The 3-day 23rd annual G7 Economic Summit and "Denver Summit of Eight"
concluded on June 22. It was held amidst a great deal of propaganda
about the U.S. finally emerging as the "sole military superpower"
within a "unipolar world." In a pre-summit speech, Clinton declared
"we host our partners at a time when America's economy is the
wealthiest in a generation and the strongest in the world."
The fact, however, is that the European Union, its member countries,
and the U.S. have sharp contentions amongst themselves, not to mention
the Russian Federation. The sharpening rivalries amongst them and the
other economic powers pose the danger of another world war. The Summit
of Eight Communique is a manifesto of their common maneouvring for
sources of raw materials and areas for export of capital which will
contribute to this danger.
The Denver Summit of Eight issued a communique declaring that they
have targetted the African nations as an area of expansion. Having
shifted the flow of finance capital to the countries of the former
Soviet Union and Eastern Europe over the past 8 years, they now plan
to take "new concrete action (for) African countries to participate
fully in the expansion of global prosperity." Declaring their pleasure
with "fiscal and financial practices and ... market oriented economic
policies, including trade liberalization and investment climate
improvement" in Africa, they promise "substantial flows of official
development assistance"
In the period leading up to the 50th anniversary of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights in 1998, they say they will boost
"business and labor support .... particularly in young democracies and
societies in conflict." In this regard, the leaders of the greatest
exploiters of the world promise to work for the monopolies that use
the cause of "intolerable forms of child labor" in Asia as a key weapon
in their rivalries.
With their usual demagogy about "peace, nuclear disarmament, and
international stability," these countries that have allied themselves
with the ever-expanding NATO military alliance try to present North
Korea as a "military threat." The Communique says North Korea must
halt its "development, deployment and export of ballistic missiles."
They also declare that China must ensure the holding of "elections in
Hong Kong for a new legislature as soon as possible." They threaten
Iran "to desist from ... support for extremist groups that are seeking
to destroy the Middle East peace process and to destabilize the
region" and call on "all States to avoid cooperation" with Iran that
would help it "to acquire nuclear weapons capabilities, or to enhance
chemical, biological, or missile capabilities in violation of
international conventions or arrangements." They also issued threats
against Iraq and Libya, confirming that one of the sharpest points of
contention is the supply of fossil fuels in the world.
The 1998 Summit of Eight also included a pitiful scenario of Canadian
Prime Minister Jean Chretien being "upset" by Clinton's pre-summit
remarks about the U.S. being the best "model" in the world. Reporters
say that Chretien "bristled" and "snapped" at the suggestion and told
them that "the Canadian model might be better." As the summit began, a
summit of those who are seeking to impose on the entire world the
"model" of a "free-market" economy, political pluralism, and bourgeois
human rights based on the defence of private property, Chretien
officials told reporters that Canada would never "seek to impose" its
economic model on others.
CPC(M-L)
Shawgi Tell
Graduate School of Education
University at Buffalo
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
