Bolivian privatisation

In a very revealing article, the Nick Cave of Spanish right wing thought, Jorge Valín has described Bolivia's new government as the 'largest criminal organisation' in Bolivia. What's revealing about the article is how its writer has suddenly abandoned the 'support democracy and the rule of law' attitude which the right wing claim is their own. He also fails to make any  economic case against nationalisation which, given that he's meant to know about that sort of thing, suggests that he cannot find one.

Using emotive moralistic arguments when discussing this sort of issue will convince a lot of people. Imagine if someone did come and take your house: it would be awful. But if that house had previously been owned by a hundred people, taken from then and then sold to you for a penny…? Then it seems that to achieve a more utilitarian solution, the wrong must be righted.

The key here is that no one can deny that it makes good economic and social sense for countries like Bolivia to go through some sort of nationalisation process. The country's wealth in natural resources is enough that Bolivia could achieve 1st world standards of healthcare, education and infrastructure. But foreign oil companies - understandably - want to take their profits to Amsterdam and London (or Madrid), meaning that a lot of the wealth generated by Bolivian workers is simply sucked out of the country.

I accept that although I don't like it much, privitisation is bound to happen again in the future. But let that happen when Bolivia has had the chance to develop the way our countries developed.

As to calling Morales a tyrant, I think that's pretty unfair.

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May 20, 2006 | Filed Under Politics 

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