Collective ego and regression (Bolivia crisis 2019)

[Vaishnavi]

Bolivia crisis 2019

(in a nutshell) The very same people protesting against their president Evo Morales for being a corrupt hypocrite (which he partly is) are now protesting against the newly (self declared) interim president Jeanine Anez because she does not represent who they are (their collective indigenous identity is threatened)

Here’s the story  

• The country’s multi ethnic
• Evo Morales was (is) the guy who became country’s 1st leader hailing from an indigenous community (and so in a way represents them)
• Alleviated poverty on a large scale (from 59% in 2005 to 35% in 2018)
• His decline started in the last 5 years as international reserves decreased and gross fiscal deposit started increasing. He didn’t do much for environment protection which is a major source of livelihood there. Also made some comments on the amazon rainforest fire incident. All of this led to his popularity taking a hit
• The guy was threatened, went against the constitution in his own ways, messed up with election results (was confirmed by the OAS)
• Had to resign given the heavy protests and take political asylum in Mexico (which is where he currently is) 

Now comes the twist 

Jeanine Anez (who’s anti-morales) basically declared herself as the president stating that the Vice President too resigned. 

People who were then protesting against Morales had to regress and are protesting against Jeanine Anez now demanding that Morales be back because “its an interim government that does not represent us and is filled with white people who look at us with racism and hatred. We came here to show who the original people of Bolivia are” as one of them puts it.

One of the conclusions that can be drawn is that Evo morales’s corruption will be forgotten (classic regression) and he will be redeemed if the alternative is Jeanine Anez (as she is literally replacing the holy textbook of Pachamama with a bible now. Thats the threat people see to their identity) 

 

 

Edited November 19, 2019 by Vaishnavi

[Apparition of Jack]

I think this is a good case study of a country not being able to progress too much if the social systems of that country are undeveloped. Morales may have tried to be a great reformer, but because Bolivia is simply too stuck in stage Red/Blue, even he couldn't make that many changes and started acting corrupt himself.

Spiral Wizardry would help here. Find whichever politician is the most advanced in Bolivia and support them, whatever their shortcomings may be. Otherwise, i predict troubles within the country for a long while to come.

[Leo Gura]

What people often overlook is that corruption is a relative and system thing. In a systemically under-developed country like Bolivia there's no hope of electing a perfectly uncorrupt leader. It's a matter of gradual improvement.

That's a deeply stage Blue country which has a lot of growing pains ahead.

[Tanz]

It's an interesting problem to address.
1. Should other developed nations intervene and help the people
2.  Should other countries stay out of it and allow them to figure it out themselves

I tend to lean more on #2 because I am not sure its anyone's business to interfere with their growth as a nation.  Historically whenever outsiders intervene there are usually strings attached and a higher cost in lives.  

Byron Katie always says there are three types of business.  Your business, others people business, and Gods business.  The only business you should be concerned about is your business.