Outlining "the new stage of the revolution", Chavez, a self-proclaimed revolutionary, declared "war against large estates", saying they were an obstacle to ensuring equality in the oil-rich but povertystricken South American country of 25-million.
Owners of large plots of land had two choices, he said: to give up their land or have the army take it away. "The second option is conflict," Chavez said at a rally in the capital, Caracas. "We will take the land with army troops."
This from Business Day.
Any problems with that?
The subtext to this, for me, actually relates more to dkos than Venezuela. I think the answer to my question has to rely on fact. Probably the land could only be taken ethically if at least some compensation is paid (ala Eminent Domain); exceptions might be made based on a history of oppression, that is, if landowners were somehow deemed to owe some reparation for past acts to those that would recieve the land.
The linked article said that a land reform process in 1960 distributed land which subsequently ended up back in the hands of wealthy landowners. Was the compensation paid by the wealthy to reaquire the land fair? How did that happen? These questions are key.
In general, the guarentee for property rights is important and is my starting assumption (although I do not believe property right is a fundamental right, it's a vital guarentee for a Republic). So I don't suppose the question can be answered simply. I hope people with more knowledge than I can research via google may educate me on the reality there.
However, the dkos subtext I wonder about ("worry" is the right sentiment but I'm not too "worried", so take "wonder"): how welcome will a story about a communist promising to nationalize private property be just a week before this Very Important Election.
I wonder if a subtext will be read from this story as pro or anti Kerry, if the story itself will be understood as a "good story" or a "bad story" for the political left, rather than a story in itself. I'm posting it anyway because I still see dkos as a place for progressive analysis of all news.
cheers.