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The punishment of independent Paraguay

10/18/2013

2 Comments

 
Posted August 27, 2013

    Paraguay was an exception to the nineteenth century Latin American norm of the retardation of national industry by the Latin American estate bourgeoisie and merchants in alliance with the global powers.  In Paraguay, the government of Gaspar Rodriguez de Francia (1814-1840) appropriated rural land, thus taking power away from the estate bourgeoisie and the merchants.  The government of Francia and two successive governments successfully pursued a policy of independent economic development, investing economic surplus from agricultural production in the development of industry.  By 1865, “Paraguay had telegraphs, a railroad, and numerous factories manufacturing construction materials, textiles, linens, ponchos, paper and ink, crockery, and gunpowder….  From 1850 on, the Ibycui foundry made guns, mortars, and ammunition of all calibers; the arsenal in Asunción produced bronze cannon, howitzers, and ammunition.  The steel industry, like all other essential economic activities, belonged to the state.  The country had a merchant fleet, and the Asunción shipyard turned out many of the ships flying the Paraguayan flag….  The state virtually monopolized foreign trade….  The trade balance produced a big surplus.  With a strong and stable currency, Paraguay was wealthy enough to carry out great public works without recourse to foreign capital.  It did not owe one penny abroad, yet was able to maintain the best army in South America” (Galeano 1997:189-90).

     But from the point of view of British commerce, the only truly independent nation in Latin America in the nineteenth century was a “dangerous example” (Galeano 1997:191) that could demonstrate to its Latin American neighbors an alternative road.  Paraguay was destroyed in a genocidal war of 1865 to 1870 conducted by a Triple Alliance consisting of Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina and financed by British bankers.  By 1870, the population of Paraguay was one-sixth what it had been in 1865 and significant parts of its territory were ceded to the members of the Triple Alliance. 

     The country was subsequently turned into a typical example of foreign domination and free trade.  “In defeated Paraguay it was not only the population and great chunks of territory that disappeared, but customs tariffs, foundries, rivers closed to free trade, and economic independence.  Within its shrunken frontiers, the conquerors implanted free trade and the lafifundio.  Everything was looted and everything was sold: land and forests, mines, yerba maté farms, school buildings.  Successive puppet governments were installed in Asunción by the occupation forces….  National industry never came back to life” (Galeano 1997:194). 

      But nineteenth century independent Paraguay has come back to life in spirit, symbolized by the new efforts at Latin American autonomy being forged today by Cuba, Venezuela, Bolivia and Ecuador, with the support and participation of Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Nicaragua.  Similar to the mobilized effort to destroy independent Paraguay in the nineteenth century, today the neocolonial power seeks to destroy the new manifestations of Latin American autonomy.  But nowadays, the world-system is suffering from a profound systemic global crisis, the neocolonial power is no longer the dominant power that it once was, and the anti-neocolonial movements are more advanced; the destruction of the independence projects forged by the peoples of the world is more difficult.

 
References

Galeano, Eduardo.  1997.  The Open Veins of Latin America: Five centuries of the pillage of a continent, 25th Anniversary Edition.  Translated by Cedric Belfrage.  Forward by Isabel Allende.  New York: Monthly Review Press.


Key words: Third World, revolution, colonialism, neocolonialism, imperialism, democracy, national liberation, sovereignty, self-determination, independence, socialism, Marxism, Leninism, Cuba, Latin America, world-system, world-economy, development, underdevelopment, capitalism, peripheralization, Paraguay

2 Comments
Yuri Grigoryan link
8/27/2013 02:28:38 pm

The intention of the USA to begin military actions against Syria arouses my indignation.
In 2004 before intrusion of the US into Iraq I have published in one discussion the small message in which has expressed alarm because of not constrained aspiration of the military-industrial complex (MIC) of US to unleash a wars. Only naive people could believe CIA about the nuclear weapon of Iraq.
“The mankind recently has received a good opportunity to curtail a burden of armies. China began to give significant attention to economic development, the USSR has collapsed. If the leading countries weakened the military power enough and limited own military appetites it would be possible to lower a level of army expenses. But the military flywheel of these countries was unable to be braked in any way. These states, being pregnant by the huge weapon, were aspiring to be delivered from it and to drop bombs and all modern accumulated military might anywhere (on some peoples). They were doing this, having chosen the most convenient target. It is naive to believe any noble purposes - forcible "democratization" (nonsense, worthy of only politicians) or struggle against dictatorship, terror and so forth. The consequence of these actions became a new race of arms on the Earth.
Many countries, not having originally similar plans, have started to devote for modernizations of army more attention, hence expenses. By the way, it is easier for the centralized states to take control over military-industrial complex (MIC) because it is entirely subordinated to the center. But in not centralized ("democratic") countries MIC was formed as independent powerful system, which itself compels any management to act in conformity with its interests. It is impossible to destroy this monster (he can many times destroy the world himself). It is necessary to redirect its activity to others, useful to mankind and less expensive (science intensive), affairs.”
In 1961 D. Eisenhower was anxious about it: "... we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex"
MIC, the military and CIA are interested only in production and use of that huge volume of the weapon which is created in the USA. For this purpose they fabricate the various casus belli. There were bombardments of Iraq, Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Libya, and now there is same intention with Syria. One and a half hundred years ago Russia considered as the gendarme of Europe. Now the USA and their colleagues from Europe become gendarmes of the world. Terrorist aspirations most of all are generated by their efforts. At times they even directly participate in creation of similar groups, supporting them by both the finance and weapon. And later for struggle against terrorism and for "democracy" untie new wars.
I with horror think that the monsters similar MIC of the USA can be generated in Russia and China. Regress in mankind development can reach a limit. It is necessary to struggle in advance with this evil.
You can to spread this statement insofar as it possible.

Reply
Charles McKelvey
8/28/2013 09:32:02 pm

Dear Dr. Grigoryan,

Thank you for your commentary. I devote my post today to a response.

Best wishes,

Charles McKelvey

Reply



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    Author: Charles McKelvey

    Retired professor, writer,  and Marxist-Leninist-Fidelist-Chavist revolutionary

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