Just When You Thought Maoism Was Dead

[Bikewer]

A BBC article this morning:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8256692.stm

reports on the increasing influence of Maoist rebels in the central provinces of India, and on how an ongoing campaign to suppress them has been essentially unsuccessful.

Apparently, these people have been causing trouble for about 20 years, finding support among the many poor in India. However, recently there has been more violence and apparently entire states have fallen under the influence of the rebels.

With a very large percentage of it's population impoverished and with widespread corruption, Maoist/Communist influences find a ready audience.....

 

[Francesca R]

West Bengal has been ruled by the Communist Party for most of India's independence I think.

 

[Cleon]

In Nepal, the Maoists have been the group largely responsible for the overthrow of the dictatorial monarchy, and the establishment of democracy.

Seriously.

 

[Francesca R]

(In case it is a little known factoid, India's states are democratic too)

 

[Captain.Sassy]

/\/\/\
True.
The Keralan communist party(ies) apparently did a pretty good job of running the state off and on for a few decades (close to half a century).

 

[Beerina]

With a very large percentage of it's population impoverished and with widespread corruption, Maoist/Communist influences anything besides what's already there finds a ready audience.....

Fixed.


I always wondered why the fix to "corruption" was to outlaw competition, rather than encourage it. Putting everything into the hands of a few people is pretty much the goal of the corrupt, precisely so they can lord over the competition by forcing kickbacks just to get out of the way, and to prevent competition for power itself.


In other words, just who in the Hell do they think will seek to be leaders in such a "system"?