Contradictory servitude: Socialist dictatorship vs. capitalist hegemony

Authors:
José Alberto López Rafaschieri and Luis Alberto López Rafaschieri
www.morochos.net

One of the most contradictory fallacies with which leftists fool people, state that as the United States and other capitalist powers remain the dominant military, economic and media force in the world, it justifies that every country that wants to get rid of "oppressive" capitalism should implant an indefinite dictatorship of resistance.

That is, Socialists proposed to end "the hegemony of the capitalist empire" through the creation of socialist dictatorships in every country of the world. Something similar to say that in order to be free you must first be a slave, or before you can have democracy you need a dictatorship, giving all the power to a socialist warlord to guide and oppress us while he combats the global capitalist supremacy.

From Lenin to Castro, many have used this story to deceive millions, but what people should be clear is that this argument is a lie to justify the violation of human rights and the indefinite retention of power by an ambitious oligarchy.

The road to freedom is built only with freedom, not with a contradictory servitude.

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Insulza's OAS: A national liberation movement?

Authors:
Luis Alberto López Rafaschieri and José Alberto López Rafaschieri
www.morochos.net

Since the beginning of the political crisis in Honduras, Insulza has spared no words in condemning the way the Honduran president was removed from office. Insulza easily attacks those who removed Zelaya, and warns that if he does not return to his post, violence can erupt in Honduras.

However, the same Insulza that is outraged by the injustice against Zelaya, says nothing against Chavez's and Ortega's threats of military action in Honduras, or about Zelaya's potentially violent idea of resuming power through a national mutiny.

On the contrary, in his quest to return Zelaya to the presidency, Insulza has reached the extreme of being involved in questionable activities, as supporting the overthrow of a government -legitimate or not- making “heroic” flights above Honduras, and using his influence to endorse popular uprisings against the new Honduran regime. Actuations that are appropriate for a guerrilla leader, but not for the most important diplomat of the American continent.

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Education and health care for free in Cuba?

Authors:
José Alberto López Rafaschieri and Luis Alberto López Rafaschieri
www.morochos.net

Saying that education and health care are free in Cuba does not consider all the real costs that a Cuban citizen has to pay for living in the Castrist political system, let's see:

In Cuba citizens receive government health and education services without paying cash for it -at least theoretically- but the regime does not recognize them any labor, political, or economic rights. Moreover the State's leadership is privatized for the exclusive use of Fidel Castro, or his relatives.

This is something similar to what happens in slavery, could we say that the slave has social security for free based on the fact that the slaveholder bears the full burden of health and housing costs for his servant? Obviously not, because the slave is obliged to pay with his live and rights for everything he get.

Ergo, each hour of class or health care received by a Cuban has a cost, but it is a veiled and non-negotiable transaction, where the Castrist regime offers these services to the people but ignores their human rights.

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Keller Poll: Chavez's popularity is sinking

Authors:
Luis Alberto López Rafaschieri and José Alberto López Rafaschieri
www.morochos.net

After 10 years in power, the immense failure of Chavez in combating Venezuelans' problems -crime, inflation, corruption, housing shortage, etc.- continues wreaking havoc on his popular support.

This is evidenced by the latest opinion poll, conducted by the polling firm Keller and Associates, according to which if elections were held now in Venezuela, Chavez would get only 41 percent of the vote.

However, inefficiency is not the only variable that explains the erosion of Chavez's popularity among Venezuelans, because another factor that generates disappointment in the population is the constant aggression of the regime against private property, the media and the democratic freedoms.

And these variables are added to another sensitive issue for Venezuelans, as is the generosity and attention provided by the Chavez government to the problems of other countries. In this sense, it is disappointing for citizens to see how Chavez devotes more time to the Honduran crisis than to the uncontrollable wave of crime in Venezuela.

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The post-financial crisis: More Globalization

Authors:
José Alberto López Rafaschieri and Luis Alberto López Rafaschieri
www.morochos.net

To get clues about what will come after the financial crisis of 2008-2009, we must look to the past to understand the processes that have always been present in capitalism, and that even after the crisis will continue in effect. On this occasion we highlight one: Globalization.

