[Peace-discuss] Chomsky on Nicaragua…

[Brussel, Morton K]

"Although Chomsky echoes the talking points of the USAID administrator Mark Green about “Ortega’s brutal regime<https://www.usaid.gov/news-information/press-releases/jul-20-2018-usaid-administrator-mark-green-remarks-meeting-diaspora-groups>,” he can’t quite bring himself to accept responsibility for regime change. Chomsky despairs<https://www.democracynow.org/2018/7/27/chomsky_criticizes_autocratic_nicaraguan_government_urges>, “it’s hard to see a simple way out at this point. It’s a very unfortunate situation.”

Chomsky is concerned about corruption, repression, and autocracy in Nicaragua, urging the democratically elected president to step down and run for re-election. Need it be mentioned that Chomsky chastised leftists<https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/noam-chomsky-donald-trump-hillary-clinton-a7438526.html> who did not “absolutely<https://www.politico.com/story/2016/01/noam-chomsky-supports-hillary-clinton-218192>” support Hillary Clinton? It is from this moral ground that the professor looks down on Nicaragua.

These charges of corruption and such are addressed<https://afgj.org/the-case-against-daniel-ortega>by long-time solidarity activist Chuck Kaufman:

+ The World Bank, IMF, and EU countries have certified Nicaragua for its effective use of international loans and grants; funds were spent for the purposes they were given, not siphoned off into corruption.

+ Kaufman asks, “why a police force that in 39 years had not repressed the Nicaraguan people would suddenly go berserk,” while videos clearly show the violence of the more militant opposition.

+ Ortega won in 2006 with a 38% plurality, in 2011 with 63%, and 72.5% in 2016. The Organization of American States officially accompanied and certified the vote. Kaufman notes, “Dictators don’t win fair elections by growing margins.”

From  https://www.counterpunch.org/2018/08/03/chomsky-on-regime-change-in-nicaragua/

—mkb




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