So Hugo Chavez gave a book to President Obama, a nice little gift, and it has jumped from obscurity to #2 on the Amazon best selling list.

Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent
by Eduardo Galeano

Should we all run out and read it now? and get a little of the "Latin America is the victim of US and European imperialism" propaganda injected into us?

I want to read my copy to see if it changes my world view.

How about you?

If I wanted to read a book written by a socialist, I'd read "the audacity of hope"

Only one post to get the party line, nice.

Which party is that?

Actually, I might. Seems interesting.

To steal from another website, around here I'd say its the TwoPlusTwo Independents™.

Possibly. I think it's interesting to see how Latin America develops its political philosophies. Political thought isn't largely sought out in many Latin American countries. A lot of the political thought/philosophy seems to come about from literature of popular writers where we seem to extrapolate from European thinkers. I find the differences interesting.

lol. hm

I am pretty sure central America was the victim of US and European imperialism. Is that something you're disagreeing with?

The no-nothing party... to quote Bill Mahr.

There is more to it than has there ever been any imperialism conducted against this area?

The bigger questions raised are, Are world powers responsible for current day poverty, crime, corrupt governments etc. in Latin American countries?

How have the events of the past helped shape the status of the present? That is not a simple question.

And it is open to biased interpretations obv.

Does the book come with a free Che t-shirt?

So you don't think obama is a socialist?

He has been in office for almost 100 days. I tell you what, I will make up a list of things he has done to promote/move toward socialism, you make up a list of things he has promoted/ moved toward free market capitalism.

Wanna bet on which list will be longer?

Let's assume your statement is true. Which would you be more concerned about, a fascist rule or a socialist rule in your country? Because I can put together a very long list of fascist rule by Bush and family.

Guess what... "free market capitalism" has never worked, and will never work. It's Logic 101.

Any time you reduce everything to a material resource that is there for you to exploit and capitalize on you inevitably destroy every resource through consumption. It cannot logically maintain itself. Is this really that hard to understand? I mean, really?

Look, I don't fault you. You have it stacked up against you to the believe this propaganda. Do you know what economic hitmen are?

chavez book > Bush book

UGH,

The "bush did it" reply again... really?

Free market capitalism doesn't work? If you believe that, I can see why you love obama, but why the anger when I call him socialist?

Please point to a historical instance of an unfettered free market, define parameters for it "working," and then show how it "failed." Please then show why this is an argument for socializing the resources that would have been allocated by that market with whatever policies you propose.

What resources do you think exhibit this behavior? Why would a central monopoly be a more efficient allocator than a free market?

To FreakDaddy's surprise, I will not read the bush book either. He seems to be under some spell where anyone who is anti-obama is somehow pro-GWB.

This isn't even a theory, any honest look at the history of latin america, especially since the 20th century will lead one to conclude that it has been significantly hindered and often pummeled by the hegemonic desires of the US and europe. Now, this does not mean that all the problems of latin america were caused by us, but that's not the point anyway.

facists are socialists smart guy. And yes you can make a long list of things for bush no one cares or will say your wrong.
ummmmmm its the only "structure" that even can work so, and in every instance it destroys a centrally planed solution so ......
you brand of "logic" stinks of failboat

since this only happens in hysterical hippy fantasy land it doesnt scare anyone with a brain.

which "propaganda" is that? the one where socialism always fails and natural order is natural ......

yes .. do you understand how they are able to function?

it is the spell of total ignorance and blindness to anything but your own "ideas"

I feel like complete free market capitalism is like communism as its great on paper but when you put it in place and add people it doesn't work. Can anyone show me an example of free market capitalism ever being instituted and it working? Or has it never happened and people just think it will work?

/hijack

Please, please, please continue your Logic 101 class. Go a little more in depth.

Well some people are buying the book:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8007472.stm

How many countries on the planet that are horribly poor and have tons of crime and corruption say "Ya, this is totally our fault."? Blaming others is standard