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The Masked Perfesser in Dublin
by Frank Walsh
The whereabouts of the Masked Perfesser (MP) were, as of press time,
unknown. That rowdy, randy bawd was last spotted in Dublin, Ireland,
attempting to crash the First Annual Dead Drunk Dublin Festival held at
Mother Red Caps Pub in that venue's upstairs auditorium on Wednesday,
August 4. The event was well attended, well received, and consisted of
inspired poetry and prose recitation by readers from America, Wales,
England, Germany, and of course the Old Sod proper, as well as jams and
free form improv by a profusion of bands and musicians for over seven
solid hours. Sources close to the American participants (some of whom
have close ties to Philadelphia) insist the Perfesser was heard to
bellow under duress, beset by an angry, inebriated mob of young artiste
types whom he would redress regarding the festival's rough treatment of
his person and intellectual stature, in the present issue of PAW
Print. The MP then purportedly made a theatrical leap from a second
floor window without suffering any serious injury on his part,
especially his swelled head. He immediately sprang to his feet after
hitting the cobbled stones of Lamb Alley and was seen dashing off toward
O'Connell Street with its great Needle.
Meanwhile readers are here treated to an initial series of dispatches
coming out of the current social upheaval in Venezuela by local
anarchist Jimmy "Bones" Nasti and his comrade Hannah, who are
in the thick of the action until they return safely in early September:]
Frank,
Life is good. The Peoples Movement is fierce and holstered guns and
red flags abound.
Jimmy Bones
Frank, these are excerpts of a journal kept by a U.S. traveler
observing the state of world affairs here and there.
Day Minus 1: Venezuela in shades of red and black
Let me ask you something. You ever feel so thorough it seemed as
though you might turn inside out? Have a mind carrot crisp, sharp as a
woodpecker's beak punching small holes into deeply rooted delusions?
Well, I can tell you that within these passing states sit fine places to
begin a journey. Like a pebble nestled into a nook, you sit as the world
moves about you, paying you only enough mind to toss the crumbs of your
fate of which you accept humbly, a beggar accepting pennies.
Tomorrow I am off to Venezuela to bare witness of the Bolivarian
revolutionary movement which, much to the despair of capitalism's
imperialists has held power since 1999. The first and last steps of the
journey will cross the front doorway of a house in Philadelphia. The
steps in between are clouded with the future's fog through which hope
and love will navigate.
My partner for the looming adventures is my best friend Hannah. She
breathes in the fires of this world and spits out flowers. Her mind is
cast iron and her heart is as tender as the ass of small child.
We make for Venezuela during a volatile time in its long and storied
history. For the past several years a leftist movement called the
Bolivarian Revolution has held power. This popular movement has
consistently come under attack by the U.S imperialist shaking heartily
at the puppet strings of the Venezuelan elites. There was an attempted
coup in April, 2002 that failed when the streets of Caracas filled with
millions of people demanding their democratically-elected government
back. There was an petroleum strike orchestrated by the owners and
managers of the state oil company that failed when the workers refused
to recognize the strike and remained in solidarity with the Bolivarian
Revolution The most recent attempt by the Venezuelan elites to lift
control of the people's government has occurred in the form of a
referendum to recall the President of Venezuela and U.S enemy number one
(don't believe the hype about Saddam Hussein), Hugo Chavez. Chavez has
passed some of the most progressive social programs in the world through
a new constitution ratified via referendum in 1999. Ironically, one of
the progressive provisions of this constitution is a mandate that allows
the people to recall the president after half of the term is served.
Venezuela's constitution is the only in the world that allows the
people to recall the president. The opposition has, with much dispute,
furnished the necessary signatures to force a referendum vote of
President Chavez. This vote is slated for the 15th of August, right
smack dap in the middle of our trip. According to all available polls,
Chavez is firmly in the lead and, for the third time in the last five
years, should easily win a general election. The political changes
enacted by the new constitution were so vast that a general election was
held after its ratification. The opposition has hinted that it will not
accept the outcome of a vote not in their favor. This has heightened
fears of violence during and after the referendum.
So, why is Hugo Chavez so unpopular amongst the elites the world
over? Well, first and foremost, Chavez has claimed Venezuelan resources
for the benefit of all Venezuelan people. Venezuela happens to hold
beneath its ground one of world's largest deposits of crude oil. Much to
the dismay of the oil barons and their capitalist cronies, That oil is
now managed by the Chavez government and the profits poured into
building schools, roads, and mass transportation for the long-neglected
infrastructure of the country. The constitution has also established
world precedents with its progressive policies towards the land rights
of indigenous Venezuelans, the rights of woman and workers' rights. But
the reason that the global capitalist imperialist heathens are most
concerned about the recent happenings in Venezuela is the threat of a
good example. If a people's movement in Venezuela is able to succeed,
what countries might follow suit? The greedy colonialist elites from the
U.S. to Tokyo to Paris are shitting their inhumanely expensive bloomers.
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