Comments - Latest Popular Stories, Instablogs Community by Celsoldc

Grace Calderon

Grace Calderon — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Firstly, WTO sucks!

Its trade globalization, tariffs, etc. have left Third World countries dry. How can a poor dependent country even have the capability to secure safety nets in agriculture, etc.?

If you don’t deal with the US the way it wants the deal to go its way, you’re in trouble.

Anyway, WTO is just an organized structure for world domination. That’s exactly what it is. It’s protecting the rich countries, period.

Secondly, the issue of Nazi atrocity is already public domain. How can anyone be slighted by it? Nazi is a category all by itself.

Celso Camargo

Celso Camargo — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Developed countries thought that the Third World would accept their impositions. Fortunately, leaders of several developing countries are resisting the pressure and this has become a major nuisance for the richest.

If serious proposals are not provided, the stalemate will continue for a long time.

It is amazing (and very sad) how many of these countries still have an imperialist mentality!

Grace Calderon

Grace Calderon — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 00:00:00 +0000

But the problem, Celso, is that the stipulations are rammed down the throat of Third World.

The Philippines, ever the puppet of the US and the West, readily embraced the WTO. Then disaster happened. Now, it’s trying to survive. The tariff for grain (notably, rice) has been slowly, gradually reduced to, I think, a target of 0% at a given future year.

WTO is a shiny come-on that eventually proves to be a lemon.

Celso Camargo

Celso Camargo — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 00:00:00 +0000

The Philippines also were badly affected by successive crises in the 90s (Malaysia, South Korea, Mexico, Turkey and Russia)? Here was one nightmare after another.

The good side of this is that Brazil has become less dependent on the developed countries and now, along with others, is hindering the negotiations of the Doha Round.

The United States requirements are surreal, especially if taken into account that US don’t act according to the WTO regulations. I really want that this impasse last for many years, who knows then the developed countries stop being so arrogant.

Grace Calderon

Grace Calderon — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 00:00:00 +0000

You’re right. The Philippines survived the ’97 Asian Crisis quite well. That’s partly because of sound internal economic policies.

But the noose on the neck of the Philippines is our (I think) trillion dollar debt to the World Bank/IMF. We are merely surviving just to pay the interest on that. And we all know who the fairest-haired members of World Bank are.

Brazil is less dependent on these developed nations a.k. West precisely because (I think) you aren’t indebted too much.

Celso Camargo

Celso Camargo — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Every year Brazil spends $ 200 billion in foreign debt.

You know what’s ironic? For a long time the IMF arrived in the country, arrogant and insolent saying what we should do. And now with this crisis in the United States? Is the model they both were disseminating wrong?

If I could, I would tell them ”In your face!”.

Grace Calderon

Grace Calderon — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 00:00:00 +0000

LOL! At least, we only worry about paying debts. But this debt servicing is really crippling.

Just servicing the interest on these loans already mean less budget for education and basic social services.

Like I’ve always said, the surefire recipe for downward spiral is to have a government that’s puppet of the US.

Because everything else is affected. We pay in terms other than cash.

Brazil is luckier that it really doesn’t have too much US in its history.

Gagandeep

Gagandeep — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 00:00:00 +0000

I can’t believe he actually said that, but then that has what the whole talks (everlasting it seems) have produced. I mean even after seven grueling years, it is back to square one. On the verge of collapse, it is about time that developed nations get ready to make concessions for a change. There is no getting past the whole farm subsidies thing because they are unfair to the poor economies.

Celso Camargo

Celso Camargo — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Indeed! Moreover, if taken into account that the supplies that are used on agricultural crops are for the most part manufactured by U.S. or European companies .

Grace Calderon

Grace Calderon — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 00:00:00 +0000

That’s absolutely true! The big pesticide names are Monsanto, Novartis, etc etc.

What to do? LOL

Gagandeep

Gagandeep — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Go organic damn it! :P