Price Tags
There is a price tag on everything, that is something that should never be overlooked when it comes to the realities of foreign aid and economic agreements. While we are able to point to the world’s richest nations as being the most prolific when it comes to humanitarian aid, including the bolstering of medical initiatives to help fight, for example, the AIDS epidemic in Africa, such practices do not, nor have they ever, come without a price.
One of the best examples of how Western powers manipulate the developing and third worlds is by way of the World Bank/IMF. It is, in no small way, a mechanism with which to manipulate those in need of financial assistance, for whatever reason, to comply with the foreign policy objectives of others, primarily the United States. In truth, the same can be said of UN programs that are funded by such powers as well.
Economic manipulation is one of the most powerful tools in the world, employing a vast arsenal of methods to accomplish its goals, from psychological operations such as media manipulation to the support of governments that, in exchange for their cooperation and, in many cases, access to arms, willfully promote domestic disinformation and allow free access to their markets and resources to international interests.
No matter what you read, or, for that matter, chose to believe, there is no such thing as free goodwill. Even in the aftermath of the Asian tsunami, billions were invested by foreign interests after numerous governments, such as that of Thailand, used the decimation of property long inhabited by generations of fisherman as an excuse to deprive them of their land, entering into lucrative agreements with foreign companies for the future development of resort properties.
Following September 11th Matters Only Became Worse
Now in exchange for assistance, many nations are made to comply with global US security initiatives before a dime crosses the table. In some instances, such as in the case of Ethiopia, lucrative arms agreements are also commonly included, as is support for their regional objectives if there happens to be others in that region that do not conform to US global ideology. Because of events in Somalia, the Ethiopians have received military training assistance from the United States, not to mention direct military support in actions involving the Ethiopian incursion into Somalia (the US deployed special forces in Somalia during the confrontation of the ICU and also conducted air strikes on Somali targets, some of which resulted in civilian deaths). With regards to the ubiquitous ‘War On Terror’, the United States has also used Ethiopian prisons renowned for their abuse to hold and interrogate detainees that have been rendered to the country, all of them, as has been the case in such situations, forbidden access to the International Red Cross/Crescent.
Interestingly, the President of the United States can stand at the United Nations and lecture the world about human rights and how others are guilty of their denial. Of course, Mr. Bush failed to single out those nations with abhorrent human rights records that are friendly to his government, primarily the Saudis. And that should, of course, come as absolutely no surprise to anyone.
Politics is power, nothing more. To believe otherwise is to believe that within the confines of our present political reality that things can be changed. That is, unfortunately, not the case, nor realistic whatsoever. But that is also not to say that the foundations of our societies are wasted because of the corruption that has befallen them. Only that they have been abused to such an extent that to alter the political landscape will require sacrifices that many are not willing to make to ensure that such fundamental principles once again become predominant.
My mention of this particular subject stems from a recent Agence France Presse article about the run up to the invasion of Iraq…
“US President George W. Bush threatened nations with retaliation if they did not vote for a UN resolution backing the Iraq war, according to a transcript published Wednesday of a conversation he had with former Spanish prime minister Jose Maria Aznar.
In the transcript of a meeting on February 22, 2003 — a month before the US-led invasion of Iraq — published in the El Pais daily, Bush tells Aznar that nations like Mexico, Angola, Chile and Cameroon must know that the security of the United States is at stake.
He says during the meeting on his ranch in Texas that Angola stood to lose financial aid while Chile could see a free trade agreement held up in the US Senate if they did not back the resolution…”
Nothing comes without a price tag attached to it, even the unwillingness to betray your beliefs in favour of the desires of those that have the power to threaten you with repercussions.
Want to bookmark or share this entry?
This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 26th, 2007 at 1:45 pm. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
September 26th, 2007 at 2:19 pm
No, nothing comes without a price tag, not even the price tag itself.
I recently read a book called Power vs. Force: The Hidden Determinants of Human Behaviour by Dr. Hawkins. Amongst many things, it explores the failure of societies whose political leaders have relied on force to institute ‘change,’ versus using true power (which is not associated with violence) for the benefit of the populace; such as was the case with Mahatma Gandhi and other influential inidividuals.
This is a classic example of force being used under the guise of a humanitarian process- or, much like everything else, processes that have been utterly corrupted from the foundations upon which they were built.
September 26th, 2007 at 2:21 pm
I really really hope that with all of this information coming to light and popping up in every which direction that somebody suggests some type of penalty on Bush after this is all said and done. He has such a complete disregard for any authority other than his own, and I can’t believe he would slump so low as to bribe these nations into backing his campaign for war. Must be rather intoxicating to run the world through either your monetary means, or through the barrel of a gun…and all the while avoid/ignore the demands and needs of your people as well as the rest of the world…didn’t we see this somewhere before???
absolute power absolutely corrupts.
damn that Lord Acton…
September 26th, 2007 at 3:11 pm
[quote comment="27255"]I really really hope that with all of this information coming to light and popping up in every which direction that somebody suggests some type of penalty on Bush after this is all said and done. He has such a complete disregard for any authority other than his own, and I can’t believe he would slump so low as to bribe these nations into backing his campaign for war. Must be rather intoxicating to run the world through either your monetary means, or through the barrel of a gun…and all the while avoid/ignore the demands and needs of your people as well as the rest of the world…didn’t we see this somewhere before???
