So, I've definitely not blogged in like, a month. I'm sorry. University has turned me into a giant ball of slacker. Picture at the side is one I took when I was at home for Thanksgiving. It's Province House in Halifax, the oldest legislative building in Canada. It's a lovely building inside. Anyway... I have many, many a thought. I love, love, love my classes. They're all incredibly interesting, even the math class, LOL. We're doing calculus now. I'm not amused. My political science class is one of my favourites. Well, my favourites are religious studies and political science. It's just so interesting to learn about all of these different things. However, political science has essentially eaten my soul, and this is where I will start.
If you have never read anything in depth concerning globalization and poverty, don't. It will make you feel like a horrible, horrendous human being if you have a heart. I can't even enjoy the (RED) campaign, because I know that because the merchandise is made in China, it's part of the problem. Let's see if I can explain this. You have the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the World Trade Organization essentially in charge of the global economy. The "Bretton Woods trio," with the IMF and the World Bank both housed in Washington. Now, we all know about Third World debt, right? Developing nations borrow money from the IMF and the World Bank in order to do developmental projects in their nation. In order to get these loans in the first place, they have to agree to a set of "structural adjustment programs," which the IMF or World Bank perscribes so they can pay the loan bank. Basically, the SAPs require the nation to slash just about every social program you can think of, health, education, food subsidies for the poor, etc. and in the case of Brazil in the early 90s, even amendments to the constitution. There is another connection to this, which I will go into after in Part Two, but first I want to cover why the merchandise if part of the problem. The IMF and World Bank also stresses exporting goods over import of goods, under the idea if you're exporting goods your making money while if you import you're losing money. Makes sense, right? Now, in order for these countries to start exporting more goods, they must attract foreign companies (multinational corporations) to come and invest (by means of factories, etc.) in their country. So, what do you do to make your country more attractive to multinationals? Lower wages, environmental restrictions, work safety regulations, offer tax incentives, whatever. This is leads to a "cheap labour market," and there are many, many cheap labour markets. The competition between cheap labour markets, like China, India and all of those other places, through processes of (economic) globalization has essentially destroyed the national economies of places like Africa. Africa has tried to make itself an attractive cheap labour market, crippling national economies that can't compete with places like China.
Part Two. Alright, so we have structural adjustment programs instituted by the IMF. That's a good place to start. Now, a large part of the SAPs is slashes in health care. The health centres are no longer state run, but are the responsibility of the town and become reliant on traditional medicine wisepeople and volunteers in the villages. It essentially becomes "privatized" so that the state can redirect the money spent on health care and other social programs to the external debt it owes to the IMF and World Bank. The interest on these loans is also ridiculously high. Often, the country is unable to make enough money in order to meet their loan payments and has to get ANOTHER loan, solely to pay the interest on the last loan. The prinipal of the loan is never repayed, instead more debt is acquired. Here's a lovely, staggering figure: debt in Africa has increased by 400% since the World Bank and IMF started managing national economies. So you can see how it would get worse and worse. The lack of a health care system, as well as education, through the structural adjustments of the IMF and World Bank, has made the AIDs epidemic just that, an epidemic.
The (RED) program is certainly drawing attention to the problem and has the right idea, but it's not addressing the underlying economic issues. Instead, it is actually part of the vicious cycle of globalized poverty, and while there may be money going towards AIDs relief, its participating in part of the reason WHY there is an AIDs epidemic. Until someone calls for the IMF and World Bank to be responsible for the damage they've done to the national economies of so many nations, and to the social degradation they've caused around the world. There's a reason why people protest the G8 summits, which I would like to do by the way. And now you all know why my soul has been destroyed. I can't really enjoy something with good intentions knowing it's part of the problem.
Alright, NEXT! For a slightly more upbeat note!
I've joined SHOUT (Students Helping Others Understand Tolerance) here at STU, and so far, I've really been enjoying it. I've also started going to Amnesty International meetings. I really enjoy being involved, learning new things, meeting new people and getting in on some really great experiences. There's an opportunity to go to Poland to visit the concentration camps there, which I think would be a phenomenal experience. I've met some really great people, and I've really found an interest in human rights, even more so than last year. I think I may minor in human rights, as STU has a great human rights program. I don't know, we'll see! But it's looking excellent. With SHOUT, I'm one of the main members, as I have the strongest background with Darfur. People seem to be rather impressed with it. They're also impressed that I'm a first year, and already I'm involved. Oh well. It's nice.
I am going to New York in March! So excited for that. It saddens me greatly that CNN is offing the Inside CNN: NY tour. I was going to go, for sure!! Gah. They are trying to ruin my life.
I have a fish. His name is Sushi. I had one named Anderson. He died. I was sad. I'm going to get an Anderson II after this weekend, after I come back from being at home. Sushi looks lonely, even though I bought him a castle to make him feel better.
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