tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31268138.post8032820192774672857..comments2024-01-02T23:08:09.335-05:00Comments on ZAPAGRINGO: Defend the ZapatistasRJ Maccanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11330027127067847774noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31268138.post-74015872950509587922007-04-23T11:52:00.000-04:002007-04-23T11:52:00.000-04:00Yes, sickening for sure. And the behind the scenes...Yes, sickening for sure. And the behind the scenes of that Bush/Lula photo is <A HREF="http://www.narconews.com/Issue45/article2596.html" REL="nofollow">even more troubling</A>.<BR/><BR/>The one World Social Forum I've attended was in Porto Alegre, Brazil in 2003. Lula had just taken office at the beginning of the month and he gave the most widely attended speech at the Forum...he literally had people crying with joy. Then Lula flew off to the World Economic Forum and proposed that he was representing the WSF to the WEF in the way that a labor leader represents the workers to management...this ruffled some feathers.<BR/><BR/>Brazilian organizers who had not already been duped by Lula and the Workers' Party (PT) had thrown a pie in the face of a PT representative during a press conference the day before Lula's big speech at the WSF. They caught it on film and distributed a statement denouncing the PT's change of position with regards to the FTAA and Lula's upcoming visit to the WEF...asserting that Lula did not represent the movement but, rather, it was the people themselves who are the movement. They were ahead of their time, though, and most progressive Brazilians were upset by the pieing (which was broadcast throughout the day by every major tv station). <BR/><BR/>When I returned to Brazil in 2005 to continue work with an indigenous group there, the vast majority of progressives and Leftists seemed disillusioned or downright lost. There seems to be little that is more crushing to a social movement than it being tricked or lied to by those it trusts. The Zapatistas rightly recognized Obrador (or "AMLO") as Mexico's Lula and with the Other Campaign began their attempt to chart a radical alternative for Latin America that moves beyond electoral politics to anticapitalism and direct participation...and I think it is because of this, like you said, that they "must be supported with full vigor."<BR/><BR/>Good to hear from you, Stefan...hope things are going well up North :-)RJ Maccanihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11330027127067847774noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31268138.post-38576442366603104032007-04-22T18:00:00.000-04:002007-04-22T18:00:00.000-04:00A sickening picture of Lula da Silva in Brazil. I ...A sickening picture of Lula da Silva in Brazil. <BR/><BR/>I remember viewing this photo during Bush's recent trip to Latin America & remembering all those on the left who were excited with Lula's original electoral victory, a sentiment which clearly has now become a mocking point. <BR/><BR/>Zapatistas are clearly a movement in Latin America that must be supported will full vigor. <BR/><BR/>Thanks for your comments & ideas on this blog RJ.<BR/><BR/>- Stefan, in Montreal.Stefan Christoffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16740848242366178576noreply@blogger.com