RN: TOES list serv, Nicaragua, Iraq

1998-11-05

Jan Slakov

Date: 5 Nov 1998 16:57:32 -0000 Date: Tue, 3 Nov 1998 12:28:07 -0700
To: •••@••.•••
From: Bill Ellis <•••@••.•••>
Subject: Re: RN: Globalization: a view from India
Cc: •••@••.•••

At 12:37 AM -0400 10/31/98, Jan Slakov :
sent an excellent and fundamental article
>By Kavaljit Singh
Summarizing his "A Citizen's Guide to the Globalization of Finance"
>(Madhyam Books, Delhi and Zed Books, London, 1998) from His forthcoming
>publications include "Regulating Global Capital Flows: Policy
>Challenges and Alternatives".)
>
BE:
This spells our in good detail the problem we have with economic globalization.
Not only is the system beyond control of any economic power that now exists.
But also, everyone of us (with the possible exception of a few
hometeaders)are dependent on that globalized system.  Any thing that could
interrupti it (Like Y2K, a stockmarket crash, global warming, regional
wars, el nino, etc etc) could put us all in the dark (literally).  Our food
supply, our ATMs, mail delivery, are all interdependent in a vast network
of global networks).

Singh concentrates on only the global finance part of the problem, which is
as bad as he says.
But he seems to be out of touch with actions like MAI (The Multinational
Agreement on Investments) which would make the system even worse. MAI would
give any multinational company the right to invest and build it plants any
where without the permission of national, state or local governments.  They
could as they do now choose regions with the lowest environmental, health,
education, or labor standards -- wherever it was cheepest to produce goods.
Local governments would loose even the slight control they now have.

MAI was developed by OECD, the club of wealthy nations, in secret.  When in
leaked our a year ago and Internet cry by citizen stopped its passage and
sent it back to the drawing board.  In the last month France and Canada
have suggested they would drop out so MAI is again on hold.

If people on this listserv want to join the anti-MAI movement they should
look in to:

•••@••.•••
or
To subscribe to the MAI Listserv send an e-mail to
<•••@••.•••>,
 or
subscribe directly by going to the website,
http://www.tradewatch.org


***********************
Bill Ellis
TRANET
PO BOX 137
Rangeley ME 04970-0137 USA
(207)864-3784
URL: http://www.nonviolence.org/tranet/
***********************
********************************************************************

Date: Mon, 02 Nov 1998 13:56:22 -1000
From: viviane lerner <•••@••.•••>
Subject: Hurricane devastation in Nicaragua

My friends,
You probably heard about hurricane Mitch that is still ravaging Nicaragua.
From the info I'm getting from there, the (US-backed) Nicaraguan government does
not want to declare a state of emergency, in spite of the scale of this disaster
(in resources and in human lives). Declaring a state of emergency would allow
foreign governments to send relief $, but the Nica government is concerned
that most of that $ would then go to NGOs!!! There are unbelievable stories of
government neglect, like their sending a helicopter to a village to ...only
rescue one (government-employed) doctor and leaving mothers and children to
their own devices! The people in some areas are lacking food and water
(what an irony!), due to the extensive damage to bridges and to the
infrastructure in general. They are now fearing a cholera epidemic.
La Prensa de Managua
<<http://www.laprensa.com.ni/>http://www.laprensa.com.ni>]. 
La Tribuna 
<<http://www.latribuna.com.ni/>http://www.latribuna.com.ni> 
 I'm collecting $ to be sent to one of the Nica NGOs (•••@••.••• )
recommended by a Nica friend. There are others. I'll be happy to send you
their email addresses if you so wish. If you can contribute any amount, all the
better.
If not, you may wish to send an email to the Nica government to pressure them
into declaring a state of emergency and taking care of the Nica people
(instead of plotting the demise of NGOs!!!)? The email address is: 
•••@••.••• to Dr. Arnoldo Aleman Lacayo, Presidente, La
Presidencia, Managua, Nicaragua.
In solidarity,
Viviane Lerner

*****************************************************************************
Date: Tue, 03 Nov 1998 12:26:04 -1000
From: viviane lerner <•••@••.•••>

>Date: Tue, 3 Nov 1998 12:34:01 -0800 (PST)
>From: International/Interfaith <•••@••.•••>
>Sender: •••@••.•••
>To: (Recipient list suppressed)
>X-Mailer: Windows Eudora Pro Version 2.2 (16)
>X-Sender: •••@••.•••
>
>                            IRAQ ACTION DIGEST
>__________________________________________
>A project of the Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR)
>521 North Broadway, Nyack, New York 10960
>•••@••.•••
>__________________________________________
>
>The New York Times staff editorial of November 3, 1998 calls on the United
>States to prepare for military action against Iraq.  The Fellowship of
>Reconciliation, the oldest and largest interfaith organization in the United
>States, appeals to your moral sensibilities to write to the New York Times,
>and other publications, which are calling for war.  Please ask them to call
>on national leaders to respond non-violently to a serious global dilemma.
>We are quite certain that violence never solves anything, it only deepens
>the spiral of death and suffering; and will do so if the United States
>chooses to use violence to force Iraq to allow inspections to continue.
>
>I attach a sample letter to the editor, as well as the e-mail address of the
>New York Times.  Please take a minute and send them a response to their
>editorial.
>
>Their bellicose statements require such a response.
>
>--Nicholas Arons
>___________________________
>
>e-mail address: •••@••.•••
>
>To the editor,
>
>I write in response to your editorial on November 3, 1998, entitled "Iraq's
>Audacious Defiance."  I am saddened that a national newspaper has called for
>the use of violence against a nation which has been punished for eight years
>by debilitating economic sanctions.  Since over one million people have
>already died as a result of the sanctions, killing more people will
>certainly not result in a decision by Iraq to allow inspections to continue.
>I am no supporter of Saddam Hussein, but I strongly believe that the United
>States will not improve the living conditions of people in his austere
>regime by utilizing violent means and weapons that we are asking Iraq to
>cease making.  Violence only begets violence, and we ask you to please
>reconsider your editorial opinion, and call on international leaders to
>engage in non-violent reconciliation.
>
>Sincerely,
>