Latin America is lost, the left rejoices waiting for the US to fall
There is a surge of populism world wide. My theory is that social media and its fake news have largely contributed to it. But also, with religion gone and materialism partially satisfied we probably have the phenomenon of lost people who want to believe in something, anything that they think will give direction to their lives.
We saw that early in Venezuela. Chavez did play that messianic card well, to the point that even today, as the country is finishing to sink, you can still find genuine supporters. They want to believe and cannot, ever, admit they were wrong. Fanaticism always lurks close....
From the Rio Grande to Ushuaia I see that phenomenon playing everywhere, with either unsuitable governments elected or worse, self destruction like in Chile. Exceptions are counted on one hand, and endangered anyway.
But if such a torn sub continent can explain Messianic episodes, what worries me more is that it is also taking place in the US. I am not going to talk about the hordes of "deplorables" though having lived in the South, and a supporter of Hillary, I certainly agree that she had a point. Rather I am going on the left (*) which is using Trump to reinvigorate itself and push the Democratic party where it should not be if it want to win elections. But that left does not care about losing one of two elections more: what they want is polarization so when they finally win they will be able to do as they please. Trump loves it of course, they feed from each other.
The recent events in LatAm illustrate well this frame of mind, allowing me to skip discussion on US politics.
For example the US left has had no qualms to go and support the revolts in Ecuador and Chile, without taking a second to understand the whys and whos. For memory, Venezuela has been for years in revolt, has been massacred in its opposition rallies, has been internationally denounced by the UN and more, and yet you would be hard pressed to find significant criticism on that by the US left. There is even the occasional incredibly stupid support of the regime by people such as Ilhan Omar from Minnesota.
But the Bolivia collapse has taken the prize. The speed and unanimity about condemning an alleged coup against Evo Morales was stunning. Along their shocked attitude they forgot all about Morales trying to commit electoral fraud (amen of violating the constitution so as to run again). In short, Morales has done two things that are at the very least equivalent to a coup: violating the constitution and rigging the electoral system.
Silent crickets from the left on that.
I have been at this since 2003 and yet I am still surprised at the crass hypocrisy of the left in the US. Only the hard left in Europe shows the same degree of hypocrisy (Melanchon in France, e.g.)
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*I refuse to apply the demagogic language of US politics. For me Liberals are not socialists, maybe not even social democrats. The left is rather far from Liberals, Sanders being a good example although he tempered a little bit once he decided to run with democrats.
Socialist today has become the code word for communist that dare not say their names. I would like to know if that US left is socialist or social democratic, two very different things but quite confused in US minds.
We saw that early in Venezuela. Chavez did play that messianic card well, to the point that even today, as the country is finishing to sink, you can still find genuine supporters. They want to believe and cannot, ever, admit they were wrong. Fanaticism always lurks close....
From the Rio Grande to Ushuaia I see that phenomenon playing everywhere, with either unsuitable governments elected or worse, self destruction like in Chile. Exceptions are counted on one hand, and endangered anyway.
But if such a torn sub continent can explain Messianic episodes, what worries me more is that it is also taking place in the US. I am not going to talk about the hordes of "deplorables" though having lived in the South, and a supporter of Hillary, I certainly agree that she had a point. Rather I am going on the left (*) which is using Trump to reinvigorate itself and push the Democratic party where it should not be if it want to win elections. But that left does not care about losing one of two elections more: what they want is polarization so when they finally win they will be able to do as they please. Trump loves it of course, they feed from each other.
The recent events in LatAm illustrate well this frame of mind, allowing me to skip discussion on US politics.
For example the US left has had no qualms to go and support the revolts in Ecuador and Chile, without taking a second to understand the whys and whos. For memory, Venezuela has been for years in revolt, has been massacred in its opposition rallies, has been internationally denounced by the UN and more, and yet you would be hard pressed to find significant criticism on that by the US left. There is even the occasional incredibly stupid support of the regime by people such as Ilhan Omar from Minnesota.
But the Bolivia collapse has taken the prize. The speed and unanimity about condemning an alleged coup against Evo Morales was stunning. Along their shocked attitude they forgot all about Morales trying to commit electoral fraud (amen of violating the constitution so as to run again). In short, Morales has done two things that are at the very least equivalent to a coup: violating the constitution and rigging the electoral system.
Silent crickets from the left on that.
I have been at this since 2003 and yet I am still surprised at the crass hypocrisy of the left in the US. Only the hard left in Europe shows the same degree of hypocrisy (Melanchon in France, e.g.)
------------------------------------------------
*I refuse to apply the demagogic language of US politics. For me Liberals are not socialists, maybe not even social democrats. The left is rather far from Liberals, Sanders being a good example although he tempered a little bit once he decided to run with democrats.
Socialist today has become the code word for communist that dare not say their names. I would like to know if that US left is socialist or social democratic, two very different things but quite confused in US minds.
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