For most people development equals progress, civilization, evolution and in general evokes only positive associations. But what is development? Is our contemporary society a good example of development and how it should be?
The progressive thinking has formed the basis for our current selfish and consumption driven society. In no way has it contributed to human progress but solely to a materialist and selfish commonalty. People are formed into uniform producers and consumers in the globalized world economy. Docile slaves, who as long as they can buy, buy, buy, buy, won't rise up against the current neoliberal capitalist order.
Modern Western society evolves around three commandments; Thou shall compete, thou shall achieve and above all thou shall consume. Is this the progress we preach? A selfish society that solely is obsessed with its own consumerism?
The whole concept of humanitarian aid is squared on this progressive thinking; possessions and economic growth equals fortune. Economic growth has created a global battlefield in which, on a daily basis several animal and plant species extinct or are being threatened by extinction, millions of people are getting poorer by the day while the rich elite only becomes richer and richer. This development leads us to an immense down-grade of human existence and all other species on earth.
Humanitarian aid is a facade. Western countries are trying to impose the globalist "Western" way of living to people in countries with completely different cultures. In the process, the colonial past is usually used to animate the white guilt once again. Surely we would be responsible for the poverty in third world countries and therefore we are obligated to donate money time and time again.
All the great success stories we are told by governmental and nongovernmental organizations blind us for the reality, the real hard truth. Humanitarian aid is a blatant lie, an illusion. Nothing more than a shiny bubble to keep us happy, so we don't ask questions about where our tax money went. Humanitarian aid has become nothing more than a flourishing highly profitable industry funded by our tax money.
As soon as the economy of a third world country is starting to attract a little bit with the so-called humanitarian aid and/or loans from the World Bank or IMF, the same authorities are the first to stagnate this progress again. These third world countries are simply indebted to repay their loans, with interest, to these authorities. In that sense humanitarian aid is nothing more then an extra taxation for the Westerners, which after a small detour eventually disappears in the pockets of the big finance. In some ways humanitarian aid, in its present form, can be considered as a form of terrorism or even genocide.
Modern imperialism
After colonialism in its original form disappeared, a new kind of imperialism arose, this time in a more adequate form. Imperialism through debt.
The decolonized countries where forced to rebuild their economy and country to exist to the parable of the Western world and to participate in the world economy. Because they couldn’t realize this on their own, they got saddled with an enormous debt via agencies like the World Bank or the IMF. Because these countries couldn’t meet their financial obligations to the banks they got deferral and/or the possibility to get a new loan, something the new corrupt or dictatorial rulers usually were happy to accept.
The billions of humanitarian aid often find their way to set appallingly bureaucratic governments and private organizations that are equally bureaucratic. Professor Jeffrey Winters estimated that in 2004 over 100 billion dollars of the World Bank ended in the hands of local corrupt swindlers. The African Union estimated in 2002 that corruption costs the African continent approximately 150 billion dollars on a yearly basis. So why don't the international lenders open their eyes? Trays full of aid money that is simply given, only encourages corruption. No single serious attempt is made to rid third world countries from their addictive drug named; humanitarian aid.
The contemporary debt of these countries, increased by interest, is nowadays so extensive that most of these countries will never come out of debt. They are infinitely dependant on the lenders and therefore the lenders posses the power in these countries. They got the power by means of economic sanctions or turning off the money tap to ruin the country or to settle it into famine.
In fact we are witnessing the exploitation of ever growing weak and dependent countries as well as the Western taxpayers by the finance capitalism. This imperialism can be defined as the parasitic or rotting capitalism. Imperialism led by finance capitalism has grown into the most dominant system. Capitalist monopolies control the number one position in the world economy and our current political systems.
World bank and IMF
One of the big players in this silent war called imperialism is the World Bank. This bank is not so much different from a Goldmann Sachs or an ING. The employees of this bank are also pushed to sell as much loans to countries as possible. It’s only about quantity, loaning as much money as possible, instead of quality (loaning money for sustainable projects). Many of the humanitarian projects are a complete failure, in many cases also by the hands of the World Bank itself.
The World Bank is involved in some very dubious projects like many dams and the establishment of transmigration projects that are more like forced deportations. The local population is forced to move, the natural habitat is at risk, tropical rainforests are cut, etc. One example of this we can find in South America. South American countries for instance are obligated to satisfy a specific export quota of soy or corn. To meet these quotas immense parts of the rainforest are cut to provide for enough farmland. Because many countries manage to satisfy these quotas, the market is flooded with the product which causes the prices to go down. Big business can suddenly buy these raw materials cheaper in bulk. For us, the civilians, the prices of course stay the same, until a harvest fails in which case we have to pay extra. Because these countries are incapable of paying their loans and interests back to the IMF and World Bank they are forced to produce even more. This leads to a vicious circle in which the people, ancient nature and forests are the victims.
