This
question is often asked; does Socialism work? Or
is there a place for it in today's world? Many on
the right would trumpet the fall of the Soviet Union
as the death knell to Socialism/Communism as a working
ideology. Some Neo-cons go even further and trumpet
the end of the USSR as the end of history. As history
consists of different ideological, political and
economic power struggles, they herald the dominant
USA and its socio-economic and political system
as the only system for the world from now to doomsday.
A
startling declaration, for the billions of people
suffering devastating poverty and murderous imperialism
due to this eternal system. Particularly in Africa,
Asia and Latin America where the effects have been
felt most both today and in the past. Yet, it is
in Latin America that this "end of history"
claim is being shown to be the folly that it is.
Countries right across the South American Continent
are experiencing an ever-growing socialist trend
with various land reform, labour and students movements
pushing the collective social consciousness' of
the continent further to the left side of the political
spectrum. This has resulted in the election of left
leaning political leaders, much to the discomfort
of the Ultra-Nationalist, Neo-Conservative clique
in Washington.
The
largest thorn in the side of the US imperialist
state is Venezuela and its elected President Hugo
Chavez who is using his considerable mandate to
reverse the US backed trend of corruption that has
blighted the country and to implement sweeping that
evenly spread the resources of the oil rich country.
One
concrete example of this is the recently nationalized
INVEPAL factory complex. INVEPAL is the country's
paper making industry that was a privately enterprise
until the owners declared the factory bankrupt as
an act of economic sabotage by the anti-government
bosses. Instead of accepting the massive job loss,
the workers formally requested the permission to
run the factory as a collective in cooperation with
the government. The government agreed and the factory
now operates successfully in the socialist model
of workers control.
Upon
visiting the factory however, I discovered that
the factory is much more than just a working example
of a socialist industrial unit. The factory unit
itself produces paper for the books/stationary used
in the government's education and health missions
as well as its official stationary. It also produces
other products such as paper bags used by shops
and pharmacies and larger bags used for agricultural
feeds and cements etc.
One
of the democratically elected administration staff
had arranged for a tour of the factory for me with
one of the workers. The first thing that struck
me was how orderly the place looked. I still do
not know why this should have come as a shock to
me. I perhaps had a very wrong subconscious misconception
of how a factory without bosses would have looked.
I can be forgiven for my surprise at the revelations
that followed.
Coming
out of one of the factory buildings, I noticed three
fire engines and an ambulance situated at a depot.
I discovered that these were the property of the
factory collective. Not only that, but the firemen
and paramedics had stayed after the workers' annex
as part of the collective. I was amused to see the
old VENEPAL (the name of the factory under private
ownership) logo on the sides of the fire engines
had been sprayed over with white paint.
A
little further and my guide directed me into an
extremely large and noisy building that I soon discovered
was a gas fuelled electric power station with four
huge steam turbines that provide power for the entire
factory complex. Again, this was operated by members
of the workers' collective within.
The
factory, as a socialist model, not only works but
works more efficiently. Paper production has increased
since the workers annex. The workers are contributing
to the success of their collective effort with more
energy without the exploitation of a private boss.
They have realized their potential in collective
effort and this has injected a vitality in them
that is allowing them to fulfil it. Moreover, they
are also working to fulfil the potential of the
factory complex as a whole.
The
factory complex lies in app.5,600 hectares of what
was mostly private, unproductive land. There are
also a number of amenities that were once exclusively
for the middle management level of the private factory
for example a baseball field and small stadium.
There is also a swimming pool and a series of chalet
housing with a restaurant. Up until a few months
ago these amenities along with other structures
in the complex had fallen into a state of great
disrepair. Using the profits created by the factory,
the collective have began an extensive program of
refurbishment, opening the complex up to the workers
for their use and welfare. The stadium is open for
the workers or their children to use for sports
as will the pool in a few weeks time. The chalets
and other buildings in the complex are receiving
refurbishment to the roofs and air-conditioning
and are used by workers permanently based here.
The restaurant has been refurbished and has been
transformed into a canteen for the workers to enjoy
a subsidized lunch in cooler surroundings. A shop
has been opened offering a wide range of subsidized
goods.
Showing
admirable imagination and social consciousness,
the factory workers have asked the government to
provide agricultural experts to come to the site
to develop the remaining 5,000 hectares into productive
agricultural land. The government has obliged and
sent Venezuelan and Cuban experts to draw up and
develop plans to implement irrigation schemes to
make the land suitable for crop production, livestock
including egg bearing chickens, dairy and beef cows,
pigs and buffalos. The experts are not planning
to do this on their own. They are training people
from local towns to take part in their training
schemes and to take responsibility of the land in
different collectives and make it productive for
them. The schemes are aimed at all ages from schoolchildren
to adults.
Despite
these obvious benefits, the factory complex is also
providing more employment than before to the surrounding
area. It employs teams of local people to maintain
the factory grounds and carry out various repairs
to the infrastructure.
The
factory complex may be viewed as a microcosm of
a socialist society and not only proving that it
does work but is also advancing the concept of socialist
cooperation throughout Venezuela and other factories
are beginning to take inspiration from this shining
example. The once private valve making industry
for the national petrol company, PDVSA, is in transition
towards workers control. As is the countries textile
industry which is now known as INVETEX. All of this
is being seen by progressives here in Venezuela,
not in negative terms, but as the country's industry
reawakening.
INVEPAL
is proving here in this coastal area of Venezuela
that socialism does work, whilst Venezuela as a
nation is beginning to embrace the socialist model
as the only model that allows all of mankind the
ability and space to develop its potential. Moreover,
INVEPAL is proving to be at the arrowhead of revolution
here in Venezuela whilst Venezuela proves to be
at the arrowhead of radical change in Latin America
which, if it follows Venezuela's lead, will surely
prove to be the catalyst for radical social change
in the world.
