Morals with Morales?

The US government shouldn't get so disappointed about elections that don't turn out the way they want them to in other countries. After all, they don't actually run those countries and shouldn't have any say in who the people elect. But things must really have been making them cry into their Kleenexes lately. First, Chavez gets elected. Then the Iraqi elections don't turn out in the way the US had hoped (erm, isn't the point of elections to let people choose who *they* want?). And now Bolivia has elected Evo Morales.

After five centuries of white rule in Bolivia, Morales is the first indigenous leader of a country in South America (since the continent was colonised, of course - they didn't tend to import people from overseas to be leaders before that just so that they could experience the soul-crushing ecstasy of living in poverty while the ruling class get progressively richer). It's a good thing, considering that there are a whole lot of indigenous people living (often in poor conditions) in Central and South America so hopefully it'll go some way to helping represent their voices in political matters in the world.

Bolivia has significant gas reserves, but instead of it being used to help the people in the country, it's been exported, predominantly to the USA, while the Bolivian people have continued to live in poverty (free market?). Morales, like Chavez, opposes free trade (unlike some of the other Leftist leaders in countries like Brazil and Argentina, who follow a more conservative economic policy). Besides, with new economic powers starting to emerge, like China, there are things changing in who needs to rely on who.

Bolivia is the third-largest producer of cocaine, behind Colombia (158 terrorist attacks in 2001, snort some coke, forget alllll about it) and Peru (see the Andes, have your own personal blizzard in your nose, have a nice time). And people are saying that Morales will make the production of drugs acceptable, even though he's never been tied to drug production, unlike the majority of other leaders of political parties in Bolivia. People need to not that he has promised to legalise production of coca leaf, but not cocaine. There's a difference (not just that you can't get the leaves up your nose as easily).

And realistically, what right does the American government have to send in planes to drop herbicides on the Bolivian countryside where coca farms are? Sure, they don't want drugs coming into America, but isn't it better for other countries to deal with their own drug problems? What would happen if Indonesia and Singapore invaded Australia to destroy all of our marijuana crops??

Funny thing is that a former US ambassador to Bolivia actually went so far as warning Bolivians not to vote for Morales. That was during the 2002 elections when that ambassador was still the official ambassador to Bolivia. He told them that aid would be cut off to the country if they elected Morales. The threat worked then, but I guess people have gotten sick of it by now to the point where they don't think US aid money helps them anyways, so why not start the change from the inside out? Or does the American government only like other countries to have democracy when the outcomes suit them? Hm.

The ascendancy of the Left in politics is perhaps a reaction against the imbalance of Right stuff we've had in recent years in global politics. You know, things like economic rationalisation that has lead to greater poverty for some while others get rich at their expense, invasions of other countries, increase in acceptance of discrimination against minorities by using the "terrorist" or "anti-family" tags, abuses of human rights, etc that all happen when there's a power imbalance for either one side or the other.

Morales will probably be characterised as an "evil socialist," but realistically, he's probably just going to be practical about things with the economy to see that the best is done for the majority of people in the country, not just the wealthy majority. Things will take time. Poverty isn't going to just disappear with a snap of his fingers or a waving of a magic wand.

Morales said on Sunday night, "Beginning tomorrow, Bolivia's new history really begins: A history where we will seek equality, justice, equity, peace and social justice."

Muy bien.