ebear,

Your comparison is a little bit different than just being "provocative".... In Ireland its a religious war that has that country in turmoil.... In Ecuador its a "class struggle" between a old "ruling elite" which is about 5% of the population, all of them being the privileged wealthy, and the rest of the poor population being comprised of native Indian tribes.

In Ecuador, its been like Russia was during the Czar's reign....only the few at the top of the "pyramid" get to live life free of cares, like providing food for your family, which is what the rest of Ecuador is struggling with on a day to day basis. The poor in third world countries are hardly better off than "slaves" to the rich elite who rule through controlling the military (usually with the payments of gold, because soldiers know that these empires fall apart quickly) that "keep the masses at a safe distance"!

Rome, Russia, The Shah of Iran, Saddam....all of them fell because of lack of support at the bottom of the social pyramid...Correa is not a "communist" in the classical style of Marx, but he is definitely thinking of trying to lift the main population of Ecuador out of deep poverty in into a life with basic needs at least available to them for the first time in their history since the conquistadors came and "raped " their culture and natural resources....

Correa is not a "fool"...he knows that he needs the mining industry to become his main base of revenues in the future, if he wants his plans of social reforms to come to "flower"....right now the negotiations with ARU's management is crucial to his plans, because they are the first to have to go through this process...Correa needs this one to go smoothly to make it look like the system will work!

   Best Regards, this morning of a big dip for the Crew...

  Long for Cash