Job Discussion Forums

[MO39]

nineisone,

I really enjoyed reading your critique of Ch�vez, coming as it does from someone with impeccable socialist credentials. Left-wing friends of mine in the States and elsewhere don't want to hear about my lack of enthusiasm for Ch�vez and his Bolivarian Revolution. Now I have some facts with which to argue my case!

[nineisone]

Glad you found the posts informative. Ernie makes several good points as well in his. I was initially quite excited about Chavez but have come to be disillusioned by what has happened in the last year or two. It has caused me to reevaluate many things which I previously discounted as a necessity of his forwarding a new agenda that would bring about a significant new order. Chavez has brought about some positive changes in Venezuela and has given a tremendous amount of people living in dire poverty great hope, which has a value unto itself.

I don't stand in anyone's way in their support or desire to be a part of this new Bolivarian revolution. I do feel that it is not going to happen and that unrest may ensue now that cracks in its surface are beginning to appear. Please don't forget that 3 of the 4 largest nation states in SA have rejected the Chavez platform(Brazil, Colombia, Peru). And the fourth, Argentina, is worthy of a whole different discussion, as its relationship with Ven, from accepting Venezuela petro and speaking publicly in favor of Chavez, is offset by the sheer lack of implementation of Chavez type policies. The Bolivarian revolution speaks foremost to a unity of nation states behind a common platform. Instead we are seeing in the wake of the old guard, a variety of new styles of governance, even if the purpose is common.

I do apologize for any misunderstanding about my original "Stalin" comment. I don't make the comparison that Venezuela is now in any similar shape as the Stalin led USSR in its prime. But I do believe that Chavez and his administration do show Stalinist tendencies in their governance that are dangerous. His unabashed allegiance to Cuba is also troubling because for every advancement Castro has made in education and health care, we can not deny the egregious abuses of power and the fact that Cuba has become a failed totalitarian state regardless of the heinous grip of the U.S. in its unfortunate policy towards the island.

The greatest enemy to "freedom" is not the happy slave, for slavery in itself cancels out freedom, regardless of the mental state the slave is in.
Rather, the greatest enemy is the lack of society to reflect upon itself and fall into the traps of absolutism and hyper nationality. This is the danger that Chavez-like rule could fall into, regardless of how noble some of its policies seem.

I'll stop posting on politics so Dave doesn't kick me off the board. Back to ESL.....

[Ernie Cuba]

Nineisone, you clearly know what you're talking about and it's enjoyable to have this discussion with you.

[nineisone]

Fair enough. We probably agree on 90% of what's on the table.

Of course, I am generally happy about Latin America's turn to the left. To use a metaphor, I view its infancy as that of building a house. Nice to see the construction taking place but I am very particular about how the bricks are layed so that the foundation won't crack. Right now I am preaching concern and caution for the reasons I have already stated.

I'm not usually argumentative about most things. I have spent 15+ years of intensive study in Latin American politics. The subject is important to me. Ask me about Asia, the Middle East, Africa, etc... and while I would hope to be able to respond with a fairly well thought out argument, I will usually take more of a role as a passive observer as my learning curve about those regions is still quite large. You have obviously thought all your positions out very well, unlike the many recreational revolutionaries out there who partake more in the manufactured culture that surrounds left leaning movements(Che Guevara's image on any number of commerical products) than the more substantial elements. As such, I am but an observer, not a participant. You appear to be heading toward the latter, so cheers to you.

One last thing. Your initial posting showed a lot of altruistic ambition behind your desire to teach in Venezuela. Would you not consider a nation like Nicaragua, which shares many of the same goals as Chavez professes but where the need for your contribution might be greater? I realize the state school option might be bleak there, but just your presence, even in a private owned institute, might be of considerable value. Please consider.

Best of luck to you and your family and whatever decision you make regarding your future.

[Ernie Cuba]

Hey nineisone,

Nicaragua does sound very interesting now that you mention it but the attraction of living through a historical socialist revolution in an emerging superpower is very seductive.
There are other avenues I'm exploring at the moment where perhaps I could play a larger, more demanding and rewarding role.

Good to caht to you and good luck to you, comrade!

[lostinvenezuela]

Ok, I have lived in this place for 7 years.

1. It is very hard to get a job in a public school, unless you have graduated in teaching from a Venezuelan university. And then, even if you do get hired, expect to wait 5 months to get you first paycheck.

2. Two, I have been robbed at gun point, I don't know how many times. So, do you really want to bring your kids hear.

3. Teaching in schools suck, because of the new education law. Kids from grade one on, know that they cannot be failed, and nor can they be yelled out.

