White Trash Oligarchy

I watched the news as police in riot gear sprayed pepper spray into the faces of peaceful, non-violent protesters. Tens of thousands of people, representing an unprecedented broad base from the AFL-CIO, Buddhist monks, Environmentalists, and people in all sorts of costumes had turned out in Seattle to protest the World Trade Organization conference that was planned. Why all the fuss? Because corporations were trying to get legal standing that raises them above the law of any sovereign nation if that law is deemed to interfere with their "free trade."

For me, the big deal here is -- multinational corporations are trying to gain legal standing that exempts them from following any rules whatsoever -- this is the most blatant step in geo-political countries being subverted by corporate-states. It is right out of a Robert Heinlein novel, and just weeks from the millenium.

It is not that big business has not been calling the shots all along, but there were some checks and balances in place, and while they may not have been as effective as we might have liked, at least they existed ... if WTO gets their way, it will be an unabated industry feeding frenzy.

This is about the WTO supporting the current Industry push to roll-back hard-won environmental and human rights gains made over the last several decades. It is about special interests and control; it is about lack of informed choice for consumers. It is about "waiting for the bodies to fall" in important environmental health issues.

WTO is pro business, anti consumer; pro oligarchy, anti democracy; pro bottom line, anti quality of life; pro control of information, anti informed consent. All the while, Orwellian oxymorons are used to attempt to dupe the people on this planet into giving the entire World to big business on a sliver platter, so they can continue their pursuit of economic growth unfettered by concerns about sustainability or public health.

Well, guess what? We the people are not going to make it that easy for you, WTO. If you want to own the world, you will have to try and get it like all the other thugs have, with blatent, brute force. You do not have a rational basis upon which to abandon democracy in favor of economic growth.

Robert Bedard
Webmaster, WaveGuide
December 20, 1999

More About WTO

Rachel's 675
The WTO Turns Back the Clock
About the WTO supporting the current Industry push to roll-back hard-won gains over the last several decades. It is about special interestes and control; it is about lack of informed choice for consumers. It is about going back to "waiting for the bodies to fall."

Rachel's 677
Corporate Rights vs. Human Need
Balancing corporate "rights" to unfettered economic growth, against human rights to live in a world free from slave labor and toxic filth.

Rachel's 679
Making Sense Out of the WTO
The main goal of the WTO's Seattle meeting was to begin a new round of international talks, the so-called "millennium round," which was expected to last 3 years. That goal was thwarted. Emboldened partly by protestors in Seattle's streets, Third World envoys to the WTO rejected a new round of talks.[2] So the millennium round will not begin, at least not right away. Delaying the new talks was a sweet victory for the protesters and an important assertion of independence by Third World countries.

Open Letter
From the Honourable Paul Hellyer,
Leader of the Canadian Action Party
If you want a fairer, more just and prosperous world, you must reject outright any extension of the World Trade Organization (WTO) mandate to include services as proposed by the major powers. Instead, you should review the existing scope of WTO jurisdiction and remove all references to "national treatment" as a fundamental tenet of international trade and investment. If you don't, you will never be able to develop the kind of diversified economy necessary to provide interesting and challenging jobs to your brightest young people and you will not have the tax base required to finance essential public services.

Protest Report
First person narrative of the Battle in Seattle.
What is the sound of history happening? It is the sound of 300 non-violent protesters blockading an entrance to the Seattle convention center, staring up at the gas-masked faces of advancing riot police and chanting "the whole world is watching!"