Emma darling, I am SO excited about what is going on in Venezuela right now.

My friend Ben showed me a couple movies about it:
Venezuela Bolivariana (I watched this one a few weeks ago, it gives a good background on the past 20 or 30 years andthe lead-up to Hugo Chavez)

Then I just watched this one, No Volveran, last night.
No Volveran
What is going on in Venezuela is so historically significant, and so very exciting! It is exciting because you see how their socialism is working, and it is slap-in-the-face OBVIOUS that that is how things should be. It is so simple that it is hard to believe this is revolutionary. I really strongly reccommend this, especially if you are with someone who you can discuss it with. Whenever I watch these movies, I pause them often to debrief and see how we are feeling and clarify or discuss what is going on in the movie.
Ben told me that this is the first time in South american history (and probably the first or one of the first in the world) where a coup d'etat has been overthrown again by the people. I knew nothing about this, but Chavez was president and overthrown by a coup which was backed of course by the states.. and the people would have NONE of it.They overthrew the government and insisted on getting Chavez back! Their revolution is so incredibly inspirational.
I also want to watch "the revolution will not be televised"
And I think I will change my major and possibly just get heavily into south american politics, or.. well I will explore the possibilities.
Emma, one thing I am having trouble with is that there are people who actually believe socialism is wrong. Now that there is a working example of how awesome it can be in practice, it seems like ... for people who absolutely think socialism is wrong, they probably just don't want to believe that this is going right. I am having such a hard time understanding why it would not be embraced. I think as far as movies like this are concerned, they are so obviously biased towards socialism that they do not show the other side, which I think obscures their point. I keep struggling with trying to explain this because I never think I quite say it right, but it is one of those things that is so important to me that it is worth trying until I get it right.
At the root of the problem, I think, is a deeply rooted shallowness within our society. We are taught generalizations, as if that is the only way, and people look at stereotypes without remembering that every person within a group is still a person. I have a hard time with extreme socialist groups who undermine their points by using loaded language which attacks "rich capitalists" etc. I have a hard time understanding how they don't see that what they are doing is detremental to their cause, but it is also the same thing they are complaining of.
I am really happy I have watched this inspirational socialism story.This is one of the thing I kept pausing the movie for last night, and Ben didn't quite ever understand what I was getting at (aka that whole thing I just said about never quite explaining it right). I can't picture a person in power somewhere thinking, "how can I keep my power and make other peoples lives sh*t? Oh, I know!"
Moreover, I can't think of a person who has the kind of power necessary to overturn the whole system. The inertia of the capitalist system is moving it along like an undertow. I sort of think that the best thing that can be done is for people to think about other peopleas PEOPLE. So when I am hanging out with Ben and he talks about the hot Venezuelan chicks in the movie, I sort of think- you're missing the point. It seems so simple but it obviously isn't.
I have to shift my thinking into homework mode for a bit. I love you so much my dearest!!
Rachel