The Long March and Destiny of Latin American Perspectives

For the past 36 years I have been one of the coordinating editors of LAP, and before that I was one of its closest supporters. Fifteen years ago, in my contribution to the twenty-fifth-anniversary issue of the journal, I wrote that my association with the journal had been an exceptional privilege. Now, more than ever, I regard my long association with the journal (over half my life) as an unequaled privilege because it has given me the opportunity to participate in the development of one of the most successful and progressive intellectual organizations in the history of the U.S academic community. Since its beginning 40 years ago, the journal’s collective of coordinating editors, all volunteers, has developed and maintained a highly collaborative, inclusive, and democratic organizational culture. LAP’s coordinating editors have been supported by a larger international network of participating editors.

This nonhierarchical organizational ensemble has been empowered by the leadership of Ronald Chilcote, the managing editor. With increasing distinction since its founding, he has served as the inspiring first-among-equals in this collective undertaking. In a remarkably effective manner this flat, democratic, highly collaborative intellectual organization has operated successfully for four decades. During this period of time it has functioned with the enlightened political ideals and practices that emerged out of the progressive political, social, and cultural renaissance of the late 1960s and early 1970s.

As the journal enters its fifth decade, it will have to confront new challenges and opportunities as well as some old ones. The last of the founding members will most likely retire over the next decade. However, the journal’s democratic organizational culture, progressive ideals, and collaborative modus vivendi have already been passed to a new generation of editors and contributors who will be able to confront the challenges and opportunities in the years ahead. As I wrote in my contribution to the twenty-fifth-anniversary issue, it seems clear to me that this century will be the “Pacific Century” as a result of the shift that is taking place in the geopolitical axis of global economic and international political affairs. One of the challenges and opportunities LAP now faces is this epic shift in the configuration of the world system. The journal will have to give increasing attention to the forces of economic integration and the transnational economic, political, and cultural relations that are taking place both within the Americas and between the peoples of this hemisphere and those outside it, particularly in the Pacific Basin.

In addition, in the years to come the journal’s editors and contributors will have to face the challenges and opportunities presented by the profound technological transformations in publishing, communications, and education that have already begun to revolutionize the worldwide production and exchange of knowledge. Besides adapting to this evolving technological revolution, the journal will have to address the significant shift in Latin American politics—the so-called Pink Tide of leftist governments, leaders, alliances, and political movements that have gained prominence over the past decade and a half. To a certain extent, this change of direction in the tide of Latin American politics has vindicated the progressive ideals, interests, and perspectives of LAP’s editors and contributors. However, it is not clear yet whether this tide will sweep away the neoliberal capitalist hegemony and the forces of capitalist globalization that continue to prevent the peoples of the Americas and the rest of the world from creating the genuinely democratic and ecological civilization (and the socialism to come) that humanity needs to survive as a species and stop its destruction of the biosphere of this planet.

As I wrote in my reflections on the first 25 years of the journal, the progressive ideals, democratic organizational culture, and collaborative network of LAP’s editors and contributors have produced an impressive record of contributions to the body of critical knowledge about the Americas, capitalism, socialism, and ecological sustainability. Today the influence of the journal reaches every continent, and it continues to expand to a wider circle of readers. Its hard-won reputation, its democratic organizational culture, its regenerative network of volunteer editors, and its many progressive contributors and readers around the world provide it with an invaluable base of organizational, intellectual, and spiritual resources. It will draw upon these resources in confronting the challenges and taking advantage of the opportunities that arise in the future. For this reason, I am exceedingly proud of what has been accomplished over the past 40 years and optimistic about what will be achieved in the future. It has been a long march, but the destiny of LAP’s community of editors, contributors, and readers is to continue marching into the future as part of the intellectual vanguard of humanity.