#37: White replies to Gill on liberation theology (fwd)

[Robert Corbett <bcorbett@netcom.com>]

From: steven white <stevelong@spyral.net>

Dear Mark,

Please allow me to comment on two statements in your last post.

 (1)"cooperation between individuals and groups is not a characteristic 
of the Haitian personality"

 This is a generalization.  It is a subjective statement, perhaps based 
 on your personal experience.  In my experience with Haitians I have 
 observed people coming together to do work of a communal nature such as 
 planting, harvesting, organizing public functions such as funerals, 
 weddings, home religious sevices (manje lwa), etc.  Perhaps because of 
 the nature of your work you only see people whose communal support 
 system has fallen apart.

 (2)"the methodology that marxism promotes.....is the major reason for 
 the failure of liberation theology in Nicaragua"

 Liberation theology and marxism in Central America have at least one 
 major goal in common: land reform. Many Marxists believe in liberation 
 theology, and many of those who espouse liberation theology  are 
 influenced by the philosophy of marxism. The methodology which caused 
 the failure of both in Nicaragua is that of NSC 68, the statement of 
 policy of the National Security Council of the United States, which 
 describes the policy of containment as "one which seeks by all means 
 short of war to ... block further expansion of Soviet power".   These 
 means in Nicaragua included an embargo, a guerrilla war, and the mining 
 of the harbors.  Whatever contribution, if any, marxism made to the 
 failure of the Sandinista government must surely be seen as secondary to 
 the onslaught of the most powerful nation on earth using "all means 
 short of war" to bring about this failure.

Sincerely, Steve White