Bolivian President Evo Morales

So many Americans are energized about President-elect Barack Obama. Many are not... which news media channels fail to report the amount of racist actions that has taken off ever since November 4th. Let's not be surprised about it none-the-less. They are a minor collection of naive, faith-based individuals still living in segregated America completely in denial of the progressive America of the 21st century.

However, this post is not about Barack Obama as the title indicates. I recently had the pleasure of watching Bolivian President Evo Morales being interviewed on Democracy Now!, a fantastic current events program. Please subscribe to this news channel.

After watching his 40 minute interview (it's worth watching), Morales clearly has a grasp of how to make Bolivio a thriving society united under the people, not the government or private interests. Many of the ideas he mentions are on the same level as Barack Obama's. He faces the same opposition as Obama does such as right-wing lobbyists and energy privatization (he mentions and recognizes all peoples have the human right to have energy). He wants to nationalize many of Bolivia's resources to the people.

Also, what I think makes him a level up on Obama is his restrictions on war. Bolivia is to not be a military or violent state. He is currently in the process of setting up non-war pacts with neighboring South American countries. He told the ambassador of the U.S. he had 3 months to pack his things and leave Bolivia. He is also not allowing any DEA agents or operations carried out since he felt they were actually encouraging drug trafficking rather than preventing it.

This gives the sense that a majority of South American nations are tired of being bullied around. And rightfully so! For far too long this region of the Western hemisphere has been under U.S. influence for all the wrong reasons - drugs, oil, slave labor, destruction of vital rain forests and the Panama Canal to name some .

The revitalization of the human spirit is such a powerful force that Morales became the first indigenous President of Bolivia. He, too like Barack Obama, had suffered through bigotry and the phrase "he doesn't have what it takes" from the powers that still want to be. But Morales proved and continues to prove he is the real deal for his Bolivian brothers and sisters.

please click here to view the interview.