A
Courageous Man Speaks Out
By Stephen Lendman
23 September, 2006
Countercurrents.org
Hugo
Chavez chooses his authors, political and social thinkers well, and
there's no one better than Noam Chomsky. In his dramatic and courageous
speech yesterday to the 61st UN General Assembly, Chavez held up a copy
of Chomsky's 2003 book Hegemony or Survival (which I've read and quoted
from before). In the book, Chomsky cites the work of Ernst Mayr whom
he describes as "one of the great figures of contemporary biology."
Mayr noted that beetles and bacteria have been far more successful surviving
than the human species is likely to be. He also observed that "the
average life expectancy of a species is about 100,000 years" which
is about how long ours has been around, and he went on to wonder if
we might use our "alloted time" to destroy ourselves and much
more with us. Chomsky then noted we certainly have the means to do it,
and should it happen, which he says is very possible, we likely will
become the only species ever to have made itself extinct.
Hugo Chavez also could have
explained what Chomsky had to say about this possibility in his most
recent book, Failed States, in which he addresses the three issues he
feels are most important - "the threat of nuclear war, environmental
disaster, and the fact that the government of the world's only superpower
is acting in ways that increase the likelihood of (causing) these catastrophes."
Chomsky goes even further raising a fourth issue that the "American
system" is in danger of losing its "historic values (of) equality,
liberty and meaningful democracy (because of the course it's on)."
Reflecting the thinking and
spirit of Noam Chomsky, Hugo Chavez delivered an impassioned speech
yesterday to the assembled delegates who came to hear him. It's one
likely to be favorably remembered many years from now. At its end, the
delegates showed their appreciation and support by giving him a standing
ovation (the longest one of all the leaders addressing the Assembly)
in contrast to the cool and polite reception given George Bush the previous
day who chose not to attend to hear the Venezuelan leader. Too bad he
didn't as he might have learned from it if he stayed alert and paid
attention. Citing the language in Chomsky's book in his hand, Chavez
said: "The hegemonistic pretentions of the American empire are
placing at risk the very existence of the human species (and) We appeal
to the people of the United States and the world to halt this threat,
which is like a sword hanging over our head." He went on to explain
that earlier the President of the US attended an Organization of American
States meeing and proposed a NAFTA-type trade agreement in both regions
that is the "fundamental cause of the great evils and the great
tragedies currently suffered by our people. Neoliberal capitalism, the
Washington Consensus....has generated....a high degree of misery, inequality
and infinite tragedy for all the peoples on (this) continent."
Hugo Chavez called George
Bush "the devil" several times and said he came here yesterday
and "from this rostrum (talked) as if he owned the world."
He denounced the President's talk, said he's responsible for all conflict
in the Middle East, and that those opposed to these policies are resisting
his imperial model of domination. Chavez predicted the US empire will
fall, said "What we need now more than ever....is a new international
order," and that he wants to see a reinvented UN be part of what
can help achieve it. He said the UN under its current rules "does
not work" and must be changed to bring more democracy to the organization.
He called for the "foundation of a new United Nations" and
proposed four fundamental changes including the "need to....suppress....the
veto in the decisions taken by the Security Council (because) that elitist
trace is incompatible with democracy, incompatible with the principles
of equality and democracy." He also called for expanding the Security
Council to include deveoping nations as permanent members and wants
to strengthen the role of the Secretary General. He stressed that today
the UN body is "worthless" and needs to be "refounded."
Hugo Chavez is dedicated
to the principles and spirit of the Bolivarian Revolution he gave the
people of Venezuela and wants to spread it to the developing world as
a counter-force to the US model of global dominance of the developed
North over the less-developed South with the US as hegemon-in-chief.
He called on leaders from the developing world to unite and resist to
build a new world model based on social equity and justice. Judging
by the reception Chavez got yesterday, it looks like he made some progress
toward that goal, especially in Latin America that's become an incubator
of resistance against the unipolar world the US is beginning to lose
its grip on and in support of the multi-polar one Hugo Chavez wants
to help create.
Stephen Lendman
lives in Chicago and can be reached at [email protected].
Also visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.