Chile Elects First Woman President

Now this is exciting! Check out the story!

Chile Gets First Woman President

As far as the politics in South America go, Bachelet is not a Chavez or a Morales, but she and her party, which has been in power for almost two decades, is left of center,. These elections in South America are going to require the United States to rethink its strategy in the region. Morales is finishing up his world tour before his inauguration on January 22nd, and he opted not to visit the United States (link). What kind of message does that send?

Now, many people may not give a crap about what's happening with the governments of our neighbors to the south, but with EU becoming a more solidified force on the global stage, and China becoming an increasingly attractive investor, growing economies in a number of countries are not as dependent on the United States as they were 10 to 20 years ago, and many people in South America are realizing that. There are realistic alternatives to the United States as a trading partner and/or and investor in one's economy and resources.

Whether one agrees with the left-leaning policies of the leaders who are shifting the political landscape of South America or not, it is clear that a change is taking place and all through legitimate elections and a mobilized electorate. As far as I can tell, there is some healthy democracy in South America, especially in Bolivia and Chile. These are democratic forces that are going to play an increasingly important role in how the United States enacts its foriegn policy in the region because I think many of these leaders are not afraid to say, "the hell with the US, we can get a more fair deal, a better partner, and a more equitable relationship with another country."

It puts the Bush administration in an interesting position since they want to advance the interests of the United States abroad, while at the same time promoting democracy. But what many people fail to recognize is that the two do not always go hand in hand. For example, take Chavez. He has continually been elected by the people of Venezuela and the country has a fairly healthy democracy, yet his policies constantly butt heads with US. Take Morales for example. He is a huge fan of both Chavez and Castro, two leaders who the US does not particulary care for. Take Iraq, where the Shiite majority has put into powere a shiite dominated government, that will most likely form close ties to the Shiite dominated government in Iran (who is in the "Axis of Evil").

What should the US do when the type of society it promotes produces a government it loathes? In my opinion, you have to respect the wishes of the people, even if it means not getting as much oil, or not having as much control over coca production, or establishing ties with a country we do not like. A legitimate Democracy and a strong presence of people power trump economic interests.

We can let the invisible hands of capitalism guide but we cannot let those hands corall people into lives that make them miserable, lives that breed inequality, lives that are exploited, and lives that create desperation and resentment. The hands that should to the guiding are the one's that can pick up a pen and mark on a ballott here choice for leaders , the hands that flip through the pages of a newspaper, the hands that pick the fruit, the hands that slice that fruit and put on the table for breakfast. It is the hands of a citizen that should guide, not the hands of a dollar bill.

I kind of drifted off the main topic of Chile's new president, Michelle Bachelet, but such an amazing occurence is connected to so many other issues. Stay tuned, there are more elections to follow.

Peace Out,
Daryn