[This op-ed piece is a demagogic appeal on behalf of Africans from the
neoliberal cheerleader Thomas Friedman. In targeting the protectionist
campaign of unions like UNITE, Friedman offers the free flow of capital as
an alternative. This points to the rather narrow ideological framework of
much of the post-WTO protest debate. Clearly there is an alternative to
protectionism and neoliberal free trade, namely socialism. In the aftermath
of the collapse of the Soviet Union, the discussion hopefully will evolve
from one of "why socialism does not work" to one of "why capitalism does
not work". For a useful discussion of that, check the latest MR which has
an article by Leo Panitch and Sam Gidin on what they describe as a need to
reinvoke the utopian spirit of Marxism. While I question the value of
"utopia", I do think they make an important point. Socialism must not
proceed on the basis of playing by the rules of the capitalist system. For
example, Panitch and Gindin point out that a recent issue of New Left
Review includes an article by Jamie Galbraith that states that the "welfare
state" is the only game in town. If NLR prints this sort of accomodationist
junk, what is the point of putting out a Marxist journal to begin with?]
NY Times, March 7, 2000
FOREIGN AFFAIRS / By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN
Don't Punish Africa
There is a travesty brewing in Congress that, if allowed to continue, will
be a source of shame for all Americans. It will certainly be an ugly stain
on the U.S. labor movement, particularly the apparel union and the
A.F.L.-C.I.O. -- a stain that will highlight all the unions' phony-baloney
assertions in Seattle that they just want to improve worker rights around
the world and help the poor.
This controversy has to do with a stalled trade bill called The African
Growth and Opportunity Act. And the bottom line is this: At a time when
Africa is ravaged by AIDS, at a time when 290 million Africans -- more than
the entire population of the U.S. -- are living on a dollar a day, the main
U.S. textile union, UNITE!; the main textile manufacturers' lobby, ATMI;
and the lawmakers who bow to both of them are blocking a bill that would
allow Africans to export clothing to America duty free -- instead of with
the current 17 percent import tax.
Why the opposition? Because Africa might increase its share of U.S. textile
and apparel imports from its current level of 0.8 percent! Shame on the
people blocking this bill. Shame on them.
Full article at:
http://www.nytimes.com/library/opinion/friedman/030700frie.html
Louis Proyect
(The Marxism mailing list: http://www.marxmail.org)
