PURITAN NEWS WEEKLY

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01/27/05

The Hideous Cycle in Romish Cultures

By J. Parnell McCarter

There is a hideous cycle in most societies where Romanism is the dominant religion. Such societies fluctuate between a corrupt version of capitalism, where graft and bribery are endemic and often a small coterie steals significant wealth, and a Marxist brand of socialism, where private property rights are routinely violated in the name of stopping the oppression of the wealthy. This pattern is most obviously illustrated in Latin America. During the 1980s and 1990s, Latin America was largely in the corrupted capitalist phase of this cycle, now it is moving into the Marxist phase of the cycle.

Correspondent Al Hembd passed the following information on to us:

“Communism is now stronger than ever in Latin America…Of great concern, though…just as the Communists in our very recent past backed terrorists like the IRA and FARC, so also are the Latin American Communists.  Esp Lula of Brazil and Hugo Chavez of Venezuela.  …

http://www.stoptheftaa.org/artman/publish/printer_155.shtml

Communism's Resurgence

By William F. Jasper

The New American, January 24, 2005

Communism is not dead in Latin America. In fact, the dominoes are falling south of the border, but no one seems to be noticing… The supposed corpse of Communism, however, is very much alive. In fact, it is much more dangerously alive than it was when Castro was in his heyday, in the 1960s and '70s, sponsoring revolution and terrorism throughout the Americas, Africa, and the Middle East. Consider:

    * For the past six years, President Hugo Chavez — a self-proclaimed Communist and boon companion of Fidel — has been tightening the vise of dictatorship on Venezuela, the region's key oil-producing country (and the source of much of our imported fuel).

    * Next door in Brazil, Latin America's largest, most populous nation, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is also consolidating a Marxist regime.

    * In Argentina, President Nestor Kirchner reversed 15 years of Argentine policy by re-establishing ties with Cuba and cozying up to Castro and Hugo Chavez.

    * In Ecuador, radical Castro-Chavez protégé Lucio Gutierrez is now in control.

    * Much of Colombia is controlled by FARC, the Communist narco-terrorists who have been waging a murderous terrorist war for 40 years.

    * United Nations "peacekeepers" occupy Haiti, and that disaster-ridden island may soon see the return of ousted Marxist madman Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

    * Riots in Bolivia caused President Lozada to resign in 2003, and the current president, Carlos Mesa, may soon be replaced by Evo Morales, "indigenous" activist and leader of the Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) party. In the December 2004 local elections, Morales' MAS candidates won many of the city and provincial races.

    * The Communist Sandinistas have swept back into power in Nicaragua, taking many of the local offices in the November 2004 elections.

The leftist list goes on: Chile's Ricardo Lagos (elected in 2000), Peru's Alejandro Toledo (2000), and Uruguay's Tabare Vazquez (2004). Latin American countries are falling like dominoes…”

This was almost inevitable after the economic difficulties of the last five years, and the exposure of the graft which was a major factor in these economic difficulties. Consider, for instance, this item from BBC News:

“Brazil uncovers corrupt officials. Federal prosecutors in Brazil say they have identified 137 politicians and more than 400 government officials involved in a corruption scandal. Prosecutors believe between $30bn and $60bn was illegally sent abroad between 1996 and 1999. Most of the money is believed to be from corruption and drug smuggling. It is potentially the largest corruption scandal to hit Brazil in more than a decade.” (BBC News, September 6, 2004, summary by Sherldine Tomlinson).

Socialists like da Silva of Brazil sell their Party to the people as a way to get rid of the corruption.  But it is a vain hope to imagine that a Marxist version of a corrupt Romish culture will do much better than a capitalist version of a corrupt Romish culture. Hence we read articles like this:

“President Faces First Scandal. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio da Silva faces the first major scandal of his administration with allegations that an aide solicited illegal campaign contributions from the boss of an illegal lottery. Opposition lawmakers has called for a congressional investigation into allegations that could undermine the government of Silva, who in the past 24 years built his leftist Workers Party on a platform of honesty and service to the poor.” (New York Times, February 17, 2004 , summary by Sherldine Tomlinson).

The real solution is Biblical Protestantism. The establishment of true religion brings with it beneficial effects on human society. But the false religion of Romanism brings misery in its wake.