Globalisation and the IMF

[Socialsmo o Muerte]

While the attrocities and scandals go on all over the world, we are lead to ignore the silent killer of Globalisation.

The International Monetary Fund continues, as it did famously in Ethiopia, to aid in the African crisis and continues in the dismantling of democratic governments worldwide. It's financial bullying in the globalisation process continues to wreak havoc in countries where people live of around $150 a year, crippled by starvation.

Of all the goings on in the world, we need to remember that we still need to stop this beast. Globalisation should be a good thing. It should be allowing growth, democracy and prosperity world wide. It is not. The IMF has ensured over the years that globalistion has not achieved the desired results that politicians the world over had hoped. Bush and Blair, of course, continue to tell us that globalisation is going to save the lives of millions, but this is clearly a load of bullshit. The IMF's globalistion policies could have saved millions in Ethiopia. Instead, it's stubborn and gredy leaders refused to aid the Ethiopians. Just as they did in Kenya, and just as they did in Somalia.

Of course, globalisation has it's good points. East Asia, for example, even after the economic crisis in 1997, has prospered. China's transition, whether we support it or not, has lead the country to grow. I'm not going to debate about the democracy in these growth spots because I am not sure about what it's like, however we can see these countries prosper.

On current evidence, however, globalisation needs to be stopped. And the IMF needs to be shown for what it really is. A mass murderer.

[El jefecito]

Many leaders believe globalization would be great because they figure that it creates jobs, which leads to economic growth. For example, many GM (General Motors Inc.,) factories are based in other countries for the advantage of cheap labor. The other countries see revenues from manufacturing, but all the billions go to corporate pigs. Americans are then also left without jobs.

If we stop trade with a country whose economy is totally dependant on that good; they would get hit hard and probably go into recession. Many a$$holes would tell that nation to trade (or create) other goods, but not all countries have the resources that let them diversify like we have in the U$. Globalization does hurt a lot people who actually work for a living as opposed to people who warm office chairs.

[Pete]

Something closer to home, Globalization and the IMF and other such organizations (more prevently the FTAA and the WTO) have led to an increase displacement of native sustenance cultures in areas such as northern Quebec. The white men lie, and now they are raping the land. In 20 years the Cree lost about 80% of their hunting lands, only to be pushed north then have that land flooded for the James Bay Hydro project.

These products are then exported to such places as America. Genocide and capitalism: the 'best' bedfellows.

[Socialsmo o Muerte]

The people need to know what the IMF is doing. It is a public institution paid for by the taxpayer, yet they repay the taxpayer with no information about what it is doing. It was established with Keynes economics, yet today goes completely against that theory.

The scourge of AIDS, econimic recessions the world over, famine in Africa, crisis in East Asia...The IMF and the globalisation programme should have helped hold off these crises. But it has done more to encourage them.

[EneME]

Yeah Globalization is whats really creating such poverty and disparity in "third world" countries. I saw some documentary about wheat being brought into India in huge quantities from the states, and they sell it at such a cheap price that local farmers can't possibly compete. They eventually have to leave their farm life and move into the big city to find some labor job and live in horrible conditions...I actually have seen "globalization" at work in my family in Central America...I have cousins who work in sweat shops...work super hard and barely make enough to feed their family. I was visiting and their was a circus in town, 5$ a head...I thought "hey kinda cheap maybe i'll take my lil cousins" when I asked them why they didn't go, they'd say cuz it was a waste of a whole day's salary. I couldn't believe they make 5$ a day, and all the goods (shoes/clothes/food) cost the same as in the USA....I saw crutons at the supermarket for $3.45! Its such Bullshit..

[Pete]

Yeah Globalization is whats really creating such poverty and disparity in "third world"

Not just third world countries, my friend. Remember this. Globalization has a great de-equilibrium (if that is a word) effect in countries like Canada and the United States as well. We are not immune to the destruction and death, we just ignore it. How many poor people will die this winter because they have no home and their jobs have moved to a place where nearslave labour is used? How many people right now are malnutritioned (I forget the proper way of saying that) because they cannot afford to eat properly?

