Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site bbncca.ARPA Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!ihnp4!bbncca!rrizzo From: rrizzo@bbncca.ARPA (Ron Rizzo) Newsgroups: net.politics Subject: Re: My article on Nicaragua Message-ID: <1414@bbncca.ARPA> Date: Wed, 1-May-85 11:33:21 EDT Article-I.D.: bbncca.1414 Posted: Wed May 1 11:33:21 1985 Date-Received: Thu, 2-May-85 02:18:03 EDT References: <160@ttrdc.UUCP> Organization: Bolt, Beranek and Newman, Cambridge, Ma. Lines: 31 Reagan : Central America :: USSR : Eastern Europe?? I don't think the analogy holds at all. Economic imperialism and chronic political interference (19th century American adventurers invading Nicaragua, US marines in this century, supporting dictators) is not the same as totalitarian control and massive military occupa- tion. All of Eastern Europe is occupied by Soviet armies & tanks. Sandinist policies aren't Marxist-Leninist? The use of "mass organi- zations", political control of the military by a party rather than a government, single massive gov't organizations such as a labor federa- tion, a youth organization, etc. to monopolize all organizational and political initiatives (combined with repression of independent organi- zations), lawless rule (the state of emergency, political control of courts, cops, & paramilitary units), subversion of elections and harass- ment of political expression ("turba" gangs, etc.), heavy censorship, close ties to Cuba & now the USSR, incessant ideological mobilization of the population, residential block spies (Sandinist Defense Committees), etc. Phew! It sures looks like left-totalitarianism to me. I posted New Republic (10/8/85) articles by Robt & Sam Leikin to document this. It's not surprising people aren't too aware of what is going on inside Nicaragua. The reporting of the North American press has been lazy and mediocre. The fact that there is still some diversity, visible protest, & "mix" in the economy & elsewhere is an artifact of the 1979 revolution: it was very broadly based. But the direction of the Managua regime is clear to anyone willing to read the signs. Regards, Ron Rizzo