Reply #20: OK: [View All]

[1932]

Monbiot is always an alarmist who would prefer to do nothing than try to do the right thing. He sees evil motives in everything. His article wasn't helpful at all in understanding the issue. It says more about him than it says about the issues.

The second article says that no decision has been made about how debt relief will be structured. It says that Gordon Brown's IFF plan is one possibility. The other possibility is that US-version, which wants to impose more conditions. Obviously, anything proposed by the US is going to be just more neoliberalism designed to enslave developing nations' economies. Brown's plan is the plan that will actually help the countries. Aren't you curious about Brown's plan?

The third article says that the Zambian debt relief program that has been on schedule for a while now is not going to help Zambia. No duh. That's a plan that was certainly planned BEFORE this debate about debt relief gathered steam. Since the second article says that the G8 is still debating over what form relief will take (with the US apparently stonewalling plans that don't extend neoliberalism) the Zambian plan is clearly not one that is being carried out according to progressive principles.

Forget Monbiot. Progressives should be arguing for debt relief plans that work, and not against debt relief altogether.

One thing these articles all ignore is the conditions that exist due to current loans. Even though paragraph 2 of the G8 statement includes comments about market liberalization, the condition imposed on EXISTING DEBT include SERIOUS CONDITIONS, like THE WEST CONTROLS YOUR UN VOTES, YOU GIVE THE WEST MILITARY BASES, AND YOU TURN OVER LAND TO WESTERN CORPORATIONS. Certainly, there will be many cases where forgiving debt with those conditions is going to be better than whatever other conditions come out of debt relief -- and remember, Monbiot notwithstanding, the possibilites for debt relief are still open. If you argue for progressive models, all possibilities are open. If you argue against debt relief, the conditions imposed on current loans hand over the heads of developing nations like the sword of damoclese and will definitely fall, as has been the case everywhere.

Have you read God's Politics?

As for you questioning my motives, that's interesting. I'm wondering how you could have gotten the point Perkins was making about how debt is the mechanism for control so wrong in your post above.