RTOs, Rich vs Poor

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Regional Trade Organizations, Rich vs Poor

The wealth divide is at an all-time high. In the last decade the world's poorest five per cent lost almost a quarter of their real income while the top five per cent gained 12 per cent. Trade is one important factor in this widening gap. For every dollar generated by world exports only three cents goes to the 50 Lowest Income Countries.

World trade is unfair. Rich, developed countries do not want to give away trade advantages without getting equal or greater advantages in return. China and India have been successfully increasing trade and have Western nations determined to seek fresh advantages. The poor, developing countries have poor prospects unless the world economic rules of the game change.

The large transnational corporations are the most powerful players in the global economy. Two-thirds of all trade takes place within these companies. They are the major influence on labor standards in poor countries, both directly through the people they employ and through sub-contractors.

People in the worlds poorest countries are being suffocated by the protectionist actions of the richer nations which include high tarrifs, illegal subsidies and product dumping. The G8 countries (especially US, EU, Canada and Japan) and big corporations rig the rules by:

• Subsidizing agribusiness to the tune of $1.5 billion a day. Surpluses are dumped onto world markets, depressing prices and destroying local markets in poor countries.
• Using the IMF and World Bank to pry open poor countries' markets with little regard to social consequences.
• Taxing goods from poor countries at four times the rate of goods from rich countries.
• Profiteering off falling commodity prices that condemn many poor economies to failure.
• Allowing corporations to ride roughshod over internationally recognized workers rights.

How does, not only our nation, but the world do right by the poorest of the poor? Trade changes alone are not enough to benefit the world's poor. The poorest nations, most of whom are limited to agriculture based economies, would also benefit most through; debt forgiveness, increased foreign aid and financial reforms, yet because of their limited economic strength, become a non-factor in negotiations and are left out of the business development loop.

Every large city has a neighborhood that becomes known as the ‘slum’. An area to which the chronically unemployed, the hopelessly addicted, the illiterate, the disadvantaged, are delegated and basically forgotten. They have virtually no voice in community affairs. Many communities won't make an honest effort to rehabilitate these areas mainly because these areas are not conducive to attracting financial investment. Most often, the only attention ‘slum’ areas receive is when the criminal element steps out beyond these boundaries, then it becomes a law and order issue, a crackdown rather than rehabilitation. The world's poorest nations are akin to our city slums; they receive much the same treatment. -don't draw attention to them or we may be forced to do something about it. Just make sure they are kept in their place.

The G8 countries, actually 9, Canada, EU (as one member), France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, UK, U.S., are where most of the worlds largest and most influential multi-national corporations are headquartered. They are able to bend the ears of the politicians who become very tuned to their financial influence. It is a political, social, economic balancing act. Countries need the investment but, also need to meet the requirements of the people. The investments and pensions of the nations are most likely tied directly or indirectly to the multi-national corporations. The more profits the better, the more interest our individual, personal pension and investment portfolios attain.

The following From:

The following From:

Live 8: Corporate Media Bonanza

Disinformation Campaign and Public Relations Stunt on behalf of the G8

The Live 8 concerts organized in the eight major industrial countries (as well as in South Africa), however, were not intended to raise money for the World's poorest countries.

In fact quite the opposite.

Live 8 is a multi million dollar undertaking, which will result in huge profits for its corporate sponsors including AOL Time Warner, (the US based media giant), the Ford Motor company, through its Swedish affiliate Volvo and Nokia, (the cell phone company), not to mention Britain's EMI Music Group, which has entered into a highly lucrative arrangement with the Live 8 organizers.

The concerts are totally devoid of political content. They concentrate on simple and misleading clichés.

They use poverty as a marketing tool and a consumer-advertising gimmick to increase the number of viewers and listeners worldwide.

Live 8 creates an aura of optimism. It conveys the impression that poverty can be vanquished with the stroke of the pen. All we need is good will. The message is that G8 leaders, together with the World Bank and the IMF, are ultimately committed to poverty alleviation.

But where did the proceeds end up?

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