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Broken Glass
Following Seattle, the apologists for corporate excess went back to work. The "liberal" New York Times had its columnist Thomas Friedman go on a rant about the protestors calling them a "Noah's ark of flat-earth advocates," insisting that more global trade and more integration results in improved standards for people across the world. In a January 10th editorial, Business Week announced that "Despite the recent fiasco in Seattle, the growth of trade is proceeding unimpeded...our hunch is that the prosperity experienced in America these last five years will spread to many other countries as the 21st century dawns." However, the gap between the rich and poor is increasing rapidly. Since the Seattle riots, "The Case Against Free Trade" bemoans the fact that careful, reasoned argument could not accomplish what was achieved by a little broken glass. A little broken glass (accompanied by a lot of spirit and committed organizing) accomplished that which could not be achieved by hundreds of careful, reasoned arguments. There is a lesson in this somewhere.
Latest headlines from several Arab countries all pointed to one direction, that Arab governments are wholeheartedly convinced that liberalization of the economy is the answer. Recently more than ever, an open market rush has been cited all over the Arab World. While some countries are reforming their laws to encourage investments, promising unrestricted and unlimited privatization, some others are vowing to follow in the footsteps of other privatization enthusiasts. But while unprecedented changes are occurring in Arab economies and while economic councils are being formed and others dismantled, and while officials are chasing behind investors and reversing their laws and social and economic standards, one must wonder: do Arab governments have an economic vision as they already stepped into the 21st century? Apparently they don't.
Security Council, AIDS And Africa
Increased Income Disparity Reported In U.S.
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