No way but to decommission the World Bank and IMF

September 26, 2000 3:07 AM

No way but to decommission the World Bank and IMF -- BusinessWorld columnist Walden Bello explains why the policies of these two institutions have magnified world poverty and inequality, and traces the opposition movement from its origins in the Global South, to Seattle, Prague and beyond:

"The historic Prague Spring of 1968 spelled the beginning of the end of the Soviet Empire. Will Prague, the site of the World Bank-IMF annual meeting for the year 2000, join Seattle in December 1998 and Washington, D.C. in April of this year as one of the catalytic events ushering the beginning of the end of hegemony of corporate-driven globalization?..."
posted by johnb (8 comments total)

And here is Part 2.

I know what you're thinking: c'mon John, not another globalization thread! Yes, well, today IS S26, you know....
posted by johnb at 3:12 AM on September 26, 2000

...the end of hegemony of corporate-driven globalization...

To be replaced by what John? I work for an American company. They pay me very well. They even give me stock options on their Nasdaq-listed shares. No-one is exploited. On the contrary, we all think they treat us 'foreigners' very well. I concede that companies like Nike need a kick up the ass, but I personally am greatful for the globalisation of the interests of American capital.
posted by murray_kester at 4:53 AM on September 26, 2000

I don't think you proles understand the role you play in our society. People like you are supposed to perform back-breaking menial labor for people like me.

We get to rule the planet from our platinum Barca-loungers, while you get to work yourselves to death in the horrifying Antarctic copper smelters. It's a fair trade, so quit trying to renege on the deal! Be thankful for what we've given you -- in the olden days, we'd have simply sent in the Execution Squads and purged a few hundred thousand of you. Nowadays you get to live to be thirty-five!
posted by aramaic at 7:30 AM on September 26, 2000

I got stock options, so there can't be a problem -- swift reasoning, Murray. Are you by any chance autistic? Just curious...

posted by johnb at 11:41 AM on September 26, 2000

...it's funny how dedication almost always tips straight over into zealotry, isn't it?

(I'll leave the definition of funny as an exercise for the reader)
posted by aramaic at 11:58 AM on September 26, 2000

Aramaic, are you conceding that your once-sober dedication to Globalized Fascism has degenerated into zealotry? Oh dear, what a frightful development!
posted by johnb at 12:25 PM on September 26, 2000

Not to nitpick, but wasn't WTO/Seattle in December of 1999.
posted by alan at 8:44 PM on September 27, 2000

Yes that's right, sorry about the typo.
posted by johnb at 9:47 PM on September 27, 2000