The Danger from Below

If you thought that the cold war was won and that communism was no more, think again. Communism is alive and growing in South America, it's protractors taking advantage of the US' preoccupation with the war on terror by conducting a covert strategy of toppling democratic governments in South America using of all things, the Democratic process.

The most recent victim, Bolivia. Evo Morales a self-ascribed socialist, won the presidential election with a 51% outright majority. His victory was a direct result a year long insurgency funded by Venezuela's Hugo Chavez using money from the oil industry he nationalized upon taking office (he purportedly did this to end the exploitation of the Venezeulan people).

Chavez, who is a disciple of Castro although he claims to be a "socialist", diverted oil money to Bolivia to fund the presence of Cuban "doctors" who conducted organizing activities that resemble union drives of small businesses in the US. This is the same template that Castro used to get Chavez in power in Venezuela.

If you think I'm paranoid, get a load of this. In his acceptance speech, Mr. Morales vowed to halt a U.S.- backed program to eradicate coca, to nationalize the energy industry and to be Washington's "worst nightmare."

Given Bolivia's central location in the continent, it will be even easier for Communists to migrate to the surrounding countries and keep the momentum rolling. With Venezuelan oil money backing them, this effort can be maintained for quite a while.

Chavez fought vehemently to prevent a South American free trade agreement last summer because he knows that the easiest way to topple a government is through poverty and hopelessness. Without the ability create an independent working class, small governments are severely hampered in their efforts to grow their economies. Communism is based on maintaining a dependent class and they fear Capitalism over all other ideologies, including radical Islamic zealots.

If we cannot have a continental agreement, then it is in our best interest to establish trade agreements with as many South American countries as we can, in order to help them grow their economies, improve the livelihoods of their people and make it less likely for "pied pipers" such as Chavez to repeat the damage caused by Castro over 40 years ago.