4. There is no revolution here. Unless, if you mean, that having to go to line up a 6 oclock in the morning at the state oil company to buy 2 kilos of powedered milk is a revolution. The waist and corruption is incredible.

5. However, if you are still insane enough to want to teach her, you can try Berlitz. They pay well compared to other esl schools.

6. How do you plan to get a work visa? When i tried to get a new one from the embassy in Canada, they said they don't do them. And when I got here, it was a mess, and took me 2 years. Quite frankly, unless you pay good money that is used for bribery, you will not be legally allowed to work for a while.

7. Expect to make 800 BsF per month, while a decent 2 bedroom apartment is 1000 BsF a month. Or a room, and only a room for 500 BsF.

8. Oh, as for the schools themselves, the public ones are a mess. The teachers realise that they don't have to do anything and they still get paid the same. Which, is sometimes nothing anyway.

well, hope that helps

[MO39]

lostinvenezuela,

If things are so bad for you in Venezuela, why do you stay on? Were you there before Ch�vez took over? If you were, have you noticed great changes in Venezuelan society after Ch�vez's Bolivarian Revolution began to take root?

[Guy Courchesne]

Indirectly related to this thread...quite a number of anti-Farc people at protests in Colombia and around the world today.



http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7225824.stm

What amazes me most is how this worldwide expression of outrage stemmed from a facebook plea by a single person.

Something Chavez can't help but notice in his bid to gain influence in Colombia.

[dixie]

[lostinvenezuela]

Ok

School law- My wife is Venezuelan, and works for a private highschool. And the ministry of education has stated that children cannot be failed.

As for why I am here... my wife basically, nicely kidnapped my children and came here. SO I am here.

Ahh, changes, yes I was here before the revolution. Well, to be honest, there have been a few changes. When I started English teaching in many years ago here, I made about 1000 to 2000 dollars a month (with a lot of work and 3 jobs). Now, I supervise teachers, write computer programs, design tests, etc, and make almost 500 in a good month. People on the whole, have less money now.

Hospitals might actually be a bit better, but that is not saying much.

So, no, not too many changes. Which is the point. When I came here, oil was like 14 dollars a barrel, now it is hovering at almost 100 and there has been no real improvement in the economy, poverty or anything. So, where has that money gone?

sam

[nineisone]

Chavez has funneled a lot of the petro dollars into social programs. Sorry to hear that the educational system is still lagging. I have heard similar stories about the cutting of budgets targeting worthwhile programs dealing with teacher training and the needs of student issues like early pregnancy.

Surprised to hear your comment that the economy has not improved. While I would hesitate to give Chavez much of the credit, most economic growth indicators have been high for Venezuela in recent years. Unfortunately some of his policies put in place have given rise to consequences like no milk/bread on the shelves and an inflated currency exchange that creates the perception of a country in dire poverty. I have read that Americans exiting the entrance of the Caracas airport are bombarded with pleas from black market exchangers for U.S. dollars at a time when the dollar is in steep decline elsewhere.

A note on the contribution from Guy. I am planning on attending a small gathering of Colombia ex-pats here in the U.S. which will focus on the need to show solidarity for the many hostages still detained by FARC. I complement most Colombian ex-pats who are not necessarily "anti-FARC" but understand that hombres con armados can be a bad thing regardless if they are right wing paramilitary or left wing revolutionaries. The general populace seems to always pay the greatest price in these conflicts.

[nineisone]

Notable link:

http://www.economist.com/world/la/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10650647

In summary, aritcle points out the infatuation of Chavez at historically changing the role and image of Bolivar.

Present history paints him as a liberator but also a conservative elitist with xenophobic tendencies who became so disliked during his dictatorship of New Granada that he died on his way to exile in Europe.

Hardly the poster child for a populist revolution.

[nineisone]

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20080310/wilkenson

Maybe the best and most even handed analysis of Chavez's tenure in Venezuela. Tends to have a pro-Chavez tilt but accurately mentions the media censorship, politicization of the judiciary, and the authoritarian tendencies of Chavez that have centralized powers in the executive.

Also hits on the theme of Chavez's cult of personality and discusses his use of of the failed coup as means to gather support for his policies and parallels it with George Bush's use of 9-11 to achieve his.

Article also contains a lot of positive supporting evidence for those in the pro-Chavez camp.

Interesting read. Author is with Human Rights Watch.

[ajarnlilly]

http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/2911

Articles on CIA attempts to destabilize Venezuela, most recently last Nov.

[wire]

Chavez is lucky he has oil to export. Without it, he woulda run Venezuela's economy completely into the ground by now.

But give him time. Dictators can't help but turn everything around them to crap in order to keep power.