Capitalism has been showing, since its birth, a strong globalizing trend, characterized by international economic integration efforts that seek to expand the exchange of goods and services.

Contrastingly, when the economic crisis of 2008-2009 began, some thinkers such as Walden Bello said that the globalization process would be affected, and argued that economies would start a process of “unglobalization”.

However, global markets produce bigger companies that generate more wealth, pay more taxes, employ more people and satisfy more needs. Thus this globalizing process has everything in favor to continue, as it benefits workers, governments, consumers and businesses.

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Poll: Brazil is better conducted than Venezuela

Authors:
Luis Alberto López Rafaschieri and José Alberto López Rafaschieri
www.morochos.net

During June 2009, we made the following question to the visitors of our Spanish website Morochos.org:

Which of the following countries governed by the left do you think that is better conducted?

We gave two options and each received the following percentage of votes:

1) Brazil, 78%

2) Venezuela, 22%

Observations:

Brazil and Venezuela represent the two political models among which the Latin American left is divided. On one side we have Chavez with his "twenty-first century socialism", which is merely a revival of the socialist system, human rights violator, that Fidel Castro established in Cuba with the help of the Soviets. On the other side is Lula, a more sophisticated leftist that, in addition to assimilate the basic rules of democracy, is aware that the Cuban socialist system has too many flaws to be considered a reasonable project.

From the first moment the answer to this survey would seem obvious, in fact almost any government in the world is better guided than the Chavez regime in Venezuela. However, despite the clear preference for the Lula government, Chavez has some imitators in the region. But anyway, there is nothing new to find disoriented politicians everywhere, especially if we talk about Latin America.

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If Zelaya returned to power...

Authors:
José Alberto López Rafaschieri and Luis Alberto López Rafaschieri
www.morochos.net

If Manuel Zelaya returned to the presidency of Honduras, that country would go through something similar to what Venezuela experienced after Chavez returned when he was removed from power in 2002. That is, Honduras would enter in a process of political confrontation in which the Zelayistas' revenge would be the slogan of the government.

With the help of Chavez and the Cuban dictatorship, if Zelaya returned to govern Honduras he would start a witch hunt to imprison all those who had some responsibility for his removal, would initiate a purge within the Honduran armed forces to remove the suspects, and would begin a relentless persecution of government dissenters with the excuse that all opponents were involved in the coup, which would facilitate that Zelaya completes the Chavez plan to make the Honduran political system a copy of the Castro-Chavez model.

So at the end, if Zelaya returns to power, Honduras would become a country completely divided and unstable. Hence the return of Zelaya, although is supported by the international community, is very far from being a solution to the current political crisis in Honduras.

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Most Hondurans justify the removal of Zelaya

Authors:
Luis Alberto López Rafaschieri and José Alberto López Rafaschieri
www.morochos.net

One thing that may help us better understand the political crisis in Honduras, is the opinion of the Honduran people about the removal of Manuel Zelaya from the presidency.

In this regard, according to a survey made by Gallup in Honduras, to the question: "Do you think the ouster of Honduran president Manuel Zelaya was justified or unjustified?" 41% of respondents described as justified the president's removal from office, 28% disagree with his ouster and 31% are not sure. This study was conducted from July 1 through 4, 2009, with a sample size of 1204 Hondurans, for a margin of error of 2.8%.

It highlights that those who approve Zelaya's removal represent the majority of the Honduran people, while those who reject the measure are the minority. A reality that explains why the new government was able to establish itself with relative ease, because even with all the pressure and rejection of the international community, Hondurans give legitimacy to the removal from power of President Manuel Zelaya.

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The U.S. intervention is good according to the toppled Zelaya

Authors:
José Alberto López Rafaschieri and Luis Alberto López Rafaschieri
www.morochos.net

When he was in power and things were relatively in his favor, Manuel Zelaya despised the United States, and was seeking to do Cuban style reforms in Honduras with the help of Hugo Chavez. Things that, as expected, caused him enormous problems.

Even so Zelaya did not learn his lesson, and after being improperly removed from office, the Honduran president again sought help from Chavez to regain power, which, as also was expected, complicated the affair.

