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Good interview! Thanks!
I was most impressed with how the reporter got so many key points in, in such a short time. One of them is so important to understand. She mentions Brazil, where Lula da Silva's Worker's Party has instituted "internal economic production"--that is, Brazilians making whatever they need, thus creating jobs and investment in Brazil. The Chavez government has a similar policy in Venezuela. Casual newsreaders about Latin American events may not realize how revolutionary this is, and how vital to the economic and cultural welfare of the people.
I first started reading/hearing about it in news stories (not corpo-fascist press, of course) from Venezuela with regard to local music and art. The Chavez government was funding a search for very old Venezuelan folk musicians, for instance, whose music would then be brought back and their careers re-started, by producing and broadcasting their music. They even passed a law giving a percentage of air time to VENEZUELAN music. The main purpose of this was because it was the right thing to do. All sorts of "ancient" music was being brought back and reborn, and hugely creative but neglected musicians were getting recognition. The ancillary purpose of this was to reduce Venezuelans' dependence on imported and often "canned" music from guess where?
The Chavez government has pursued this policy--"internal economic production"--on cell phones, computers, household appliances and other items. I also remember reading a good analysis of the Venezuelan economy which pointed out that, when Chavez came to power, after a succession of rightwing, U.S.-ass kissing governments, Venezuela was IMPORTING machine parts for the all-important oil industry! What stupidity! This is what the rightwing did, catering to the lazy, spoiled, newly created rich urban class--the oil elite--who profited nicely from the oil (while no one else did) but wanted imported goods--Gucci bags, etc.--missing every opportunity they had to created local jobs for the poor. This is not only inhumane, it is just plain stupid economics.
Another common effort of Brazil and Venezuela--also Ecuador and Bolivia--is the country's control of its resources and use of a high percentage of the profits to benefit the people who live there--with education, health care and other "bootstrapping" of the poor. This was another difficult principle to establish, and Venezuela was once again the leader. Chavez inherited already nationalized oil, but what he did was tough re-negotiation of the oil contracts with multinational corporations to get Venezuelans a much better deal. (Exxon Mobil hates Chavez for this!) Chavez and Lula have been meeting monthly for years, talking about ideas like this, and Brazil began to implement similar policies.
A Nicaragua government official in the above news program, who makes a brief appearance (I didn't catch the name) mentions the importance of the ALBA trade group in connection with the U.S. supported coup in Honduras. What he says is that the economic integration that they are seeking in Central America is a challenge to U.S. "free trade for the rich" and the U.S. very much wants to stop these countries from achieving this kind of collective economic strength. That was one of the reasons for the coup in Honduras. The leftist president had made Honduras a member of ALBA. The coup government withdrew their membership even before the Clinton-sponsored "election," held under martial law, could put some democracy cosmetics over the coup. They didn't even trust the new 'elected' rightwing president to do it. They didn't permit him that decision. They didn't allow any debate. The coup government did it! It was THAT important to their U.S. sponsors.
Anyway, thanks! A very stimulating news show! Makes you weep for what we NEVER GET from the corporations who control all the news on what are supposed to be the public's airwaves here.
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