Not In The West? (a reply to PLG)

Yesterday I asked out of frustration just how the progressive "tactic" of isolated protests (which is the chosen form of activism by the people whose politics I mostly share) is supposed to provide any sort of real change to the world we all describe as veering towards some sort of apocalypse.The always worthwhile Purple Library Guy responded in a way I was not expecting:

Thwap, if you want to make a difference, move to Latin America. If you want to win, go to Venezuela. If you want to struggle with a chance of winning, try one of the places where there's some progress but it's hard to say what might happen, like Argentina or Brazil. If the world changes it will start from there.

If you're a bit more audacious, go to Spain or Greece and fight austerity with Syriza etc.

Canada is the place change will reach last, probably slower even than the US itself. As the old order crumbles across the globe, we'll be largely unaware of the news. I don't think radicals can do much here except on a very local basis, trying to build little enclaves less affected by the cold neoliberal winds and gradually grow and connect them.

I have a couple of problems with this: First of all, it removes our responsibility as radicals for the failure of North Americans to adequately respond to the outrages of our short-sighted, self-centered elites. I've always asked how apolitical people who are busy living their lives are supposed to behave differently if we're not giving them some sort of realistic program that speaks to their own experiences. Secondly,.it is my belief that if changes are going to be lasting, they have to originate from within the wealthiest, most powerful countries.

The USA is not as powerful as it once was, and it has become distracted by its own desperate efforts to maintain control over Middle East oil supplies, and has therefore lost control of many South American countries. But Colombia remains a powerful enemy; one which could probably destroy Venezuela militarily. And Obama showed he can still make short work of non-compliant Central American governments in Honduras. I think the corporate state is too powerful to be met by "people power" in the USA, but this isn't the case in Canada yet. We Canadians could tame our own state elites and serve as an example for the benighted people of the United Police States of America.

This is not to criticize PLG, who I have tons of admiration for. These are just my own thoughts on the subjects he raised.