But now that his deposition is virtually irreversible, and that thanks to Hugo Chavez the reality in Honduras is absolutely against him, Zelaya, also by the advice of Chavez, goes to the "empire" to implore the intervention of the United States in Honduras' internal affairs.

That is to say, Zelaya and most of the radical leftists do not want the United States meddling when they make their anti-democratic reforms, but when it suits them, they beg for the intervention of their hated Yankees.

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Public universities in Venezuela: Massification or quality?

Authors:
Luis Alberto López Rafaschieri and José Alberto López Rafaschieri
www.morochos.net

The rector and vice-rector of the Universidad Central de Venezuela recently said they do not share the idea of “expanding university education at the expense of losing quality education”. But we do not share this approach because a declaration like that do not take into account the serious situation facing thousands of students in Venezuela, who cannot access higher education institutions.

If the premise expressed by the rectors of the UCV was true, the same would apply to public elementary and secondary schools, which would mean reduce the student population in order to improve the quality of instruction.

We can't forget that democratic states build public schools and universities with the purpose of providing learning opportunities to as many people as possible, certainly, keeping quality standards. However, the inclusion of students at the Venezuelan university system cannot be restricted by arguing that it would hurt the quality of education, because expressions like this tend to be annoying to the people that demand equal opportunities, especially if who said it is someone payed with public money.

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Financial Crisis: The key role of multilateral action

Authors:
José Alberto López Rafaschieri and Luis Alberto López Rafaschieri
www.morochos.net

One of the actions that in 2008 and 2009 helped to reduce the impact, and the duration, of the financial crisis that began in United States, was the unprecedented international cooperation adopted by the world's most developed countries.

This time it could be said that was possible to orchestrate a global anti-crisis policy, where the main heads of states and the world's central banks agreed to take joint actions against an economic problem that affects everyone.

Considering the recessive nature of the crisis and the low inflation in the countries involved, the most powerful governments were able to implement an aggressive economic stimulus plan: governments cooperated to dramatically increase public spending, while central banks implemented a process of cuts in benchmark interest rates.

Mechanisms that are useful by themselves, but much stronger if used in an organized manner and at the same time by several governments, as demonstrated on this occasion, which means a great learning experience for the crises to come.

In a globalized world where economic problems are spread more easily, this will surely be the kind of internationalized crises that we will face more regularly. So the reference of the 2008-2009 financial crisis will be very important for the future.

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Similarities between the coups against Zelaya and Ledezma

Authors:
Luis Alberto López Rafaschieri and José Alberto López Rafaschieri
www.morochos.net

- President Manuel Zelaya and Mayor Antonio Ledezma were elected by the people in democratic elections, but both were stripped of nearly all the constitutional powers of their offices through pseudo-legal mechanisms and abuse of power. Which means that the deprivation of authority they are suffering is a coup d'etat, because it is an unconstitutional replacement of the existing regime.

- In each case the coup was against an executive branch. Zelaya was the head of the national executive of Honduras and Ledezma was the regional chief executive of the Metropolitan District of Caracas.

- Both coups were justified as lawful.

- On the two occasions the coup d'etat was caused by the differences of these officers with other divisions of government in their respective nations. Zelaya against the legislative and judicial branches of Honduras, Ledezma against the executive and legislative branches of Venezuela.

- Zelaya is usurped by Roberto Micheletti, a de facto authority appointed for the convenience of the powers that oppose Zelaya, and not elected by the people. Ledezma is usurped by Jaqueline Farias, also a de facto authority named to suit the powers that oppose Ledezma, and not elected by the people.

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Chavez's and Insulza's plan for Honduras is wrong

Authors:
José Alberto López Rafaschieri and Luis Alberto López Rafaschieri
www.morochos.net

To resolve the Honduran political crisis of June-July 2009, Hugo Chavez and Jose Miguel Insulza have proposed that Manuel Zelaya should return to Honduras by force, to make street protests, regain the military's loyalty and take power anyway, without measuring consequences.

Unfortunately, these political geniuses will not have realized that insisting on this "solution" would lead to a completely unintended outcome for almost all: There would be two factions warring for control, violent clashes, dozens of deaths, and at the end would get the power who received more acclaim from both civilian and military sectors, wild style.