The common stereotype of the west is the middle class, white, suburban family. That is bullshit. Globalization is killing us too. We just ignore it and say it is there fault.

[RED CHARO]

Globalization and particually NAFTA, has ruined Mexico....
After what it has done to the farmers, it has also totaly dissintegraited the middle class. University graduates and the young population as a whole can only expect to recive minimum world standard wage........ Employment is up, but poverty has risen dramaticly as the old living standards vanish and most prices are already equal to that in USA, leaving the market perfect for crime such as piracy and drug cartels... also all these McDonalds and KFCs sprinning up in the suburbs and pueblos will destroy the tastiest culture in the world.... THERE WILL BEE NO MORE REAL MEXICAN FOOD :angry:
:ph34r: :ph34r: :ph34r: :ph34r: :ph34r:

[Marxist in Nebraska]

Comrade CrazyPete does not sound even slightly "crazy" from what he said in his last post. Globalization is removing union jobs here in the United States and shipping them to Mexico or China. The blue collar stuff disintegrated fast here after Clinton signed on to NAFTA, and now I am starting to hear about white collar computer stuff moving to India. Too many white collar Americans passed on showing solidarity with who should be their comrades in the withering blue collar job sector in the USA. There was this feeling of, as the Reagan-era expression goes, "I've got mine, fuck you!" Now we are seeing that skilled technical jobs are not safe. I cannot say that I am terribly surprised--union blue collar jobs and advanced white collar computer jobs demand high salary. High salaries for the workers hurt profits for the bosses and stockholders, which of couse means the capitalist society will move to get the jobs relocated to a place with cheap labor.

[Socialsmo o Muerte]

Originally posted by RED [email protected] 18 2003, 12:47 PM
Globalization and particually NAFTA, has ruined Mexico....
After what it has done to the farmers, it has also totaly dissintegraited the middle class. University graduates and the young population as a whole can only expect to recive minimum world standard wage........ Employment is up, but poverty has risen dramaticly as the old living standards vanish and most prices are already equal to that in USA, leaving the market perfect for crime such as piracy and drug cartels... also all these McDonalds and KFCs sprinning up in the suburbs and pueblos will destroy the tastiest culture in the world.... THERE WILL BEE NO MORE REAL MEXICAN FOOD :angry:
:ph34r: :ph34r: :ph34r: :ph34r: :ph34r:
Thank you for that Red Chamo. It is interesting to hear how Globalisation is destroying countries that I hadn't heard it was destroying already. :angry:

It is the secrecy that the promoters, endorsers and managers of Globalisation all keep that is allowing this disaster to happen. Only once these secrets are uncovered will something be done.

[EneME]

The common stereotype of the west is the middle class, white, suburban family. That is bullshit. Globalization is killing us too.
I completely agree...huge corporations are taking their factories and jobs to a place where they can exploit the people/human rights/environment, but leaving entire US cities in poverty. The only ppl making more profit are the corporations without any consideration to those they will exploit or the ones they have left behind with no livlihood..

After what it has done to the farmers, it has also totaly dissintegraited the middle class. University graduates and the young population as a whole can only expect to recive minimum world standard wage........
My family in El Salvador has been fortunate enough to move from low/poverty to middle class...with my cousins who faught hard to become doctors, nurses, pediatricians, engineers, journalists....but they're all living in the same houses, working hard to make ends meet...eventho they have their degrees...

[RED CHARO]

-Also when Bush says

'Those ant WTO protesters are no friends of the poor..'

Remeber to tell them ' don't you want the best for your friends?'
People in the third world are Surrendering to the Idea that you'll never ever earn as much as in the first world......
Also China is already takeing the sweat shop jobs of people in Mexico,
but at least in 'Rural' China they manage to live on those wages (eg education, healthcare, homes)

[Marxist in Nebraska]

Originally posted by RED [email protected] 19 2003, 01:28 AM
Also China is already takeing the sweat shop jobs of people in Mexico,
That goes to show you how little shame the neo-liberals have. Mexico's cheap labor is not cheap enough, so Mexico is losing jobs to China... wretched how the workers of the world are played off of one another like this!