[Jewelry making - Article 00068] - Re: [Orchid] Dirty gold, Conflict diamonds - Global Ethics?

[Lee Einer]

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    This is really a large part of what third-world countries are
    fighting when they protest "globalization." 

    The various entities pushing globalization (the IMF, the World Bank,
    etc,) condition their services on the conditions of privatization of
    public services and infrastructure and upon the repeal of any laws
    restricting "free trade." Such "restrictive" laws to be repealed may
    be clean water statutes, minimum wage laws, child labor bans, in
    other words, basic workers rights and environmental protections. The
    end result of such an agenda is that the country is left wide open
    for multi-national corporations to loot their natural resources, jack
    the cost of basic services such as water and power through the roof
    and put their children to work in sweatshops. 

    This is why Latin American countries are fighting NAFTA and its
    various clones and extensions such as CAFTA tooth and nail. Such
    "free trade" agreements set the stage for the further impoverishment
    of the countries participating, for the looting of their natural
    resources, the disruption of their economies, the privatization of
    their infrastructure. The people of these countries understandably
    would prefer to trade under conditions which provide protections to
    workers and the environment, and which allow for the natural
    resources of the country to be used for the benefit of its people. 

Lee
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