Certainly in Honduras there were many irregularities in the deposition of Zelaya, that few people doubt it, but when someone is in the position of Insulza, no one can be so irresponsible as to think that a coup, or a political crisis, will be solved by promoting confrontation between conflicting parties.

The solution for Honduras should be institutional, formal and peaceful, although the current government has constitutional defects. At least that is what a responsible leader should try.

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Analysis of the results of the July 2009 legislative elections in Mexico

Authors:
Luis Alberto López Rafaschieri and José Alberto López Rafaschieri
www.morochos.net

In the Mexican elections of July 5, 2009, were elected the 500 members of the National Congress. The results of these elections gave victory to the PRI, with 37% of the votes, leaving in second place the PAN -the current government's party- with 28% of the ballots, followed by the PRD who received just 12%.

According to these results, it is noted that, from an ideological point of view, Mexicans voters shifted from the left and right toward the center, as the parties representing these tendencies -the PRD and the PAN- suffered a significative loss of voters regarding the legislative elections of 2006. In 2009 the PAN got 15% less representation than in 2006, while the loss of representation of the PRD was close to 59%, so the Mexican radical left is the greatest loser in these elections.

However there is another reading of these results. We cannot ignore the fact that Mexican voters punished the ruling party by changing the control of the legislature in favor of the opposition PRI, which implies that there is disenchantment with the policies of the PAN.

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Honduran crisis, July 2009: Chavez violates the sovereignty of Honduras by transporting Zelaya

Authors:
José Alberto López Rafaschieri and Luis Alberto López Rafaschieri
www.morochos.net

Yesterday, Sunday, July 5, 2009, a plane owned by the Venezuelan state -piloted by Venezuelans and under the orders of President Chavez- made a stealth flight in Honduras' skies with a second Venezuelan plane that was used as bait, trying to introduce Manuel Zelaya in Honduras to return him to the presidency.

Chavez undertook this action based on the fact that Manuel Zelaya has legitimate reasons to claim he was removed from power illegally, a fact that is true. However, this in no case justify that planes belonging to Venezuela, sent by Chavez, carried out illegal activities in the airspace of Honduras.

Is Chavez empowered to determine where the Venezuelan planes fly and land in Honduras? Is that the OAS resolution to suspend Honduras authorizes a government to make illegal overflights that violate the Honduran air sovereignty? Or is that, for Chavez, Insulza and some countries of the OAS, the irregularities in the deposition of Zelaya justify the perpetration of other transgressions?

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Analysis of the results of the June 2009 legislative elections in Argentina

Authors:
Luis Alberto López Rafaschieri and José Alberto López Rafaschieri
www.morochos.net

In the elections of June 28, 2009, the Argentine people chose half of the representatives of Congress and the third part of the Senate. According to the results achieved by this vote, the forces opposing the government of Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner were winners, getting together 53.7% of the votes counted, while the Kirchner's party received only 31.03 % of popular support.

That is, for every vote received by the president's party, those parties who reject her administration won nearly two, which reflects disenchantment with the current Argentine government.

There is no doubt that the corruption scandals, the constant attacks on the media and the farmers, the alliance with Hugo Chavez and government inefficiency are the main causes behind the deterioration of the legitimacy of Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner's government, who will now have to learn to govern with the legislature controlled by the opposition.

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Crisis in Honduras, June-July 2009: Coup if it is rightist, revolution if it is leftist

Authors:
José Alberto López Rafaschieri and Luis Alberto López Rafaschieri
www.morochos.net

Latin America's leftist leaders and Jose Miguel Insulza claim that the Cuban dictatorship of the Castro brothers should not be excluded from the OAS. However, these same people say that the new de facto government of Honduras should be isolated until it returns the democratically elected President to power.

Ironically, Castro came to power in Cuba through a violent coup and do not share power with anyone, because apparently only the Castro's blood has the right to rule in Cuba. So, with all its undemocratic flaws, this regime is supported by the Latin American left as an example of social achievements.

But those who executed the coup in Honduras, despite having set the date for elections to return the country to democratic normality, are mercilessly attacked by the leftist Latin American governments, and even received an ultimatum from Jose Miguel Insulza .

It is as if being left-leaning meant an excuse for some governments in the region to justify their human rights violations.

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