Puerto Rico, Democracy and Anti-Colonialism in a Post-Colonial World? Ted Goertzel <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> said: <<I was disturbed by Victor Rodriguez's comment that: Recently, the Machetero Guerrilla Army which since its dramatic attacks during the 980s (including the bombing of several U.S. Air Force Corsair planes, FBI offices) has not conducted military operations, warned that it would retaliate if the sale was finalized.>> << I can understand the frustration of statists who are frustrated when the democratic process goes against them, but if the elected government of Puerto Rico decides to sell its telephone company, this is not a moral justification for armed terrorism.>> <<I know Victor did not actually advocate this, but using it as a threat is also morally wrong in my view. Democracy is very important in Latin America as elsewhere, and people should respect the results of the democratic process.>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ted is absolutely right when he says I am not advocating a military response I am just sharing information about the nature of anti-colonial dynamics in this wacky post-colonial, globalized etc. world. However, it seems to me the moral issue is quite different from the way Ted frames it. Particularly in these post-cold war times when the victorious capitalist consumer culture has even "commodified" Ernesto "Che" Guevara ( I saw a nice coffee cup the other day with chic red letters "Che!") who probably was the most eloquent proponent of military (violent etc.) response by the oppressed. Poet Adrienne Rich's recent piece rejecting the National Arts medal makes a call for re-understanding Marx, indeed Lenin's finance capital concept seems quite insightful today, maybe deserving of a critical re-reading. Maybe we need to think through some of the cliches about democracy in this new era? When is democracy truly democratic? Probably most would agree that the formal process of voting is a necessary but not a defining element of a democratic system. Most communist, and other capitalists dictatorships have had elections. At the very least a democratic process would insure that the will of the people is heard and implemented and that there is protection of dissenting views. Puerto Rico's colonial system does not satisfy these principles. First of all, at a time when the world nations are discussing the interdependence of national political and economic systems Puerto Rico is still grappling with the 19th century issue of colonialism or the lack of democracy (with the devolution of Hong King P.R. remains as the last major colonial possession). Puerto Ricans have served (been drafted) in to the U.S. armed forces in every military conflict (war) since 1917 however they have not voting representative in Congress. Puerto Rican land is held by U.S. armed forces for military outposts, communications centers etc. without any local sanction. Despite Puerto Rico's constitution prohibition and Puerto Rican cultural values abhorrence of the death penalty, federal law imposed it on federal-related cases. Puerto Ricans can't choose their currency, with whom they trade (unless permission is granted by a federal bureaucrat) or decide what kind of standards are applied to local, Puerto Rican (in Spanish) television and radio communication, environment, or health regulations unless a non-Spanish "American" authorizes it. To top this off, the process to "define Puerto Rico's status" (Young Bill in Congress) does not follow basic international law guidelines, including allowing "foreigners" (Non-Puerto Ricans residing in the island and whose resident status is determined by the U.S. not local "democratic" authorities) to vote in deciding the island's future but not allowing Puerto Ricans who had to migrate to the US. to vote (similar to tactics of settler states to dilute indigenous population strength). A significant portion of the exiles are in some sense political exiles who experienced repression in their own homeland by federal agencies (See Ronald Fernandez' "Disenchanted Island (1996)" particularly Ch 8 on FBI's Cointelpro's campaign against pro- independence followers). Firstly, the government has a democratic facade that hides its colonial reality (unless democracy is the ability of a slave to determine where the branding will be placed on his/her body) since most polls indicate that Puerto Ricans do not want the telephone company to be sold, secondly, the local colonial government did not have this sale as part of it platform. Thirdly, the sale of this important local resource will dismantle a system that has allowed the island to survive in face of many obstacles and preclude it from having the kind of infrastructure necessary to compete effective in new global economy. How come an anti-colonial struggle today against the U.S. is branded as armed terrorism, but one led by George Washington is hailed as a democratic epic? It is difficult for us to discern these things with the clarity we seem to do it with past historical events, particularly when we are perceived as the oppressors. Next year is the 100th year of Puerto Rico's military "conquest' ( the euphemism is the "change of sovereignty" in traditional history) after the Spanish-American War. A war, that I might add, also had some questionable moral implications as we learn more of how it unfolded as the U.S. entry into the imperialistic club. Pedro Albizu Campos, a Puerto Rican nationalist patriot revered today in the Puerto Rico's popular culture (with monuments, schools and streets named after him from Chicago, New York to Puerto Rico) used to say that the issue of Puerto Rico's colonial status was the Achilles heel of U.S. liberals. Next year will provide some supporting or challenging evidence of his hypothesis. Victor M. Rodriguez Irvine, CA
[PEN-L:11648] RE: Puerto Rico, Democracy and Anti-colonial Struggle
by way of [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Raymond Chase) Wed, 6 Aug 1997 22:08:05 -0700 (PDT)