In message <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, Thomas
Kruse <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes
>>From today's NYT:
>
>To the liberal critique [of the IMF Asia bail out plans], Rubin responded
>that human rights, workplace issues and the environment, while important,
>should be not be thrown into the maelstrom of bringing an international
>financial crisis under control.
>
>"To add these three objectives, however important, would vastly complicate
>this effort and greatly reduce its chances of success," Rubin said.
>
>Tom Kruse / Casilla 5812 / Cochabamba, Bolivia
>Tel/Fax: (591-42) 48242
>Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Rubin's reasons might be suspect, but the idea of the IMF enforcing
human rights, workplace issues and so on seems pretty retrograde to me.
I've just finished William Greider's book in which he suggests that
workers rights could be demanded of America's trading partners as a
condition of trade. In both cases you would depending on the entrenched
power of capital to defend workers' interests, and, at the same time,
giving the West a stick to beat its rivals in Asia with.
I think there is something creepy about those Western leaders who
complain about low wages in every country but their own.
>
--
James Heartfield
