← Autodidact Archive · Original Dissent · Petr
Thread ID: 20824 | Posts: 5 | Started: 2005-10-31
2005-10-31 22:26 | User Profile
[I]What a surprise - this Yiddishe cheerleader for New World Order came here to promote free trade.
Btw, an interesting factoid here:
[B]"According to Wolfowitz, Russia has switched from being a recipient of World Bank aid to being a donor."[/B] [/I]
[url]http://www.helsinginsanomat.fi/english/article/Wolfowitz+in+Helsinki+laments+horrifying+effects+of+restrictions+on+agricultural+trade%0D%0A%0D%0A/1101981386857[/url] [FONT="Arial"][SIZE="5"]
Wolfowitz in Helsinki laments "horrifying" effects of restrictions on agricultural trade[/SIZE] [I][SIZE="3"] World Bank President emphasises importance of WTO talks [/SIZE][/I]
World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz feels that global free trade helps developing countries more than direct aid. For that reason, he says that the present so-called Doha round of World Trade Organisation talks is very important.
[B] During a visit to Finland on Saturday, Wolfowitz said that the obstacles met by developing countries, especially in agricultural trade, are "horrifying".
He pointed out that the United States, Japan, and European countries are spending 250 billion dollars a year on agricultural subsidies. In his view, without the subsidies paid to farmers in developed countries, the products of developing countries would be competitive on the world market.[/B]
According to Wolfowitz, Pascal Lamy, Director-General of the World Trade Organisation, has "perhaps the most difficult job in the world".
He added that the present global economic growth has lifted 450 million people out of poverty. However, he concedes that there are also negative sides to the present economic system. For instance, in conditions of competition some people lose their jobs through no fault of their own, while others get incredibly rich, also quite undeservedly.
Wolfowitz was in Helsinki to attend a conference of the Parliamentary Network on the World Bank (PnoWB) held in the Finnish Parliament.
Speaking on the goals of the World Bank, Wolfowitz emphasised that factors outside the sphere of economics, such as the civil society, the system of justice, administrative culture, and the position of women need to be in shape if developing countries are to prosper.
Before arriving in Finland, the World Bank President was in China and Russia. Wolfowitz said that in Russia, President Vladimir Putin had asked him how the upcoming meeting of the G-8 countries could alleviate poverty in areas near Russia - especially in Central Asia.
[B] According to Wolfowitz, Russia has switched from being a recipient of World Bank aid to being a donor. China, meanwhile, has moved from being a recipient of direct aid to being an ordinary debtor; the World Bank provides China with loans on a commercial basis, and the Chinese are good at paying their debts.[/B]
The projects in China are also seen to benefit other countries as well. One example mentioned by Wolfowitz was a forest project in the west of China, the experiences of which can possibly be applied elsewhere.
At the press conference, Wolfowitz also noted that the World Bank has pledged 20 million dollars worth of aid to the areas in Pakistan affected by the recent earthquake. Later on Saturday the Associated Press news agency quoted a World Bank spokesperson as saying that the bank would double its direct aid to 40 million dollars.
Wolfowitz also pointed out that in the reconstruction phase, the World Bank will have to support the areas affected to the tune of several billion dollars.
[B]When Wolfowitz's predecessor James Wolfensohn visited Helsinki in March 2001, a protester disguised as a journalist threw a cream pie in his face.[/B]
No risks were taken during the Wolfowitz visit. He was protected by both World Bank bodyguards and Finnish police.
A small demonstration was held in Helsinki on Saturday to protest the visit of the World Bank President. Speaking at the gathering outside Helsinki's main railway station was MP and Green League presidential candidate Heidi Hautala. From the station, the demonstrators marched to Parliament, where security measures were heavy.
Eetu Komsi, one of the organisers, said that the protest was aimed at both the World Bank's role in perpetuating poverty in the Third World, and against Wolfowitz himself for the personal role he had as a member of the administration of US President George W. Bush in the war in Iraq. [/FONT]
2005-11-01 00:16 | User Profile
Lucky you.
2005-11-01 00:35 | User Profile
Jobs in the food and farming sector being put at risk by the EU Trade Commissioner, it has been claimed.
