The Wrath of the Free Market God

From TocqueDeville at Daily Kos, excerpts:

In perhaps the most comprehensive such study to date, Scorecard on Globalization 1980-2000, Mark Weisbrot, Dean Baker and other researchers at the Center for Economic and Policy Research documented that economic growth, rates of improvement in life expectancy, child mortality, education levels and literacy all have declined in the era of global corporatization (1980-2000) compared to the years 1960-1980

[. . . ]

The Scorecard findings include:

*Slower economic growth for countries at all income levels
*A negative growth rate for the poorest countries
*For moderately wealthy countries, income growth declined
from 100% increase per capita between 1960-1980 to a 21%
increase in the last two decades
*Reduced progress in education as evidenced by declining school
enrollment rates and literacy. Slower growth in domestic
spending correlates to decreased educational spending
*An overall slowdown in reducing infant and child mortality and
in improving overall life expectancy (this is not necessarily an
indicator of policy failure--it could be a natural flattening of
progress curve).

[. . .]

Of all the outcomes of Globalization, none is more dangerous than the subversion of democracy

[. . .]

The GATS Article VI.4 says that governments have a duty to hold "a balance between two potentially conflicting priorities: promoting trade expansion versus protecting the regulatory rights of governments." But who determines this balance between democratically enacted regulation and the promotion of trade expansion? The democratically elected legislature? The democratically elected president?
No.

A mysterious entity called the GATS Disputes Panel decides where the balance is drawn.

Read the rest of the article here. Anyone should now be able to recognize that international trade agreements (such as GAT, NAFTA, FTAA, etc.), among other things, attempt to prevent America's soveriegn right to deterimine for herself through a democratic process whether she wishes to oversee her own ports or whether she has to relinquish that authority to a terrorist state because of these trade agreements. Either this is the beginning of the end of so-called "globalization/free-trade" or its the beginning of the end of the United States as a beacon of freedom, prosperity and democracy. Little good ever came from this globalization, excepting the richest getting richer, which is by no means enough good to sacrifice both democracy and prosperity. Enough's enough. Take back the country from the wealthy corrupt bastards!

Open Thread

Local Sheriff Charged with Expediting FEMA Supplies to Victims

The wreckless scoundrels in Washington are so hell-bent on their genocidal aggenda that social responsiblility and humanitarianism is to be prosecuted? Unbelievably sick!!

19 States Tax Families Living in Poverty

Police Target Poor for Collecting Trash

From Wisconsin's Capital Times:

Milwaukee Municipal Judge Jim Gramling, a judge with a social conscience, told Journal Sentinel columnist Jim Stingl that he has seen a parade of poor people in front of him recently charged with stealing garbage.

Gramling, who unfortunately is retiring from the bench, said he routinely voids these tickets, which carry a fine of $122. He said he's seen police pile multiple charges onto poor people, including a $300 fine for failure to obtain a junk dealer's license.

Open Thread

Talk!

500 Homeless People Near Riot After Promise of $10 Each Falls Through

Huge March Planned for Eve of Katrina Evictions

Congress wants Americans to Freeze to Death; Harasses Citgo for It's Heating Assistance to the Poor

Flashback: Remember in December when the U.S. Senate stripped federal heating assistance to families who couldn't afford to heat their homes this winter, and remember when congressional leaders misprepresented why. Now, when CITGO attempts to provide discounted heating oil to at-risk Americans who can't afford heat amid today's soaring energy prices, congress launches an investigation into CITGO's generosity. Compassionate conservatism must mean compassion for U.S. Energy Corporations' profit margins.

Open Thread

A 20-point plan to destroy Black New Orleans

On many of the points, especially environmental, I think win-win solutions are possible.

The Hot New Place to Hang Out: Soup Kitchens

Daily Kos juxtaposed the data: "Family incomes dropped 2.3% 2001-2004," according to federal report. More interesting would be whether income dropped more for low-income than high-income families. "More than 25 million Americans turned to . . . food banks, soup kitchens and shelters for meals last year, up 9 percent from 2001," according to the AP. Moreover, data from the nations largest foodbank (Second Harvest) reveals 36 percent of people seeking food came from households in which at least one person had a job."

