The World Bank and the Spread of the American EmpireWritten by Dene McGriff
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When you look at billions of dollars spent in these different countries, you quickly see that 90 or more percent were in form of loans – loans that had to be paid back! The best thing to happen was a natural disaster, an earthquake, typhoon or flood which led to cooperation and later projects to rebuild. This isn’t to be cynical about recent tsunami but that is how it worked. I will come back to details in later articles but debt became an unbearable load to these developing countries. The infrastructure projects were sold based on optimistic estimates of GDP growth that never quite happened. A few of elites in government and business got wealthy, but there was marginal benefit for people. A history of default and restructuring of loans followed, but were never paid. Just like our credit card debt, they were lucky to keep up with interest but never quite got to principle. They could work off some of debt by giving concessions to American business, voting with U.S. in United Nations or providing other benefits to America. In some cases, situation was so critical debts were just written off. But generally, this is not case. The American global empire spread by enticing developing world into projects that were extremely high cost. I used to feel guilty knowing that I was making as much in one day as local professionals working with me made in a month. At one time, my billing rate was over $400 an hour! We knew they would default on loans. We would just restructure them and time them tighter into our little empire. Christians played an unknowing role in this first phase of development. The role of Summer Institute of Linguistics or Wycliffe Bible Translators is well known and documented that they were used by CIA and promoted American business interests. But let’s just talk about my experience. (Please see “Thy Will be Done” by Charlotte Dennett) In 1979, I went to work for World Relief of National Association of Evangelicals (NAE). I wrote first grant funded by USAID to start our development activities (in contrast to relief). I worked for Cleo Shook who had just left Carter administration as an Under Secretary of State. Cleo, like many missionaries, in 1950s had gone to Afghanistan but couldn’t stay as a “Christian Missionary.” He became CIA eyes and ears in Afghanistan and later Iran, started Peace Corps with Sergeant Shriver, and though a wonderful Christian, was an emissary for empire. Phase II The first phase was to do basic community and infrastructure development. The next phase was expansion of global empire by exporting jobs to cheap labor markets. I have been in sweatshops in Indonesia, Philippines, and Nigeria (back in mid ‘80s) We were trying to convince plant managers that they would get better work productivity if they provided health and family planning services to workers. TIPPS, Enterprise and a whole host of other USAID projects were aimed at helping private sector. Another aspect of this was privatization. The concept was that private sector could do a better job (with profit motive) than public sector. Whole sectors were being privatized – transportation, health, utilities, etc. Instead of being “privatized” by local business, multinationals would come in and take over resulting in much higher costs than before. But this was democratic, capitalistic thing to do. I worked on projects like this in Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Jamaica and other countries. I helped Colombian government develop a “managed competition” system in mid to late ‘90s with idea of privatization and cost control. The result was a disaster for bankrupt public system – “safety net” for poor. Today we see jobs going overseas by millions. Our development efforts have been in part successful in that there is a relatively healthy, well fed, educated work force willing to do our jobs for one tenth wage. Do our elites really care that they are displacing American workers? Not really. Do they care that eventually they may lose their domestic market? Not really. It’s pretty small compared to rest of world (we are only 5 percent of population). America may have its budget and trade deficits. The average American family may be falling deeper in debt, but so what? Isn’t that overall strategy of elites? To bankrupt countries and individuals and make them totally dependent and obedient to elites. If you have been reading my material for some time, you know that I’m not much of a conspiracy theorist but this seems pretty well organized. The difficult part with deception is that it is sooo… good. It can really fool you. We act on information we have. Sure, a lot of well-meaning people have been involved in spreading empire without even realizing it. What we have done has apparently been done with best intentions, but most terrible result. The government, media and powerful corporate interests are ready with their own explanation. I doubt that very few connect dots and see connections. One has to ask themselves, why does world so hate us? People are not as dumb as we may think. I have run into taxi drivers in Buenos Aires who are clearer on role of America in world than average American. Get your passport updated and travel somewhere. Talk to people and you will see. It got so embarrassing being an American; I would either speak Spanish or say I was Canadian. Some Call it Conspiracy There is a worldwide network of elites. Is there a conspiracy or is it all just coincidental? No country in world has developed a truly global economic and military empire as we have. Is this that great “last days” nation that will dominate earth? One should not be so quick to predict her demise. It took more than a hundred years to get here and we will not be that easily deposed. The American elites are truly global. Just as they have provided credit to nations to enslave them, they have supplied ample credit to American households to consume beyond their means – resulting in our ultimate slavery to system. It matters not that billions GEs, Becthels and Halliburtons make in Iraq – it goes into elite coffers – not yours and mine. The fact that we are being impoverished by credit debt and continually refinanced mortgages; fact that our currency is losing value, prices are rising, wages are flat, economy is stagnating – elites are doing same thing to us as they did to rest of world. The rich are getting richer and poor are getting poorer. Just look around at your friends, their parents and their children and you will see what statistics tell us. We are becoming a third world, debtor society with a few at top who have “made it.” Should we be surprised? Not if we read our Bibles. There is a system in place to get us to believe that black is white and white is black, that we are good guys helping world, that we have best system and only mean best for everyone. If we believe lies told us on a daily basis, we will surely be deceived. Go to complete article
The author has 30 years international development experience and has worked in 40 plus countries around the world. He holds two Masters Degrees and is a PhD Candidate with specialization in business, and international finance, and is founder of www.the-tribulation-network.com.
| | Wisconsin bans hunting by InternetWritten by Kevin Doberstein
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The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is also part of a nationwide program named “Open Outdoors”. "Open Outdoors" is a nationwide effort to provide disabled individuals with a user-friendly means of accessing recreation opportunities. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is committed to providing greater access and more programs for persons with disabilities. The intent is to make it easier for disabled individuals to hunt, fish and pursue other outdoor activities. Source: Wisconsin Department of Wisconsin Web Site. Supporters of this bill include sportsmen who believe hunting is being outdoors and being an actual part of hunting experience and that using Internet isn’t hunting at all. At this time, at lease 14 other states are working on similar legislation for preventing Internet hunting.
Kevin Doberstein enjoys wildlife and nature while hiking in the Wisconsin great outdoors. He is also the owner of Nature Boy Natural Images. http://www.cafepress.com/nature_images. This web site displays outdoor wildlife and nature photography. The Wisconsin Outdoor Recreation and Wildlife Blog is for promoting and protecting nature and wildlife resources in the state of Wisconsin.
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