[Working-Class] Addition to article in Counterpunch on "Democracy Promotion"--includes labor

[Kim Scipes]

Folks--


There is an article on Counterpunch, dated May 21, 2007,  titled  
"We're the US and We're Here to Help Your Nation:  The Dark Side of  
Democracy Promotion" by Paul Bouchheit.  On-line at http:// 
www.counterpunch.org/buchheit05212007.html .

It was a solid article, which is what it was clearly intended to be.

But, for those of us who have been activists for a while, it was  
incredibly basic.  It really didn't tell anything new.

That is not Buchheit's problem--he may have included references but  
Counterpunch didn't include them, or whatever.  However, when we send  
material out, we should point out resources and/or places where you  
can get more information, should you want it.  Let me do so.

---		If you want a book-length approach to the US Government's  
"Democracy Promotion" program, and which is excellent, I'd recommend  
William I. Robinson's book, PROMOTING POLYARCHY: GLOBALIZATION, US  
INTERVENTION AND HEGEMONY (Cambridge University Press, 1996).  This  
is extremely detailed, but if you really want to understand the  
beast, this is the best analysis done to date.  (And despite the  
academic title, the book is fairly easy to read--not a lot of  
academic "stuff" in it.)

---		If you want a book-length approach that looks at "democracy  
promotion" in one country, Venezuela, see Eva Golinger's poorly named  
but generally well-done THE CHAVEZ CODE.  (My copy is from Havana,  
but I understand it's been republished in the US, I think by Olive  
Grove Press.)  She has uncovered US Government documents via the  
Freedom of Information Act--many accessible on-line at http:// 
venezuelafoia.info --and really shows the role of the US in the April  
2002 attempted coup against Hugo Chavez.

---		If you want to focus on labor and its foreign policy--which is  
mostly terrible--you might want to check out my on-line "Current  
Labor Issues" bibliography at http://faculty.pnc.edu/kscipes/ 
LaborBib.htm#AFL-CIO_Foreign_Operations .  This is the most complete  
bibliography on this subject that I know.  A number of articles are  
linked.

---		If you want to see the best compilation of articles on AFL-CIO  
foreign operations published since 2000--almost, but not quite  
everything of what's been published--and/or you want to get involved  
in changing the AFL-CIO foreign policy program, check out the Worker  
to Worker Solidarity Committee's web site at http:// 
www.workertoworker.net/links.html .

---		If you want to see a listing of the 34 articles I have written  
on the AFL-CIO's foreign policy program since 1987, with most  
available on the web, go to my publications page at http:// 
faculty.pnc.edu/kscipes/Publications.htm#AFL-CIO_FOREIGN_OPERATIONS .

---		If you want to see what I believe are the three best articles on  
AFL-CIO foreign operations, see these articles:

			---		2000.  “It’s Time to Come Clean:  Open the AFL-CIO Archives  
on International Labor Operations.”  Labor Studies Journal, Vol. 25,  
No. 2, Summer:  4-25.  [Posted on-line in English by LabourNet  
Germany at www.labournet.de/diskussion/gewerkschaft/scipes2.html]   
This looks at AFL-CIO foreign policy under George Meany and Lane  
Kirkland (i.e, before John Sweeney), and suggests that Sweeney's  
approach was better than his predecessors.  (Overall, unfortunately,  
this was not to be.)

			---        2005.  "Labor Imperialism Redux?  The AFL-CIO's Foreign  
Policy Since 1995."  Monthly Review, Vol. 57, No. 1, May.   
(References are in on-line version only at www.monthlyreview.org/ 
0505scipes.htm.)  This looks at Sweeney's foreign policy program.

			---        2005.  "An Unholy Alliance:  The AFL-CIO and the  
National Endowment for Democracy (NED) in Venezuela."  ZNet, July  
10.  (Posted on-line at www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm? 
sectionID=19&itemID=8268.)  This gives a pretty in-depth look at the  
NED, and shows how the AFL-CIO leadership collaborates with them.


---		And if you want to see a detailed examination of the AFL-CIO's  
operations in Venezuela, see my September 25, 2006 article,  "The AFL- 
CIO Foreign Policy Program and the 2002 Coup in Venezuela:  Was the  
AFL-CIO Involved?"  On-line at www.workertoworker.net/ 
afl_cio_foreign_policy_venezuela_kim_scipes.html.


In short, we have a lot of resources for those who want to check them  
out.  Hope this helps!





In solidarity,



Kim Scipes

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