On 6 Jan zandtao had a youtube day with Venezuela, and out of it came two serious points that are well worth zandbagging:-
 Bill was not circumspect and got propagandised
The Donroe doctrine - Hemisphere Day
In this advice as a warning zandtao will discuss how he became propagandised and then offer suggestions as to how to avoid such ignorance in the future. But this advice on the second point about the Donroe doctrine has far wider implications.
 Getting propagandised
Getting propagandised is a risk for a pathtivist because pathtivists don't hold to the collective groups that arise in the isms. As a socialist he would not be questioning the socialism of Maduro because there would have been an ongoing stream of progressive advice that would have countered the mainstream propaganda - this stream is mostly just accepted by socialists. But as a pathtivist he takes every case as it comes, and in taking things as they come he is vulnerable to propaganda unless as a pathtivist he develops strategies of discernment to avoid this propaganda. In this case zandtao had not been discerning.
Chavistas - Bolivar Revolution
Early in retirement bill spent time coming to grips with global politics after having been immersed in the world of work; this was shown in STC blogging - at that time. Amongst that STC work there was a documentary "Beyond Elections" in which grassroots movements arising in Latin America were discussed; key amongst these movements was Chavez. [This movie was made in 2009 so there will surely be some update.] These were important grassroots movements but they were not part of bill's life so once noted it was not in his active awareness or embodiment.
John Oliver
Later on in one of his progs John Oliver discussed Venezuela, at the time it felt wrong. There is a limit as to how far clear thinking can go with mainstream tv, and Venezuela and discussions about the destabilising of socialist states is not encouraged. This prog flagged the possible failings of Maduro.
What did John not do? He did not emphasise the sanctions. Now Chavez was conscious of imperialist restrictions so he attempted to make Venezuela an independent country; these sanctions had started with Chavez, but with Venez-resources such independence and resistance was possible. Nor did John discuss the coup attempts, assassination attempts and the strategies of civil disobedience that had started during Chavez.
BBC, Palin and Venezuela
Palin is a youthful trailblazer for bill, and after Monty Python he travelled and was accepted by the communities he travelled to. But Palin is liberal, and he makes progs for the Beeb that have "balance". But this Beeb balance does not allow for justification of socialist states and blanket criticism of empire strategies to destabilise them. So Palin in Venezuela was guaranteed to be subliminally critical of Maduro because of the "Dictatorship of the Proletariat" - discussed below.
So because zandtao was not discerning, the liberalism of John Oliver followed by Palin liberalism gave zandtao the view that Maduro had gone very wrong - that he had separated from Chavez. So because he did not follow it closely, the creeping imperialism around Venezuela revolved around the dictatorship of Maduro, and so he could partially "accept" the kidnapping of a dictator, Maduro - even though he could never accept the sovereignty and invasion issues.
Investigating
This was the position his Jan 6 youtube investigations started from. He then investigated with China - CGTN, and then Al Jazeera. Now Al Jazeera is usually a good balance but they don't advocate for socialist states - surprise in Qatar? CGTN attacked the imperialism, and at this stage it sounded like socialist rhetoric. Then he watched John Oliver again, this sounded much more where he was currently at - that should have raised a flag. Then he came across an Empire Files critique of John Oliver, he listened and it sounded like rhetoric; his propagandised ego was still in control.
Then thankfully came Crispin Flintoff, and he was able to eschew the conditioning.
Before zandtao goes into the way his awareness was cleared, zandtao wants to point out a youtube issue. zandtao opened the clip "Leftist Debunks John Oliver's Venezuela Episode" from Empire Files, and there came this warning:-
Now zandtao presumes this is a coverall for youtube, but let's be clear:-
The only "danger" in this clip was the promotion of Venezuela as a socialist state, and giving the reasons why in this case John Oliver was in error and that he was promoting neoliberalism.
Let me point out again that zandtao did not initially accept this "Empire Files" view, his ego seeing it as anti-imperialist rhetoric.
Clarity
So to Crispin Flintoff. He began with a Venezuelan newspaper editor, and then turned to a representative of the Venezuela Solidarity Campaign. At this point zandtao began to see how he had been conditioned. Basically his promotion of pathtivism has been so critical of ditthupadana and the isms he had forgotten what they are good at - international solidarity and comradeship. At least now, Crispin, zandtao has corrected his view and there is good balance with discernment.
Palin's Dictatorship
Palin was not wrong in seeing a level of dissatisfaction and a level of military authoritarianism. But his liberalism misinterpreted it - a liberal approach of if there is not overt freedom it is wrong. But what are the causes that limit this freedom? Observable fact - there are sanctions. In his programme what was not observable as facts were the coup attempts, assassination attempts and a strategy of civil disobedience. If you have the prevention of legitimate trade through sanctions, ongoing coups, assassination attempts and a strategy of civil disobedience, how do you govern? Whether the government is good or bad, under those circumstances there needs to be military oversight; Palin never asked this question.
