Comments on: NACLA, Michael Coppedge and “political risk” in Venezuela http://louisproyect.wordpress.com/2007/02/03/nacla-michael-coppedge-and-political-risk-in-venezuela/ Wed, 14 May 2008 04:00:30 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=MU By: bh http://louisproyect.wordpress.com/2007/02/03/nacla-michael-coppedge-and-political-risk-in-venezuela/#comment-39346 bh Mon, 05 May 2008 18:54:49 +0000 http://louisproyect.wordpress.com/2007/02/03/nacla-michael-coppedge-and-political-risk-in-venezuela/#comment-39346 Ran across this post during a search on Coppedge. I knew this guy was a fool when he claimed in a book on democracy that the only reason the coupmongers in Venezuela didn't take over was because Chavez wouldn't resign and therefore taking over the presidency would be unconstitutional. It seems pretty much any idiot can be professor nowadays. Ran across this post during a search on Coppedge. I knew this guy was a fool when he claimed in a book on democracy that the only reason the coupmongers in Venezuela didn’t take over was because Chavez wouldn’t resign and therefore taking over the presidency would be unconstitutional.

It seems pretty much any idiot can be professor nowadays.

]]> By: louisproyect http://louisproyect.wordpress.com/2007/02/03/nacla-michael-coppedge-and-political-risk-in-venezuela/#comment-6291 louisproyect Tue, 06 Feb 2007 18:08:13 +0000 http://louisproyect.wordpress.com/2007/02/03/nacla-michael-coppedge-and-political-risk-in-venezuela/#comment-6291 I imagine that the articles by Greg Grandin, Josh Ginden and William Robinson are all pretty good. Fred Rosen was a former editor of NACLA and presided over its rightward drift. Christy Thornton is the new publisher of NACLA and no doubt continues in the same vein as Rosen based on the inclusion of Coppedge's dreadful article. She graduated from Columbia University about 5 years ago and seems to be a typical NGO type hustler. Jorge Dominguez seems to be somebody cut from the same mold as Coppedge based on his observation that "U.S. engagement in peace processes and associated elections in Nicaragua in 1989-90, El Salvador in 1991-92 and Guatemala in 1995-96 also advanced democratic goals." (Electoral Intervention in the Americas: Uneven and Unanticipated Results). To call US subversion of the Nicaraguan elections an advance toward "democratic goals" seems pretty obscene, doesn't it? Bryant Garth is another academic centrist based on his statement that "The forces mobilized by anti-U.S. rhetoric may lead to reforms that many in the United States might favor, but the sequence of events will necessarily be less predictable than the more controlled soft colonial processes that rely on and strengthen a moderate reformist establishment." What exactly is this guy recommending? A moderate reformist establishment? He is the dean of a law school and has served as a consultant to the World Bank on judicial reform in Latin America. That's not quite my idea of who NACLA should be publishing, but from what I have heard through the grapevine they are close to bankruptcy. Maybe that's the market telling them that centrist pedantry doesn't generate contributions. I imagine that the articles by Greg Grandin, Josh Ginden and William Robinson are all pretty good. Fred Rosen was a former editor of NACLA and presided over its rightward drift. Christy Thornton is the new publisher of NACLA and no doubt continues in the same vein as Rosen based on the inclusion of Coppedge’s dreadful article. She graduated from Columbia University about 5 years ago and seems to be a typical NGO type hustler. Jorge Dominguez seems to be somebody cut from the same mold as Coppedge based on his observation that “U.S. engagement in peace processes and associated elections in Nicaragua in 1989-90, El Salvador in 1991-92 and Guatemala in 1995-96 also advanced democratic goals.” (Electoral Intervention in the Americas: Uneven and Unanticipated Results). To call US subversion of the Nicaraguan elections an advance toward “democratic goals” seems pretty obscene, doesn’t it? Bryant Garth is another academic centrist based on his statement that “The forces mobilized by anti-U.S. rhetoric may lead to reforms that many in the United States might favor, but the sequence of events will necessarily be less predictable than the more controlled soft colonial processes that rely on and strengthen a moderate reformist establishment.” What exactly is this guy recommending? A moderate reformist establishment? He is the dean of a law school and has served as a consultant to the World Bank on judicial reform in Latin America. That’s not quite my idea of who NACLA should be publishing, but from what I have heard through the grapevine they are close to bankruptcy. Maybe that’s the market telling them that centrist pedantry doesn’t generate contributions.

]]> By: Victor S http://louisproyect.wordpress.com/2007/02/03/nacla-michael-coppedge-and-political-risk-in-venezuela/#comment-6290 Victor S Tue, 06 Feb 2007 16:18:34 +0000 http://louisproyect.wordpress.com/2007/02/03/nacla-michael-coppedge-and-political-risk-in-venezuela/#comment-6290 V. sad, really. Normally NACLA's a great source. Quick question, Louis: Can't get hold of NACLA Report very easily where I live (Amsterdam), but had a quick look at the NACLA site, and it looks like the entire issue is devoted to a discussion of 'democracy promotion'. Is the rest of this edition as bad as the above article? Tell us a bit more, if you don't mind. (In other words, is is worth my while trying to order it via the local anarchist bookstore?) V. sad, really. Normally NACLA’s a great source. Quick question, Louis: Can’t get hold of NACLA Report very easily where I live (Amsterdam), but had a quick look at the NACLA site, and it looks like the entire issue is devoted to a discussion of ‘democracy promotion’. Is the rest of this edition as bad as the above article? Tell us a bit more, if you don’t mind. (In other words, is is worth my while trying to order it via the local anarchist bookstore?)

]]> By: Prabhas Choudhuri http://louisproyect.wordpress.com/2007/02/03/nacla-michael-coppedge-and-political-risk-in-venezuela/#comment-6269 Prabhas Choudhuri Sat, 03 Feb 2007 19:28:30 +0000 http://louisproyect.wordpress.com/2007/02/03/nacla-michael-coppedge-and-political-risk-in-venezuela/#comment-6269 please send me your thinking to my address and oliged. Prabhas please send me your thinking to my address and oliged.
Prabhas

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