This article, critically analyzing the Ortega government and Nicaraguan society, will likely generate controversy. A couple of general observations. In the wake of the collapse of the Soviet Union, I’m not so ready to take on face value the claims – including the democratic character – of left governments. Another is – and this is a reconsideration – that the path to socialism lies in the expansion and deepening of democracy. In other words, it’s an indispensable means as well as an end of socialist development.
Written by
Sam Webb
I'm a long-time socialist and activist, but new to the blogging world. I hope to bring a different perspective on politics, sports, culture, and Marxism. Besides blogging, I also leave plenty of time for swimming, hiking, ESPN, music, reading, drinking good beer, and, not least, my family and friends. I wish I could play basketball, but my knees ruled out that possibility long ago.
While I currently reside in New York, my politically formative years were spent in Portland, Me. and Detroit during the 1970s and 1980s. I graduated from St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia (where I played basketball) and received a MA in economics from the University of Connecticut.
I was the national chairperson of the Communist Party, USA from 2000 until 2014 when I stepped down at the convention. In 2016 I resigned from the Communist Party two years later. We were no longer on the same page.