Marx recognised these counter-issues and called it the "dictatorship of the proletariat", and it has dire consequences. The causes of this dictatorship are external interference - economic interference through prevention of trade and ideological/political interference through the financing of the opposition. The dictatorship of the proletariat as a consequence of external interference deeply impacted the Soviet revolution, and contributed to the Stalinist dictatorship. A repeating pattern in Venezuela?
So a pathtivist has to ask whether this dictatorship is as a response to the external pressures or whether it is because of a regime, Maduro and supporters, themselves. zandtao has made his evaluation, here is Abby Martin's evaluation (worth listening to for its history) - no surprise there (zandtao suspects Abby would not like pathtivism because it is not deep-rooted in anti-imperialist struggle ie pathtivist strategy is harmony not struggle). There are plenty of views opposing Abby in mainstream media, it is up to you to decide.
When zandtao was clear he began to see how the Maduro kidnapping on hemisphere day was a significant beginning of the Donroe doctrine - the separation of the two global hemispheres.
Having looked at how zandtao was not discerning enough about conditioning there are still important considerations pathtivism should have before deciding about Venezuela. What is happening in Venezuela has a historical precedent in Nicaragua, that zandtao is going to call the Sandinista Squeeze (referred to by Matt Kennard in Crispin's vid from 33.20 to 42.20).
Sandinista Squeeze
The Sandinista Squeeze happened when bill was active so he wants to give his take and look at comparisons. In 1979 FSLN overthrew the Somoza dictatorship in Nicaragua, and Daniel Ortega was a member of a junta that took control of Nicaragua; in 1984 he was voted in as president. The reforms that were brought in from 1979 were seen as very positive - the good side of socialism. FSLN were known as Sandinistas after an earlier revolutionary - comparison with Bolivarian revolution??
The Somoza dictatorship was backed by the Reagan regime, and Reagan had many dubious ties with Somoza. Following the revolution there were sanctions broken only at that time by the Soviets - and a Fair Trade movement of Nicaraguan coffee! Destabilisation within Nicaragua occurred through the US financing of the Contras - basically Somoza's personal guard - with much CIA involvement including training. There was a famous scandal at the time Iran-contra affair in which most famously Ollie North allegedly sold weapons to Iran to fund the contras.
Throughout the 80s there was the ongoing sanctions and internal destabilisation through the contras. This is bill's assessment at the time. Whilst Nicaraguan people mostly supported the FSLN (Sandinista revolution); even though there were many great community initiatives, the people suffered under the blockade and financed internal destabilisation. By the time the 80s came to a close, they were sick of the violence and economic difficulties and despite their support for the FSLN they voted in Violeta Chamorro because she promised an end to any war by compromising with the US.
Let me be specific about the squeeze:-
If the government continues to be socialist we will make life unbearable through internal destabilisation and an economic blockade. Have a leadership that will accommodate US interests, and we will end the blockade and destabilisation.
Venezuela Now
zandtao suspects the US have been applying the Sandinista squeeze but Maduro has said no. My understanding is that many Venezuelans are leaving because of the difficulties of living there. Yet Maduro keeps winning elections, Abby Martin again on Venez. elections. Perhaps Trump admin thinks removing Maduro and continuing with the Sandinista Squeeze (or should I say Bolivaran Squeeze?) might find a compromise.
zandtao has a personal view on this that makes a signficant difference between the Sandinista Squeeze and the Bolivaran Squeeze. The Donroe doctrine is an America First business plan supported by the coercion of US military might. The Donroe doctrine is focusing on trade (similar to the China Trade Empire), so the squeeze is to enable trading with the US whether by Delcy Rodriguez (acting president) or others.
Maria Corina Mochado
Is Maria Corina Mochado Venezuela's Violeta Chamorro? It is worth listening to what she says - Crispin's vid from 26.08 to 27.20. To be fair to Trump he did not push her after the kidnap - but that might have been a "kiss of death" for her. Why does she have a peace prize?
Decisions on Venezuela
Trump is blunt - it's about the oil, oil that he says is US oil (discussed here). Apologists have complained about dictatorship and unfair elections. Before you consider refuting the apologists, it is necessary to be clear:-
What are the causes of Maduro's authoritarianism and dictatorship?
Have the elections been free and fair?
Strategies for avoiding conditioning
Ditthupadana - do not reject the isms because they lack harmony. The progressive international would have been a good source on Venezuela.
Do not reject socialist rhetoric out-of-hand.
Listen to nationals from solidarity campaigns.
When it comes to socialism, western media have a vested interest to be biased.
Be very careful of sources esp with unwitting bias.
And always
Remember this advice on getting sucked in.
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