Buzzflash
del.icio.us
Digg
Facebook
Newsvine
RedditOn December 2, by a slim 50.7 percent to 49.3 percent margin, Venezuelans rejected a slate of sixty-nine constitutional reforms championed by President Hugo Chávez. Fiercely debated in Venezuela, the referendum sparked a spirited discussion among our contributors.
-
Quieting the Riot
Should police use force to break up student gatherings?
-
Getting Out the (Rest of the) Youth Vote
It's been an unprecedented year for young voters, but the battle isn't over yet. How can we make sure that all youth, in and out of college, can vote in November?
-
Idle Hands: Why The Candidates Must Focus on America's Youth
In recent years, the youth jobless rate has soared to record highs.
-
Charleston's First Integrated Prom
Canadian filmmaker Paul Saltzman documentary is sure to be hopeful, fascinating, and at least a little bit heartbreaking.
-
Extreme Inequality: A Nation Guide
More information about our extremely unequal world--and to help advance the struggle for a more equal future (web only).
-
Plutocracy Reborn
The gap between America's rich and the rest of us is rapidly widening. Here are some graphic examples of the disparities that are distorting our public life.
-
The Unappetizing Politics of School Lunches
How a progressive idea ended up reinforcing inequality.
In many mainstream media outlets, commentators worried about Chávez's emerging "dictatorship" and cheered the referendum's defeat as a triumph for democracy. Looking beyond such rhetoric, many of our contributors have different interpretations of the most controversial reforms, although some are critical of not only their substance but the manner in which they were presented to the Venezuelan people.
What forces drove the opposition to Chávez's reforms? What does the referendum's defeat mean for the future of the Bolivarian revolution? And what did the majority of the US press get wrong (or right) about the vote in Venezuela? Our forum contributors, representing a range of perspectives, tackle these and other questions. They are:
Mark Weisbrot: Progressive Change in Venezuela
Sujatha Fernandes: What Does the 'No' Vote Mean?
Chesa Boudin: A Silver Lining for the Bolivarian Revolution
Elisabeth Young-Bruehl: Behind the Student Movement's Victory
Greg Grandin: Chavismo and Democracy
- Get The Nation at home (and online!) for 75 cents a week!
- If you like this article, consider making a donation to The Nation.
