The Leftist Dream - A General Strike Without End in Bolivia

The leftist dream of how you can take power is a popular uprising culminating in a general strike until victory. Today the bolivian left has embarked upon such an adventure. It is when the left stops demanding reform and takes the risk of direct engagement to replace the existing system. Often it fails. In France in May 68 the most famous general strike nearly succeeded. The ‘54 general strike in Hungary was crushed by Soviet tanks. In Uruguay in 1973 there was a general strike held out for over two weeks against a brutal military dictatorship.

It’s a risky tactic, but it’s also about winning. The bolivian left has been very successful at picking fights, winning the battle, and coming out of each struggle stronger.

For folks to prefer to read news about bolivia in english i recommend you check out narconews and the democracy center’s blog. Of course if you do know spanish, i highly recommend bolivia.indymedia.org for articles and photos from the front lines.