EU Trade Commissioner, Peter Mandelson, is reported in the US Press to be on the brink of making new very substantial concessions in the current round of WTO trade negotiations which would open up the EU market yet further to food imports and slash jobs in Europe in both the farming and food sectors, according to COPA (Committee of Professional Agricultural Organisations in the EU) president, Rudolf Schwarzbock, and COGECA ( General Confederation of Agricultural Co-operatives in the EU) president, Eduardo Baamonde.
"This was not the mandate given to him by the Council of Ministers and we call upon Heads of State and government urgently to put a stop to any such new offer," they said.
"Fifteen million people gain their livelihoods from farming in the EU-25 and many millions more work in the food sector. It is unacceptable that the EU puts the jobs of these people at risk in order to enable the US and other major exporters, like Brazil, Australia, Canada and New Zealand, to expand their share of the EU and world market.
"These are the countries which will gain from EU concessions, not the truly needy countries of the world," the two presidents added. "It is not as if the EU has obtained anything in return for making these concessions.
"Peter Mandelson himself has admitted that he has got absolutely nothing which will benefit EU citizens out of these negotiations either in agriculture or the industrial and services sectors. Nor will he, if our trading partners are to be believed. "The Trade Commissioner has already shown that he is ready to flout the mandate given to him by Ministers by the offer he has already made to our trading partners. It is totally unacceptable that an unelected representative of the EU should put people's jobs and the future of thousands of family farms on the line in this way.
"Nor does it make any sense for the President of the Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, to support such an approach when he is doing his utmost to create jobs in rural areas.
"It is also extraordinary that one of the EU Commissioners should find it fit to inform the US of his intentions before even informing the Member States of the Europen Union," said the presidents.
And the Irish Farmers' Association National Council has expressed grave alarm at developments in the WTO negotiations, where EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson's first offer is to cut EU import tariffs by 50 per cent on agricultural produce.
The council pointed out that Irish agriculture was particularly vulnerable to any further concessions.
Speaking after the meeting, IFA president, John Dillon, said: "All the indications are that Commissioner Mandelson is determined to go further and sell out European agriculture in the WTO, unless he is stopped in his tracks by Member States."
Mr Dillon said he was appalled that no progress had been made on IFA's proposal for a ban on beef imports from South America on health grounds because of Food-and-Mouth Disease.
"No progress has been made on the EU's agenda on non-trade concerns, requiring imports to meet Europe's higher standards on food safety, traceability, animal welfare and the environment. Nor has any progress been made by the EU for its commitment to abolish export refunds in securing parallel commitments by the US to eliminate export credits and trade linked food aid."
Mr Dillon added: "The French Government analysis shows that the EU's first offer is at the limit of Commissioner Mandelson's negotiating mandate. It is vital that Ireland joins France in insisting that Commissioner Mandelson must not go beyond his first offer and that real progress is made on the other issues in the negotiations."
The IFA President warned that any further concessions on import tariffs in the WTO negotiations would have grave consequences for Irish and European farmers, as food production in the EU territory would no longer be profitable.
"Because of Ireland's export dependence in major sectors such as beef, dairy products and lamb, our agri-food sector is particularly vulnerable to any further import concessions that would lead to massive cutbacks in food production and processing.
"Further concessions would gravely undermine the EU's longstanding policy of food security for the people of Europe and European consumers' assurance of safe food, backed by the highest international standards, could no longer be guaranteed."
2005-11-01 00:51 | User Profile
The former new labour spin doctor, EU's Trade Commissioner, [B]Peter Mandelson[/B] (a [B]Jew[/B]) works tirelessly against us.
Gregz
"I heard there's rumors on the Internets that we're going to have a draft." - President George W. Bush, during the second presidential debate
2005-11-01 14:14 | User Profile
Funny how the architect of the Iraq "War" now enjoys travelling the world as head of the Communist World Bank while his war in Iraq slides into a gigantic pit of death, left to be cleaned up by inept goys like Bush and Rumsfeld and Rice.
Has Wolfowitz abandoned PNAC??