing is a huge, peaceful, democratic, leftist (majorityist) revolution throughout Latin America.

The basis for all this: TRANSPARENT elections. (US voters, take note!) The long hard work of the OAS, the Carter Center, EU election groups and local civic groups. Also...I don't know...something spiritual happening with the indigenous. As Evo Morales, the first indigenous president of Bolivia, has said: "The time of the people has come." A deep sea change in the thinking of the disenfranchised and the disregarded, the bullied, the beaten, the exploited. "The time of the people has come." My, my.

------------------------

To the Telegraph UK:

So now it's "Venezuela's radical president," is it? How did you come up with that? And what happened to "increasingly authoritarian" ("according to his critics")? Hm? No evidence for it? Ah. Someone finally call you on it, did they? And what is the evidence for "radical"? Chavez seems to be a quite sensible president to me--taking the common sense measures that any good, representative government would take: fair taxation of oil profits; use of those taxes to help Venezuela's vast poor population, with schools, literacy programs, medical centers, community centers, small business loans and grants, low cost housing, encouragement of indigenous food production, and indigenous arts; measures to diversify the economy; programs to involve citizens in decision-making, etc. etc. Recently, the leftist mayor of Caracas proposed confiscating two country clubs/golf courses for low cost housing land (because Caracas's shantytowns regularly slide off the hills in heavy rains), and the Chavez government nixed it because it violated Venezuela's Constitution which PROTECTS PRIVATE PROPERTY. A real radical, that Chavez.

I'd say you should go back to "leftist." "The leftist president of Venezuela." That's defensible. But you should ALSO be calling OTHER politicians by their correct political affiliations. For instance: "The rightwing president of the United States, George Bush."

Jerks.

[LynnTheDem]

9. More accurate;

"the totalitarian rightwing president, George bush."

[DBoon]

28. I think the correct term is "Falangist"

The "Falangist President of the United States, George Bush"

http://www.jamesrmaclean.com/archives/archive_fascism_falangism.html

Falangist regimes usually have grandiose rhetoric, but unlike fascist states their main enemy is their own breathtaking mediocrity. They come to power with a coup d'etat or a civil war, and they are hasty coalitions of the willing. Falangist movements repress opposition ferociously, of course, but the opposition is usually animated by the failure of the state to deliver on its promises. Hitler, by contrast, did deliver on his promises of a strong, affluent Germany; the Nazis required violence to regiment society so it could be used for eternal warfare. Fascism is ambitious, and its ambition savors violence as the ultimate challenge; falangism is pathetic and resorts to violence to evade demands.

Yes, "breathtaking mediocrity" about sums it up

[Vidar]

12. Thanks for the update. Bravo Ecuador!

[theHandpuppet]

15. Excellent point, Peace Patriot

I'd say you should go back to "leftist." "The leftist president of Venezuela." That's defensible. But you should ALSO be calling OTHER politicians by their correct political affiliations. For instance: "The rightwing president of the United States, George Bush."

[1932]

10. Everything isn't about Bush. If this is a rejection of anyting, it's a

rejection of neoliberalism and they're embracing democracy, nationalism, and the idea that the people of a nation should be the first beneficiaries of a nations human and natural resources.

[Robeysays]

24. here here!

:applause:

[Judi Lynn]

14. Good, good luck to Raphael Correa! Sure hope he makes it.

I had to snicker seeing the right-wing Telegraph attempted, as they all do, to blame Correa's politics on Hugo Chavez. (Gee, it seems it was only yesterday when they blamed Hugo Chavez's politics on Fidel Castro, and then blamed Evo Morales politics on Hugo Chavez. Where DOES the time go?)

Talk about non-stop demonizing and propandizing. They wouldn't DREAM of simply writing down the goddamned news for their readers without poisoning it. They all seriously fail to meet their job requirements.

Hope Raphael Correa gets that Presidency.

[rodeodance]

16. Some headline!

[tanyev]

17. It's the hottest club on the planet.

[roody]

18. k

[stepnw1f]

21. The Right Wing is Losing GLOBALLY!

This is a great trend we are witnessing.

[citizen snips]

27. Good news

The world is uniting against Bush

[Judi Lynn]

29. Update, from Reuters: Leftist reformer favored as Ecuadoreans vote

Leftist reformer favored as Ecuadoreans vote
Sun Oct 15, 2006 2:09am ET

QUITO, Ecuador (Reuters) - A left-wing former finance minister promising sweeping political reforms is leading the race for the presidency as Ecuadoreans vote on Sunday to elect their eighth leader in only 10 years.

A poll on Saturday showed Rafael Correa, an ally of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, as the front-runner ahead of flamboyant tycoon Alvaro Noboa, but he is unlikely to muster the votes needed to avoid a run-off in November.

More than nine million Ecuadoreans will vote in the ballot, from the ritzy neighborhoods of the capital Quito to dusty Indian villages nestled in the Andes Mountains and farming hamlets in the oil-rich Amazon jungle.

Cracking his belt over his head to emphasize his message about "giving the lash" to Ecuador's old guard, Correa has banked on voters' disillusionment with traditional parties who have failed to fight poverty and curb graft.

