However, I suspect that we are going to continue to have divergent view of Hugo Chavez. I look at the manner in which he has moved to consolidate power and the way in which he uses rhetoric and it is quite clear that he is attempting to remain in the Presidency of Venezuela for a very, very long time.
And really, the RCTV business is not my main reason for saying that–not by a longshot.
]]>http://www.medialens.org/alerts/
They are not really “pro-Chavez” as such, rather they point out certain “inconsistencies” in the corporate press. I think they have a point - one that should be taken into consideration.
regards.
]]>It just so happens that I sat on the dissertation committee for a student who wrote on boycotts. Yes, some of them do achieve their aims. Two cases that come immediately to mind would be the Dominican Republic (PRD boycott led to subsequent electoral reforms) and Jamaica. There are also quite a few cases where the mere threat led to concessions. And, of course, a threat isn’t credible if you aren’t willing to carry it out, so some of them are going to lead to actual boycotts, and then the bargaining shifts to a different arena.
The recent Thai boycott might yet prove to be a success. It certainly succeeded in undermining Thaksin. Of course, the opposition wasn’t counting on a coup. But there is a process of restoring democracy underway (apparently).
Another recent example would be Peru, 2025. When Toledo boycotted the runoff against Fujimori it led rather quickly to the unraveling of Fujimori and a new election, won by Toledo.
So, yes, boycotts can be effective at times.
Anyway, what I was going to mention is that there is a book by Lutwak (sp?) called something like Coup: A practical handbook.
]]>I agree: boycotts rarely, if ever, achieve their goals. And I can’t think of an example where a boycott worked, either.
Perhaps Matthew can suggest one.
]]>Has an election boycott ever worked in a pro-democratic direction in human history, even in a strongly democratic country? I’m at a loss for an example offhand.
]]>Still, naming challenge aside, that could be great fun.
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