To continue the debate - DieMoussaoui and j.........

[j]

This is a from a debate from politics under the thread "Moussaoui." I think it belongs better here.

DM, I think your idea that the problem is third world governments "prostituting" themselves to businessmen is somehow the fault of the third world is false. It is, in a sense, blaming the victim. This is not meant to escape the personal responisibility that third world governments officials have. However, the idea of societal responsibility must also come into play. It is unjust and irresponsible of society to ask any country to "prostitute" themselves. Who is more at fault, the prostitute or the pimp? While both are part of the problem, it is the pimp who is in power. Thus, the US establishing free trade with the world provides a safe haven for these pimps to institute their prostitution rings, i.e. sweatshops and slave labor.


j

[DieMoussaoui]

I don't see it as being the fault of a loosly defined entity called "the third world". I see the blame being squarely in the laps of the small groups of elites that control the corrupt governments. These elites are the ones to blame. They use their connections and bribe money to sit behind in gated mansions with armed guards. The victims are the hapless people that live under these corrupt governments. Thus I am not blaming the victim.

If we are going to continue the prostitute analogy; the elites are the pimps, and the peasents are the prostitutes. Outside investors are the customers that drive the demand. Do away with the pimps, and you have a society that is free to accept or reject dealings with outsiders on their terms.

It is worth noting that free trade has worked and raised the standard of living in many places (Costa Rica comes to mind). These places invariably have one thing in common - a representative government with minimal corruption. In other words, not a government of pimps.

[j]

OK, but how would we regulate these elites? My view is that if we take the monetary power away from these elites they will stop pimping the third world. The libertarian principle of non-intervention poses a problem here. If we are to be an isolationist country, how could we in a capitalistic, free trade society prevent the elites from pimping the third world? This is where I find the libertarian point of view to be very selfish. I believe that americans are in no way superior to anyone else in the world. We need to be a constructive member of the international community. To me, socialism is international. We need to think globally here. If we center on ourselves, we will continue to abuse the third world. This is precisly what is happening currently. We intervene in world where it benefits us. Sure we lend money to other countries, but we expect them to pay us back.

j