SOMETIMES WE MUST teach students not to be afraid of success, said a teacher of color, with 32 years of experience in public schools in Washington. He is right, but in Venezuela we sometimes have to fight against the desire to fail.
Globalization is something irreversible. Even the United States has had to give its arm to twist (or so it seems) and disconnect the subsidies, which artificially had kept a few of its cotton growers alive, at the expense of many other farmers in poor countries.
For being a strong critic of the way Venezuela has handled globalization, it may be labeled as global-phobic, both by the inept, who do not realize their dangers, and by the snobs, who only see it as something elegant. However, the truth is that among those who fight, for Venezuela to succeed with globalization and those who believe that the country can have a better future, by turning its back on it, there is a world of differences.
Recognizing that globalization is difficult and brings risks, we who accept the challenge of swimming with the currents and seeking to get the best for our nation, can feel some sympathy and understanding for those who truly believe we would be better off as hermits. Those who do not deserve our sympathy, understanding, or forgiveness though, are those who oppose globalization, only to ensure the failure of the country so to ensure that mediocrity that allows them to maintain their own share of power.
In the long run, failure is not sustainable, neither in a globalized world, nor in a colonized one, or we succeed in our Venezuela, or some strangers will do so. In this sense, the failure-searchers, among which we will always find some who say they are acting on behalf of our nation, are cynically dedicated to losing it.
To those who on account of their good intentions believe the failure of their revolution is impossible, let me remind them that while it is difficult to maintain [the spirit of] a revolution without resources, it is much more so with an abundance that attracts all kinds of ilk.
To those who believe that everything will be fixed by just getting out of the process, beware! We can once again end up in total disillusion, not for fear of success, but for the desire to fail.
To all those who believe that globalization will only leave losers, don't worry, every day there are more of us who want to make winners out of all. Let's not be afraid of success!
Translated from El Universal
