|
has elected leftist (majorityist) governments (Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay), and where the new political thinking is anti-neoliberal (anti-global corporate predator), anti-World Bank/IMF, and pro-self determination. These countries are moving quickly to create new structures as a counterforce to U.S. influence--such as the Bank of the South (Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, Argentina and Paraguay). What happened with Argentina is particularly fascinating. The World Bank/IMF essentially crashed Argentina's economy with ruinous loan policies (whereby the rich acquire World Bank loans, rip off the money and leave the poor to pay the debt, on onerous terms--cutting all social programs, and opening the country to resource exploitation and "free trade" sweatshops).
Argentina was a basketcase. But then a new coalition of the poor and middle classes rebelled, and went round with tiny hammers breaking every bank ATM display in the country, in protest. Three governments later--in quick succession--the people of Argentina finally got a good leftist government (that of Nestor Kirchner) who promised to get them out of World Bank debt and never get into it again. Enter Venezuela, flush with oil profits and having undergone its own democracy revolution, with the election of Hugo Chavez and widespread support for his socialist reforms. Venezuela helped bail Argentina out of World Bank debt, by buying up some of the debt on easy terms (and terms that promote social justice). This was the seed of the Bank of the South. Argentina is now well on its way to recovery, all indicators up. Venezuela thus helped to create a healthy trading partner for itself, Brazil and other countries. And there are other new structures such as Mercosur and ALBA (Latin American trade groups) that are strengthening regional cooperation, and big new cooperative projects such as the Brazil/Venezuela bridge over the Orinoco River, and gas/oil pipelines.
The Andes region (Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador in particular) is rich in natural resources (oil, gas, minerals, forests, fresh water, natural beauty) that have NEVER SERVED the interests of the people who live there. Bush and Cabal, of course, want their dirty hands on those resources--which is why they are so hostile to Chavez, a leader of the self-determination movement. The people who live there, through long hard work on democratic institutions, are insisting on a paradigm shift, away from U.S.-based corporate exploitation, toward national and regional Latin American independence.
The history of the U.S. is South America is one of gross financial exploitation, and support for hideous rightwing regimes that repress all dissent and torture and kill leftists, union organizers, peasants and anyone in the way of global corporate predator profit. South America is in full revolt against these policies. I tend to doubt that Putin approves of the democracy movement--or would survive in a truly democratic country (which Russia is not)--but he is certainly correct in identifying this worldwide economic trend, and I see it playing out quite clearly in South America as well.
About four months ago---in the midst of Bush saber-rattling against Iran--I noticed an article that said that Russia, India and China were holding a meeting to consider the issue of how to curtail the U.S./Bush bully. I've lost the url, ad can't recall the source. The context was Iran and oil. China and Russia both get oil from Iran. Not sure about India--but India may be nervous about Bush's clubfooted policies in Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan, which could easily destabilize the entire region, and gravely endanger India. Anyway, think what such a trio could do to "curtail" Bush. China holds a large chunk of U.S. debt, for instance. U.S. corps are quickly outsourcing everything to China and India, which could lead to a full scale rebellion of the U.S. labor force (most Americans). Bush has not only botched foreign policy; he's botched the U.S. economy, big time, allowing his super-rich puppetmasters to loot everything in sight, and driving up a $10 trillion deficit--an humongous and onerous debt unto the 7th generation. (--reminiscent of Argentina, the World Bank's "banana republic"). All three of these countries are nuke powers. But they don't have to get aggressive to contain the U.S. A few little financial tweaks by China, and we could go belly up.
Putin, though, may be enacting a segment of this three-country powerhouse strategy, by opposing the U.S. "missile shield" in eastern Europe. You see, pretty much the only card Bush has to play is his access to U.S. taxpayer dollars for armaments (--with the easy compliance of the Democrats). Country after country is rejecting U.S.-dominated "free trade." Country after country is freeing itself from U.S-dominated financial institutions. The U.S. is well on its way to going belly up, as it is. The Bush Junta has been borrowing against Social Security, and against government pension funds, to pay for war and for tax cuts for the rich. And it's gotten so that virtually the only thing we produce is armaments. War profiteers are the real drivers of U.S. foreign policy. Bush uses armaments and war in lieu of ideas. We have lost our edge--in creative ideas, and in our very productive work force and strong middle class. So Bush is reduced to peddling arms to "new" Europe, and others.
There is a little item in the news today about the rightwing, Bush-loving president of Mexico ASKING FOR a "Plan Colombia" (U.S. "war on drugs") for Mexico. This is about arms dealing, not about drugs--as it is in Colombia. A plus is that rightwing governments get the guns and bullets to oppress and kill union organizers, peasants and leftists. But it's mainly about war profiteering.
Putin knows that this is a Bush vulnerability. If he can't sell big weapons systems, he has nothing--or very little--else. with which the keep the upper crust of the U.S. economy afloat, to retain power to the end of his term, and keep himself and Cheney out of jail.
I think it's probably quite likely that this threesome is the main reason the Bush Junta HASN'T attacked Iran, as yet. All hell would break loose as to the U.S. economy. I think China, Russia and India would act very swiftly to isolate us and punish us. They likely don't want WW III, although that, too, is a possibility. More likely, acting in concert, they would simply crash the dollar, and that would be that. No more money to pay our soldiers or launch our missiles, no more money to pad the pockets of war profiteers. And a second Great Depression in the U.S.--one that the rest of the world, in this case, would likely avoid. The first Great Depression had vast worldwide ripples. Not so this time. That is what I think Putin is saying. Other countries are preparing the economic structures and vibrant economies to WITHSTAND a deliberate crash of the U.S. economy to stop our warmongering.
|
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
