I have been a bad analyst……spending so much time trying to make heads or tails of a pathetic election has made me remiss……and my political walk about for the last week or so has given me ample time to do what I should be doing….Paying Attention!

May I see a show of hands of those that know who Salvadore Allende was?  (Pause here for the mad dash to Google)

Allende was the first elected Marxist president and he was in Chile….after taking office he promised to nationalize most large industries and put any profit in the country’s treasury for the use on programs that would benefit the entire population……….after all his attempts the major corporations with ties to the US asked for help removing Allende and his programs……the CIA had a huge hand in the coup that brought Pinochet to power…..and with that the crack down on any dissension was pretty much rubber stamped by the US government……many people died or were maimed…….that was the short version and you can check it out…….

My problem with the whole act was that he was elected by the people and that was a mandate to what the people wanted and the programs they desired…..BTW, there was NO secret that he was a Marxist.

I often wondered if this type of thing would ever happen again……you know in Venezuela or Bolivia……but you know I never thought of the country of Paraguay…..my bad!

I ran across this article on Counter Punch when I was searching for more Syrian updates……..

In a July 22nd speech marking the one month anniversary of the parliamentary coup that overthrow left-leaning Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo, the former leader denounced that a motivating interest among the coup-plotters was a sought-after deal between Paraguay and the Montreal-based mining company, Rio Tinto Alcan.

“Those who pushed for the coup are those who want to solidify the negotiations with the multinational Rio Tinto Alcan, betraying the energetic sovereignty and interests of our country,” Lugo told supporters.

Such an accusation represents the widespread discontent among Paraguayan people toward current negotiations between Rio Tinto Alcan (RTA) and the government of Federico Franco, Lugo’s right wing replacement.

Yet shortly after taking office, Franco fast-tracked the RTA negotiations, pressuring his new Minister of Industry and Commerce to swiftly move forward with the deal. Civil society protests ensued and, as Lugo’s comments about the RTA deal suggest, the issue has become a rallying point for justice amidst post-coup Paraguay’s political and social crisis.

The views of Paraguayan engineer Ricardo Canese reflect the main concerns of citizens opposing the deal. In an article from the Paraguayan social research institute BASE-IS, Canese explained that the proposed deal with RTA would disproportionately benefit the company in that the government – through the taxation of the Paraguayan people – would be subsidizing a massive amount of RTA’s energy over a period of 30 years.

Canese further criticized the fact that the taxpayers would be spending $700 million dollars in infrastructure to allow the company to install their operations in the country. And while RTA pledges to create 1,250 jobs, the company would annually use the same amount of electricity that 9.6 million people use during the same period.

In the lead-up to the coup, Lugo and his administration resisted the use of Monsanto’s GMO cotton seeds in the country. Yet just after taking power, the Franco administration threw government critics of the plan out of office, and moved ahead to approve the use of the controversial seeds in the country.

These two relationships with multinational corporations clearly show where the interests of the Franco administration lie. They also demonstrate that, while the Lugo administration failed to fully implement its plans for land reform, justice and expanded rights in Paraguay, the Franco administration, in just one month in office, has already proven to be closer ally of corporate globalization.

Okay, before I take any flack…I am NOT saying that the CIA was involved, but if you know anything about the agency, it is not impossible……another point…does Monsanto sound familiar?  If it does not, you have NOT been paying attention…….

Anytime a duly elected representative is taking out of office by any means other than by the people that put them there is BS!

But wait there is more!

Via: ABC News / AP:

Investors can begin construction in six months on three privately run cities in Honduras that will have their own police, laws, government and tax systems now that the government has signed a memorandum of agreement approving the project.

An international group of investors and government representatives signed the memorandum Tuesday for the project that some say will bring badly needed economic growth to this small Central American country and that at least one detractor describes as “a catastrophe.”

The project’s aim is to strengthen Honduras’ weak government and failing infrastructure, overwhelmed by corruption, drug-related crime and lingering political instability after a 2009 coup.

The project “has the potential to turn Honduras into an engine of wealth,” said Carlos Pineda, president of the Commission for the Promotion of Public-Private Partnerships. It can be “a development instrument typical of first world countries.”

The “model cities” will have their own judiciary, laws, governments and police forces. They also will be empowered to sign international agreements on trade and investment and set their own immigration policy.

Congress president Juan Hernandez said the investment group MGK will invest $15 million to begin building basic infrastructure for the first model city near Puerto Castilla on the Caribbean coast. That first city would create 5,000 jobs over the next six months and up to 200,000 jobs in the future, Hernandez said. South Korea has given Honduras $4 million to conduct a feasibility study, he said.

“The future will remember this day as that day that Honduras began developing,” said Michael Strong, CEO of the MKG Group. “We believe this will be one of the most important transformations in the world, through which Honduras will end poverty by creating thousands of jobs.”

Does anyone else see the old “company store” coming back?  Does anyone think that a private city is a good idea?  Please speak up!