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Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!harvard!talcott!panda!teddy!lkk
From: lkk@teddy.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: Nicaraguan Parallel
Message-ID: <1320@teddy.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 18-Sep-85 18:48:42 EDT
Article-I.D.: teddy.1320
Posted: Wed Sep 18 18:48:42 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 21-Sep-85 10:14:32 EDT
References: <7800427@inmet.UUCP> <7800435@inmet.UUCP>
Reply-To: lkk@teddy.UUCP (Larry K. Kolodney)
Organization: GenRad, Inc., Concord, Mass.
Lines: 71

In article <7800435@inmet.UUCP> janw@inmet.UUCP writes:

> As I've said, it's *only a symptom*. Other things
>go with it, such as:  
> - no dissent within the ruling Party;

Please provide evidence of no dissent within Sandanista party.



> - secret police unchecked by any other institution
>   but the Party;

This is a problem in Nicaragua.  However, you never hear of any evidence of
torture, and little evidence of other major abuses that you might expect from
a KGB-like organization.

> - a net of informers sufficient to report on every citizen;

There are informers in Nicaragua, but I know of no evidence that that 
are as omnipresent as you claim.  There are also informers in this country.


> - Propaganda a major item of budget;

Sad, but true.  However, propoganda is a major item in the budget of
any nation under attack.


> - armed forces politicized;

True.  But given the circumstances of their rise to power, not surprising.

> - a network of Party-affiliated organizations covering all
>   areas of life, cradle to grave;

Evidence?

> - anti-government demonstrations (of course) made impossible,
>   but also pro-government ones made compulsory;

Untrue.  There was just recently a major protest by the leading business
group in Nicaragua.

> - censorship (of course) suppressing anti-regime information;
>   but also *insufficiently pro-regime* information;

Censorship exists, but it is not nearly on the level of Soviet or
Chinese censorship.  Many anti-government articles DO get printed (although
others don't).


> - the country declared a military camp;

Untrue.  Only those areas that are actually in the war zone are such.  There
is freedom of movement in the rest of the country.

> - foreign connections made difficult; and so on. 

Untrue.  Foreigners are welcomed to travel freely in Nicaragua.


Nicaragua does show many of the signs of a Leninist state.  But it also 
has much in common with pluralist societies as well.  US pressure
and agreession towards it merely gives the hardliners excuses to crack down.
-- 

Sport Death,
Larry Kolodney
(USENET) ...decvax!genrad!teddy!lkk
(INTERNET) lkk@mit-mc.arpa


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