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- Newsgroups: misc.activism.progressive
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- From: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu (Rich Winkel)
- Subject: Proceso 538: Clinton Victory
- Message-ID: <1992Nov17.090659.3079@mont.cs.missouri.edu>
- Followup-To: alt.activism.d
- Originator: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
- Sender: news@mont.cs.missouri.edu
- Nntp-Posting-Host: pencil.cs.missouri.edu
- Organization: PACH
- Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1992 09:06:59 GMT
- Approved: map@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
- Lines: 85
-
- /** reg.elsalvador: 125.0 **/
- ** Topic: Proceso 538: International **
- ** Written 10:41 am Nov 14, 1992 by cidai@huracan.cr in cdp:reg.elsalvador **
- From: cidai@huracan.cr (Centro de Informacion Documentacion y Apoyo a la Invest. - UCAJSC)
- Subject: Proceso 538: International
-
- Center for Information, Documentation and Research Support (CIDAI)
- Central American University (UCA)
- San Salvador, El Salvador
-
- PROCESO 538
- November 11, 1992
-
- INTERNATIONAL:
- Clinton's victory augurs poorly for the Salvadoran right
-
- The people of the United States feel that Bush does not
- deserve to stay in the White House for four more years. His
- excessive focus on foreign affairs, to the detriment of the
- nation's serious domestic problems, was one of the principal
- factors which undoubtedly made the victory of Bill Clinton and his
- party possible. Bush's defeat is attributed to his low level of
- credibility: he lied to the nation about the Iran-Contra case and
- the Gulf War; his electoral campaign mirrored four years of
- governing without regard for U.S. domestic problems; he had nothing
- to say or offer about them. The nation wanted to hear an analysis
- of the true situation and some concrete proposals; Bush did not
- meet these expectations, Perot did not generate confidence and
- Clinton gave hope.
- This augurs poorly for the Salvadoran right. Their interests
- are best protected by the Republicans, given the high level of
- political and ideological identification between the two. It is for
- this reason that the right-wing is afraid of the changes which
- might ensue once the Democrats take office.
- For progressive Salvadorans and the left in general, the
- incoming Democratic administration will be positive, since it is
- likely that a "new regional policy" will favor democracy, human
- rights and the environment. As a result, they hope for a different
- strategy from Bush's approach to political and economic relations
- with Latin America, a strategy which more decisively supports the
- consolidation of democracy in the region.
- In other words, they hope for a reorientation of U.S. economic
- aid to Latin America, toward reduced military aid and more support
- for development, particularly in support of those projects which
- help consolidate the basis of a free market in the context of free
- trade zones. Given the restructuring of the international economy
- and the U.S. assumption that it will be the "new leader" in the
- world market, such policies could lead our nations to inevitably
- serve as support markets in the context of a possible "trade war"
- between the U.S., Europe and Japan.
- The progressive forces feel that Salvadoran politics will
- receive a new boost, since the positions taken by Clinton and the
- Democrats could do much to help achieve the demilitarization of
- Salvadoran society, full respect for human rights, and true
- compliance with the peace accords. Here is where the right-wing
- feels threatened. For them, Clinton's Democratic government brings
- back bad memories of Carter 12 years ago. And for a right-wing as
- closed-minded as this one, Carter equals socialism. What the right
- fails to remember is that Carter was the one who gave the boost to
- the war by sending military aid at a crucial juncture.
- In reality, there are few differences between Republicans and
- Democrats where foreign policy is concerned. For this reason, there
- will probably be little change in the case of El Salvador or the
- rest of Latin America, but rather a different emphasis in terms of
- democracy, demilitarization and human rights.
- Instead of fearing the new approach to U.S. foreign policy,
- the Salvadoran right ought to reflect on how Clinton's victory
- could affect the 1994 elections, in which the FMLN is slated to
- participate.
- Given that Bush and the Republicans are a model for the
- Salvadoran right, the latter feels that it has lost the U.S.
- elections. At the same time, the results of those elections have
- become a terrible harbinger of the upcoming 1994 elections in El
- Salvador. We can see this even more clearly if we recall that ARENA
- has governed exclusively for the rich, has increased poverty as
- well as the number of poor Salvadorans, has been incapable of
- coming up with social policies which help meet the needs of the
- majority, and has failed to tell the truth about the peace accords
- and the Armed Forces.
- For all these reasons, the Salvadoran right ought to think
- seriously about why Bush lost, and draw lessons from it.
-
-
- ** End of text from cdp:reg.elsalvador **
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