Latin America in the Time of Cholera: Electoral Politics, Market Economics, and Permanent Crisis

by James Petras, Morris Morley

Overview

First published in 1992, Latin America in the Time of Cholera questions many ideas regarding the advent of a new era of democracy, peace, and north-south cooperation for development in the post-Cold War period by challenging several myths that shape United States policy toward Latin America. James Petras and Morris Morley trenchantly argue that electoral regimes and free markets in the hemisphere have not improved people’s lives, that Washington’s neo-conservative allies do not have a viable future, and that the end of the Cold War has not lessened U. S. interventionist behavior in Latin America.

This book utilizes empirical and historical analyses and provides a unique interpretive framework that focuses on U. S. involvement in the so-called democraticization of Latin America. It also presents a lively combination of both case studies and critiques of contemporary power relations. This compelling account of Latin America will be an invaluable resource for academics, policymakers, journalists, and anyone who wishes to make sense of tumultuous events in this region.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781032937465
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	11/01/2024
Series:	Routledge Revivals
Pages:	216
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.19(h) x (d)

About the Author

James Petras is a Bartle Professor (Emeritus) of Sociology at Binghamton University, USA. He is the author of more than 62 books published in 29 languages, and over 600 articles in professional journals, including the American Sociological Review, British Journal of Sociology, Social Research, and Journal of Peasant Studies. 

Morris Morley joined Macquarie University in 1985 in the old Politics Department (now part of Modern History, Politics and International Relations) and was the longest serving member of the department at the time of his retirement as Honorary Associate Professor in 2017.

Table of Contents

Introduction  Part 1: The Crisis of Electoral Politics  1. Latin America: Poverty of Democracy and the Democracy of Poverty  2. Aylwin’s Chile: The Nature of Latin American “Democratic” Transitions  Part 2: Imperial Policy and Political Change  3. U. S. Policy Toward Latin America: Military Intervention, Client Regimes, and Economic Pillage in the 1990s  4. Washington’s Invasion of Panama: Myths and Realities  Part 3. Revolution and Counterrevolution  5. Cuban Socialism: Rectification and the New Moel of Accumulation  6. The Electoral Defeat of the Sandinistas: Critical Reflections  7. The Retreat of the Intellectuals  Part 4. Conclusion  8. Democratic Regimes, Terrorist States, and Western Political Amnesia in Latin America  9. Global Transformations and the Future of Socialism in Latin America 

Editorial Reviews

Reviews of the first publication:

“Petras and Morley are truly impressive in the scope and depth of their treatment, their critical command of both the literature and the events of our times, and their understanding of complex developments in Latin America and elsewhere.”

— Michael Parenti, author of The Sword and the Dollar: Imperialism, Revolution and the Arms Race

“This is an important and original book. It is lively, powerful writing and rewarding reading. Incisive social analysis, theoretical critique, and political polemic are uniquely blended.”

— Maurice Zeitlin, University of California, Los Angeles

From the Publisher