Friends and Neighbors

Yesterday's inauguration of Evo Morales as Bolivia's new president marks the first time in the 500+ years since the Spanish colonized the new world that indigenous Americans have attained real political power via a democratic election anywhere in the New World.

Morales' victory is also a rebuke to the Bush regime, whose boundless obnoxiousness has rendered unpalatable long-standing policies of the U.S. government, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund in South and Central America.

Evo Morales looks to be the real deal: a crusader for social justice and against the kind of rampant capitalism that has exploited Bolivia's natural (gas) resources without much benefit to ordinary Bolivians. Hopefully, Evo can accomplish progressive reforms without becoming a dictator or a victim of the CIA. For now, Redglare says Viva Evo!

It's exciting that in Latin and South America, with the rise of Morales in Bolivia, Lula da Silva in Brazil, Hugo Chavez in Venezuela and top Mexican presidential contender Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, a true leftist movement is underway that could influence U.S. politics eventually. Heck, even the Sandinistas are making a comeback in Nicaragua behind the renewed political strength of Daniel Ortega!

With immigration to United States from Latin American making the U.S. population more Latino everyday, perhaps the trend of progressive grassroots politics comes northward too. After all, political trends cross borders all the time -- isn't that the whole notion behind the "domino theory" that got us into Vietnam and Korea to fight communism?

And here's more proof that political winds can blow over borders: Canada is, alas, about to kick out the Liberal Party and elect a conservative pal of the Bush Regime, Stephen Harper. Harper supported the U.S. invasion of Iraq, wants closer ties with Bush, opposes gay marriage and may try and dismantle Canada's nationalized healthcare program.

I am a lover of Canada and a frequent visitor. I enjoy the country's natural beauty and laid-back personality. Canada has lately seemed like the last remaining North American bastion of political sanity. I have no idea, besides the Liberal's sponsorship kickback scandal, why Canada wants to veer right now, when the rest of the hemisphere is going left.