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as one of the main keys to the awesome leftist democracy movement that has swept the continent, but I don't mean to ignore grass roots organization as the other main key. It's just that our vote counting is SO non-transparent, I am struck by the obviousness of our problem. Non-transparent vote counting--vote counting run by rightwing corporations using 'TRADE SECRET' code--not only produces horrible leaders like Bush and Cheney, unjust war and grand larceny by the rich (or, in this particular case, 're-elects' these horrors), it also produces a lame, compromising, fearful, complicit opposition (such as the 2006, Diebold II Congress, of the 10% approval rating). We don't yet know just how lame and compromising the new "good emperor" is going to be, or the Diebold III Congress, but there are certainly worrisome indications.
In Bolivia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, in particular, they've been able to elect real champions of the people, leaders for fundamental change. Leaders in Brazil and Chile are not as visionary, but still far exceed our own leaders in representing the interests of their people. And this, to me, is directly traceable to the long hard work that people and organizations have done on democratic institutions, such as transparent vote counting, in South America.
You need transparent vote counting for real reform--it is THE fundamental condition of democracy and peaceful change--but you also need a citizenry that knows how to utilize this rightful power to achieve good government, social justice, peace and other benefits to humanity. The left (the majority) in Bolivia is a prime example to us all of the power of grass roots organization. We should study how they do it. There are also models in Venezuela, Argentina and other leftist countries. I am thinking of particular events in Venezuela and Argentina--awesome examples of people power--but for consistent, long term organization and determination, Bolivia takes the prize. They have stood up to fascist armies. They have suffered massacres. Not that long ago, the indigenous majority was not allowed to walk on the sidewalks in Bolivian cities. The racial bigotry was as bad as that in South Africa, and in our own segregated south. And they simply would not give up on the notion of peaceful, democratic change, and kept organizing, and kept holding protests and marches, and kept trying. And now they have elected one of their own--Evo Morales, head of the coca leaf growers' union (reform of the horrid "war on drugs" is also an issue) as president of the country, and a good leader (with an astronomical approval rating--nearly 70%)--and an activated citizenry, experienced at grass roots mobilization, are making history.
They, like the Venezuelans, have peacefully defeated a U.S.-instigated violent coup (this September, as to Bolivia). They are also, like Venezuela, are beginning to benefit from strong, pro-democracy leadership on the use of resources. Morales has doubled Bolivia's gas revenues (from one million to two million dollars a year) by nationalizing the gas resource and renegotiating the gas contracts. Democracy is paying off in benefits to the people--with a government of, by and for them. Their independent alliances (in defiance of US/Bushwhack dictates) have yielded medical and literacy aid from Cuba, and aid to get out from under onerous World Bank/IMF debt from Venezuela. Despite the usual U.S. "divide and conquer" tactics, they have achieved an historic accord with Chile on Bolivian access to the sea. Brazil and Venezuela are going to build a new highway from the Atlantic to the Pacific, through Bolivia, making Bolivia a major trade route. The Morales government also achieved amazing, unanimous support from the rest of South America in fending off the U.S. plot to split off Bolivia's gas-rich provinces into a fascist mini-state. In backing Morales, UNASUR cited the recent referendum on Morale's presidency, which he won with nearly 70% of the vote. Support like that comes from one thing (besides good policy): grass roots organization.
We have seen efforts at restoring transparent vote counting, and grass roots campaigns, here. But we are way behind Bolivia, and most of South America, in re-establishing democracy. We have much to learn. I see the main lessons as these:
1. Transparent vote counting.
2. Grass roots organization.
3. Think big.
This current mobilization in Bolivia, to pass the new Constitution, is the "think big" part. It is a revolutionary Constitution, aimed at reversing five hundred years of brutal oppression and injustice--peacefully, fairly and with much wisdom from the indigenous tribes on how to organize society and how to live peacefully with Mother Nature. We need to work hard on nos. 1 & 2, above, but there is no harm in "thinking big" in the meantime. What would you want to see happen, if we could throw off corporate rule, and elect leaders who are actually servants of the people, and who know that they can get thrown out if they toady to the evildoers of war and greed? There is no limit to what a free people can do for peace and social justice. We could cut the war budget by 90%, down to a true defensive posture (no more wars of choice!). We could rid the world and ourselves of nuclear weapons. We could solarize every building in the U.S., and take other measures to become completely energy-independent in five years. We could bust all the corporate monopolies, and start over with truly "free" trade in every sphere (including news media). We could institute a prison amnesty for all non-violence offenders. We could, at long last, end the insane "war on drugs." We could abolish the U.S. Senate and the Electoral College, and subject Supreme Court justices to election or to limited terms. We can add justices to the Supreme Court without even amending the Constitution. We could ban all private money from political campaigns, and reclaim some of our public airwaves for real political debate. We could re-write the U.S. tax code to benefit the poor and curtail the power of the rich. We are the sovereign people of this land. We rule here. NO corporation is above us. None are sacrosanct. They have NO rights whatsoever. We the people say who can do business here and under what conditions. There is no limit to what we can dream, in "thinking big." Ecuador just gave equal rights to Mother Nature ("Pachamama," in the indigenous language), in their new Constitution (passed with nearly 70% of the votes). We could do that here, and end corporate destruction of our planet. But first...
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