The charismatic, 43-year-old candidate has promised to call a popular vote to rewrite the constitution and strengthen the president's powers. His pledges to suspend free trade talks with the United States and restructure foreign debt have spooked Wall Street.
(snip/...)

http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2006-10-15T060906Z_01_N12356289_RTRUKOC_0_US-ECUADOR-ELECTION.xml&WTmodLoc=NewsArt-C2-NextArticle-1

[Judi Lynn]

30. AP Update: Leftist outsider, wealthy populist headline Ecuador vote

Leftist outsider, wealthy populist headline Ecuador vote
POSTED: 3:45 a.m. EDT, October 15, 2006

QUITO, Ecuador (AP) -- A leftist outsider whose attacks on a corrupt political establishment have fueled his rise in popularity was facing a tough challenge in Sunday's presidential election from a banana tycoon waging an old-fashioned populist campaign.

Rafael Correa, 43, a U.S.-educated economist, is an admirer of Venezuela's anti-U.S. firebrand President Hugo Chavez, and his victory could further tilt Latin America to the left, joining left-leaning governments in Chile, Bolivia, Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay.

Tall and charismatic, Correa has surged into the lead by pledging a "citizens' revolution" against the discredited political system. Ecuadorans have driven the last three elected presidents from power, and Correa appeals to voters as a fresh face in a field of established politicians.

Standing in his way is Alvaro Noboa, 55, Ecuador's wealthiest man, who proudly points out he is also its biggest investor, the owner of 110 companies. He says he will use his business skills to bring Ecuador's poor into the middle class.
(snip/...)

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/americas/10/15/ecuador.election.ap/index.html

Here's a You Tube commercial by Rafael Correa: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N57NPZyfLsw



Rafael Correa, on the right side of the photo, and Alvaro Noboa, in the photo on the right, his opponent.

A NEW DIRECTION FOR ECUADOR, AN EXAMPLE TO THE WORLD
Emerging Political Trends in Ecuador, the power of "younger faces" with integrity!
http://www.bootheglobalperspectives.com/article.asp?IDarticle=114

[Judi Lynn]

31. Leftist favored in close Ecuadorean election

Leftist favored in close Ecuadorean election
Sun Oct 15, 2006 12:16pm ET

By Patrick Markey

QUITO, Ecuador (Reuters) - An ally of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez who vows to challenge the political old guard was favored over a banana tycoon in polls as Ecuadoreans voted on Sunday for their eighth president in a decade.

Rafael Correa, a former finance minister who has rattled investors with talk of debt default, has led the race in recent weeks, but flamboyant tycoon Alvaro Noboa had challenged him and appeared likely to force a runoff vote in late November.

Little known until earlier this year, Correa, 43, has soared in the polls as Ecuadoreans fed up with the traditional political class were captured by his anti-establishment message after years of instability in their poor Andean country.

His association with Chavez, vow to disband the discredited congress and plans to restructure Ecuador's sovereign bonds have sent ripples through Wall Street and Washington, which is locked in an ideological standoff with the Venezuelan leader.

"He's the change the country needs in terms of ideology and in attitude, in relation to corruption and in restoring values," said Gonzalo Jaramillo, a commercial engineer after voting for Correa in a Quito high school.
(snip/...)

http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2006-10-15T161628Z_01_N12356289_RTRUKOC_0_US-ECUADOR-ELECTION.xml&WTmodLoc=NewsHome-C1-topNews-9

[Judi Lynn]

32. Ecuadorans vote for new president (good look at the wing-nut candidate!)

Ecuadorans vote for new president
Posted: 16 October 2006 0057 hrs

QUITO : Millions of Ecuadorans went to the polls in a tight presidential race that pits a leftist critic of Washington against a conservative billionaire who considers himself chosen by God.

~snip~
An openly pro-US candidate, Noboa is campaigning as a Bible-thumping populist and a rabid anti-communist.

In his final campaign rally on Friday in the port city of Guayaquil - Ecuador's biggest city, on the Pacific coast - Noboa sounded more like a revivalist preacher than a presidential candidate.

On a stage standing next to four handicapped people, he called on "everyone present and all of Ecuador to join me in praying the Our Father, so that Christ Jesus intercedes for the health of these four Ecuadorans."

At an earlier campaign rally Noboa gave three reasons why he should be president: "Because I am one of the poor and I am the candidate of the poor. Because God has told me to be president."

Noboa, who has blasted Correa as a "communist devil," has promised 300,000 new homes to the country's poor and promised "to turn six million unemployed Ecuadorans into middle-class citizens." At each of his campaign rallies he has personally given a US$500 cheque and a wheelchair to an impoverished crippled person.

The Catholic Church in Ecuador has condemned Noboa's use of Bibles, crucifixes and rosaries in his campaign.

Correa said if he wins on Sunday, or in the runoff vote, he would seek full integration for Ecuador into Mercosur, the Latin American single market, and would not sign any trade deals with Washington.

A former economy minister, Correa describes himself as a "Christian, humanist and leftist."
(snip/...)

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_world/view/235642/1/.html

[Anakin Skywalker]

36. Well Jolly Good, I Say!