John Pilger. The war on democracy.

Last night I watched the documentary by John Pilger called The war on Democracy. I think it is a bit dated now but it is the most powerful stuff. It shows the role of US imperialism in the slaughter of the left and anti capitalist forces in Latin America. Some incredible interviews with right wing people. It could maybe have put a bit more emphasis on how it is the US corporations who are behind the US military policies. You will never be able to watch the news on the capitalist mass media in the same way again.

One thing I have adjusted in my view after seeing this documentary. I always condemn the catholic church as a vicious right wing anti women capitalist institution. And I still believe this is undeniable. But as this documentary showed there were some heroic people opposing the dictatorships in Latin America who were nuns and priests. Many were in the liberation theology movement which existed in the church for a while. But this was crushed by an alliance of the Vatican, US Imperialism and the military dictatorships in Latin America. See the interview with the nun.

Now I am a bit more nuanced in my position on the Catholic Church. I still describe it as I do above. I will also as before say that I cannot see how anybody can belong to it. But I will also say that if anybody feels they have to belong to it they have to take up the struggle to build a new liberation theology movement, learning the lessons from the past one and the main lesson is that nuns or priests, it makes no makes no difference. If they challenge capitalism and US imperialism they will have to fight the Vatican who will cooperate with US imperialism and capitalism and right wing dictatorships who will slaughter them as they slaughter the workers and peasants. If anybody has to belong to this organization this is only justified if at the same time they build an opposition within which fights to end capitalism and build a democratic socialist world where all are equal.

Sean.