Bolivia for example

Le Monde Diplomatique, mai 2003, p. 12-14, article entitled "Eruption
annonce'e du volcan bolivien" by Walter Cha'vez.

The article describes how the popular forces in Bolivia came close to
forcing the government of Sanchez de Lozada to resign on 13 February 2003.

My observations with respect to PFPC (Project for a First People's Century):

(a) definition of "people" (as called for in Wagar's recent article) - in
the article on Bolivia, the "people" or "popular forces" that are mentioned
are (1) organized, (2) unorganized. The organized popular forces comprise
"the peasant movements, the coca producers, the trade unions (syndicats),
the Coordination of Water, the NGOs, etc., who usually act together"
(Footnote 2, my translation). The unorganized popular forces that are
mentioned are "the crowd" (la foule) spontaneously forming on February 13.

(b) weakness of the social movements - author Chavez blames the lack of
success of the popular forces on 13 February 2003 on various weaknesses of
the Bolivian social movements, including, that they "have not, for the time
being, succeeded in articulating an alternative economic model or action"
(my transl.)

(c) for the world level (re PFPC), defining "people" appears more
complicated than for a single country like Bolivia; and articulating an
alternative economic model or action for the world level appears also more
complicated than for a single country. Thus, the illustrious and/or
proletarian crowd thinking about PFPC is facing a mighty challenge or two.

GK