George Bush Don't Care About Black People

The Battle for Louisiana's Oil

In the quest for U.S. corporate control of all profit worldwide, including all profit from the fruit's of every workers labor as well all profit from every country's natural resources--the current administration continues to exploit public sentiment stemming from the U.S. tragedy of 2001 and continues to lie the country into endless war. At least one priority remains front and center: gaining and retaining worldwide control over all petroleum, the one form of energy upon which the entire infrastructure of the entire world is most dependent and a form of energy which is being depleted ever faster than new reserves are being discovered.

The battle for control of petroleum isn't just an international conflict, but it's a domestic one as well. In response to Katrina, there's little wonder why Bush withheld and continues to withhold support for New Orleans. By blackmailing Louisiana Governor Blanco into ceding control of Louisiana to federal authorities (perhaps under the Insurrection Act), the state of Louisiana would have been reduced to little more than a federal territory. Blanco refused to cave-in.

Despite the fact that Blanco continues to stand her ground for states' rights, Katrina provided an opportunity for FEMA and the DHS to purge a large voting block from Louisiana, making it easier for the federal government and Big-Oil companies to gain increased control over Louisiana's petroleum. With hundreds of thousands of likely Blanco backers forcefully relocated out of state, the current U.S. regime and the petroleum industry are not only better positioned to gain the necessary votes to oust Blanco should she interfere with their profit agenda for Louisiana's petroleum and reconstruction, but the current regime is also poised to extend its control over many more local, state, and federal elected positions.

Nevertheless, Governor Blanco prepares to fight until Louisiana gets at least the percent of revenue that other states already get from leases on their petroleum resources:

If no effort is made to guarantee our fair share of royalties," she said, "I have warned the federal government that we will be forced to block the August sale of offshore oil and gas leases."

[ . . . ]

She added that the money was not nearly enough to help compensate people who lost houses to the storms. "We had 10 times more businesses destroyed," Ms. Blanco said Monday. "We had five times more jobs lost. And we weathered more than 75 percent of the total property and infrastructure damage caused by the storm. However, we received only 54 percent of the block grant funding."

Meanwhile, thousands of Katrina victims are finally getting kicked out onto the streets as the housing funds are cut. Not only is "Oakland FEMA office a target for Katrina Protest," but hundreds of school girls protest New Orleans' lack of storm defenses and Jesse Jackson plans more Katrina protests.

In the end, its questionable whether the whole truth will ever be known. What are we to think when Michael Brown, the x-FEMA chief who either managed or orchestrated the disastrous response, is supposed to tell the truth unless Bush provides him the legal defense not to do so.

In a February 6 letter to White House counsel Harriet Miers, Brown's lawyer wrote that Brown continues to respect Bush and his "presidential prerogative" to get candid and confidential advice from top aides.

The letter from Andrew W. Lester also says Brown no longer can rely on being included in that protection because he is a private citizen.

"Unless there is specific direction otherwise from the president, including an assurance the president will provide a legal defense to Mr. Brown if he refuses to testify as to these matters, Mr. Brown will testify if asked about particular communications," the lawyer wrote.

Since the families of the victims of the 2001 tragedy still haven't gotten the truth, it remains to be seen whether those of the 2005 tragedy will get much closer to the truth. Still, Katrina had more victims who survived, who continue to suffer and who won't just shut up about the governments failure and collusion. While there's a national campaign to secure exiled Louisianan's right to vote in Louisiana rather than in the new states to which they were forcefully relocated, the struggle for the right to return continues. Adding it up, this moment could provide the necessary impetus to a rebirth of all sorts of movements: racial and social justice, states rights, energy independence, global warming and a myriad of other environmental causes, and, not least of which, real security. In the end, it could really turn out to be a "heck of a job, Brownie!"

4,200 Katrina Victims Still Missing