In some ways, didn't the nationalist "model" of economic growth (given the reality of economic dependency) contribute to the Latin American accumulation of debt that helped create the debt crisis in the first place?
On 4/11/06, Paul <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I appreciate hearing Cristobal's views on the Peru situation (and his views > on our own exchange). I want to just add a focus on one point: the role of > nationalism. IMO he is quite right that progressive social movements will > need to draw on national (and ethnic) pride if they are to move > forward. But since the IMF, etc has been mentioned, I am reminded that > nationalism also played an important role in bringing Latin America to its > current subservience to the IMF, etc. > > Today we tend to think of neo-liberalism as so overwhelmingly powerful that > we forget that at the onset of the Latin American debt crisis (1982-3) the > IMF had only a very shaky and undefined role and there was a very real > prospect that Latin America would unite to form some version of a debtors > cartel (in cooperation with other parts of the 3rd world). As in Latin > America's past, nationalism played no small role in preventing such a > cooperative effort (and no small role in within individual countries in > maintaining in power those who put their countries on a neo-liberal > path). I don't believe such trans-national unity would have single handily > reversed the tide of neo-liberalism, but I think one can readily believe > Lat Am would be far less poor today. > > That is part of the irony of the issue: nationalism (and ethnic pride) > will certainly help advance things today...but at crucial points they will > also help prevent you from seeing larger perspectives and joining with > larger like-minded forces (and mislead you into trusting forces that > ultimately weaken the country). > > Paul > > Cristobal writes: > ...... > >Finally, let me emphasize that the nationalist road has taken the number one > >political priority in all of Latin America (except Colombia) after the > >savage brutality inflicted by the IMF, American and European capital of > >late. It > >is a necessary first step in the recovery of economic growth in the region. > >The resurgence of indigenous power is also due to the fact that one of the > >objectives of neo-lib globalization was quickly achieved: the dissolution > >of the > >"national bourgeoisies" whose interests are now totally intertwined to those > >of Wall St. > >It is also culturally and politically important to non-European societies to > >develop their autonomous social/thought independent of the traditional > >Euro-centric canons from the right or the left. In this respect, the North- > >American left, who is now extinct in terms of reach and > >political influence, can > >learn a lot from new successful movements in Latin America in terms of > >reinvigoration trough practical and ideological innovation. > -- Jim Devine / "There can be no real individual freedom in the presence of economic insecurity." -- Chester Bowles