Almost the whole policy of the World bank is a one size fits all policy for all borrowing countries. The eternal slogan with this is liberalize! Liberalize! Liberalize. These measures mean cuts on social expenses which compels countries to make health care significantly more expensive for their people. The privatising of state-owned enterprises and basic services as well as the basic amenities like electricity, water, health and education. Privatising social security, large-scale layoffs and a rollback of labour rights. Opening the market for cheap import goods, which results in wiping away the indigenous industries. As well as creating higher interest rates and less credit benefits which are essential for the survival of small businesses and farmers.
The conditions borrowing countries have to meet to get access to loans are a form of unauthorized political activities and are undermining the World bank and IMF their own motto. The World Bank together with the IMF has in the past consistently interfered with the internal political affairs of borrowing countries. The World Bank however states that these requirements are outdated and currently no longer so severe, this is of course blatant nonsense. Most countries have in the mean time adapted themselves in such a way that the necessary adjustments have already been made.
Conditionality still exists for borrowing countries. The use of conditions for loans on the subject of economic policy (like liberalizing and privatizing) in countries stays the standard way of doing business for the World Bank and IMF. Third world countries don't have a choice; or they impose bad policy or they become economically isolated. It’s the IMF that decides if countries can loan money from the World bank, regional development banks or private banks. The World Bank and IMF are in fact each others support.
Terms like nature, democracy and the role of the State get a new neoliberal interpretation thanks to the World Bank. The most important role of the economy of a borrowing country is taken over from the State by the World bank and IMF. These institutions only want new countries to serve the globalist free market and the growth of the world economy. And as we all know the free market is only advantageous for those who already have a mighty economical position.
The only reason the World bank exists is to secure private investments and the interests of the Transatlantic axis Washington-Brussels-Tel Aviv. All kind of multinationals have moved their production to third world countries to save costs. This is made possible by the World Bank which ensured that the markets and cheap labour of these countries were opened for foreign investors. The World Bank was never intended to help the poorest people, but to help rich people exploit the poor people. Despite of doing their job under such a noble banner, their altruist motive is a blatant lie. How else is it possible that since 1982 there is an increase of 60% of countries with debts and a huge increase of impoverishment?
The debt bearing countries pay a monthly 12 billion dollars in interests and down payments on their debts. For instance in the Philippines 44% of the GDP is meant for interest payments alone. So it’s no wonder that these countries invest less and less in social services and we see more and more poor people on our television, so the average Joe gives more money. In fact we as well as the third world countries are being exploited in this swindle.
If the World Bank or IMF have targeted a country foreign investors want to use (because of oil or minerals for instance) they try to persuade the Government of such a country to undertake the most stupid projects. Of course financed with loans from the World bank, while the project has to be done by foreign corporations with the right "expertise". Afterwards these projects usually prove to be preposterous, not workable, sometimes even dangerous for the local population and usually have to be removed or closed after a short period of time. While the foreign investors have profited, the country lags behind carrying a huge debt. The World Bank or IMF say that conditions are conditions and that they can provide a new loan. In this manner the countries fall more and more under the control of the IMF.
If a country decides it doesn’t want to take on a loan from the World Bank , and therefore won’t join the liberal world trade economy, it will immediately be classified as corrupt and thus be criminalized throughout the media. Take for example the countries known as the so called Axis of evil. All of those countries have in common that they aren’t in debt, they however don’t form a direct threat to the U.S.
Things start to get clearer if we just look at who are in charge at the World Bank and the IMF. The U.S. as biggest investor of the World Bank, instantly supplies the president for the bank, who has total immunity.
The president of the IMF therefore has to be an European. They wouldn’t want it to look like a conflict of interests. There are no clear criteria on which basis these presidents are selected. The nominations are an obscure political process that is completely dominated by the U.S. and the EU under a cloak of secrecy. Important decisions within these economical institutions require majority of 85% of the votes. However because the U.S. has a total of 17% of the votes in its own hands, they are the most important figures in the decision making process. The U.S. is the only country that has the right to veto decisions.
There is and there will always be a Third World as long as we’re pumping money into the Third World countries without abolishing the root of all evil, big finance.
Mundus vult decipi, decipiatur ergo
Source: Green Nationalists
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