absolute power absolutely corrupts.
damn that Lord Acton…[/quote]
Indeed, i hope that the U.S. is held to the same standards held the entire international community. Unfortunately, this is likely not going to be the case, they have violated several international rules including the “supreme international crime” that of aggression. However if they do succeed in undermining international law it gives every other country the green light to do so as well. What i fear most is the dissolution of the U.N. much like the League of Nations. Years of international norms and rules are hanging in the balance, and this is no small issue, it could mean we’re set back to 1914 again where any country could invade and commit genocide, over and over again. The implications of allowing the U.S. to continue its unbridled aggression both economically and geo-politically will be dire and the rule of empire will be the new international norm. Don’t fret yet however, there is still laws empire, that being that each state is held to laws, and we can continue to pursue that course, if we choose to, and if we have the courage to call a spade a spade and hold war criminals to account.
September 26th, 2007 at 4:13 pm
The Coalition of the Investing
September 26th, 2007 at 4:58 pm
Any nation that does not give women the same rights as men is uncivilized. Control over women is the greatest and most powerful will man can have. Man has created religions and fought many wars to claim this power. Man would not be, without women and that probably scares the hell out of them. The man who protects the rights of women is the strongest of all men. Those who protect their right to control women are the weakest men. The strongest man always wins in the end. Fact:women protesting for the right to drive unescorted, condemned for almost anything including giving another man offspring, mixing with other races, sharing their appearance with another man, attempting to be as educated as a man, not being grateful to be one of many wives, not destroying parts of their body in for pleasure they are not entitled and the list goes on. We can believe money is power but if women can be helped, the knight who does it deserves the money. Civilized countries have proved you can have it all. Damn LOVE feels good. Charities are corporations-choose them carefully. Also, laws are only as good as the men who made them. Crimes against humanity are as weak as the men who commit them.
September 26th, 2007 at 6:13 pm
[quote]“[The foundations of our societies] have been abused to such an extent that to alter the political landscape will require sacrifices that many are not willing to make to ensure that such fundamental principles once again become predominant.”[/quote]
So how does one go about convincing the peons of our ‘democratic & free’ societies, if this is the only feasible way of incrementally slowing and eventually reversing this one-track train?… or maybe there’s a lever that can be pulled somewhere atop a misty mountain in the backlands of some mystique video game…
It seems as though once ‘the people’ are actually convinced of changing their ways, no plutocracy could stop it, for reaping us of our privileges (what we currently falsely label ‘rights’) would be no threat.
Anyone feel like moving into the mountains?
September 26th, 2007 at 7:53 pm
ErikH:
Yes!!!! You put it so much more eloquently than me:)…fingers crossed…
Filbert: Loved your comment…I absolutely agree…I also feel extremely fortunate to have been born here instead of living the fate of many of my female descendants…but I do think that the strength of numbers is a very powerful thing, and one day us gals will all band together and, let’s face it guys…more of us than them ( the bad guys)). Hopefully there does come a time when a man can come and save us, but in the meantime I am hoping we can fight this one without the men. It is utterly horrendous how females are treated in some parts of the world…from honor killings, female circumcision, and sexual slavery to entirely female orphanages in China (see the documentary …’The Dying Room’), and Industrial revolution-like wage/shift differentials….it sucks….and I appreciate your comment very much for bringing that up…but I also think that the changes have to come about in a natural way where a nation is not merely told how it’s going to be…because it’s often more counter productive than not.
mstjean: I thought we were doing the moon???
September 28th, 2007 at 1:29 pm
Ashleigh,
What do you mean by:
…but I also think that the changes have to come about in a natural way where a nation is not merely told how it’s going to be…because it’s often more counter productive than not.
….so you think things will change, cultures that have ingrained these thoughts and traditions over thousands of years will suddenly see the light and peacefully declare equal rights for all?? I’m of the opinion that a little prodding or even a lot of prodding will be necessary to make real change.
September 28th, 2007 at 5:32 pm
[quote comment="27429"]Ashleigh,
What do you mean by:
…but I also think that the changes have to come about in a natural way where a nation is not merely told how it’s going to be…because it’s often more counter productive than not.
….so you think things will change, cultures that have ingrained these thoughts and traditions over thousands of years will suddenly see the light and peacefully declare equal rights for all?? I’m of the opinion that a little prodding or even a lot of prodding will be necessary to make real change.[/quote]
no no… by ‘natural way’ I meant without outside intervention. Of course prodding will be needed, but from the inside…unfortunately it would probably occur through civil war or some other non peaceful means, but with outside interference it just creates a huge mess and is tainted with the self interested who only wish to capitalize in some way. AKA you can’t just tell people they’re going to live like you, and that will be it. The people have to decide for themselves that enough is enough. you can’t just drop the D bomb and expect people to understand or embrace an ideal they themselves have never known simply because they were told that’s the best thing for them. Like I said though, unfortunately, it usually comes about through civil war. Of course thats just the way I see it…and there are a whole set of circumstances that could totally mean a different way is required that proves my theory wrong. but, ya.