The Thesis of the Absolute Autonomy of Social Movements is Accepted by Some on the Left but Originates from Assumptions coming from the Right

Some writers analyze social movements through a liberal prism which separates in absolute terms society and the state. This leads them to condemn progressive governments and in particular the so-called Pink Tide governments of Latin America (Chávez, Evo Morales, etc.) for not “respecting” the absolute autonomy of social movements. There are some writers on the left who use the same criteria and end up reaching the conclusion that progressives presidents (Evo Morales, Rafael Correa, Lula, the Kirchners) were practically no better than conservative and rightist governments who followed neoliberal policies. I will address this thesis and attempt to refute it in a webinar talk I will be giving next Tuesday at 9:30 AM sponsored by Bowie State University.