> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > (...) the NY Times every day > (..) dealing with domestic US > issues take a line that is in favor of a welfare state, a > meaningful regulatory system, critical of growing > inequality and corporate greed, sympathy for the plight of > the working poor, concern over restrictive monetary > policy, etc. > But in pieces dealing with foreign > countries, capitalism is celebrated, free-market reforms > cheered, privatization lauded, and the welfare state and > anything even vaguely socialistic sneered at. > > Has anyone else noticed this pattern of the NYT's "social > democracy at home, unfettered capitalism abroad" editorial > policy? > > Peter I find Peter's concern a fair one. Note, though, that his is about *the NYT* (i.e. Peter specifically refers to a particular case, which can be debated in its own right with a considerable accuracy). I would even be inclined to suggest that, to a *very large degree*, the regulatory-capitalism-inside-BUT-free-market-capitalism-outside bias looks like a practice of most Northen governments... It is risky to generalize in this way, I admit. But looking at the evidences, it does not seem very unrealistic. Think for example at the public budgets. I am out of date in these statistics now, but I do remember that -beginning with the USA and some Eurpean governments- some years ago the ratios fiscal deficit to GDP were larger in these countries compared with the average of LDCs. I guess the same pattern still applies. However, an almost always first conditionality clausula for a poor country to receive a loan from "Bretton Woods" institutions or a package of ODA (official development assistance) from a Northern government, was a drastic reduction of the budget. Even if this trend cannot be confirmed on a *very general* basis, just think what would happen if poorer countries in the world would decide to "follow" economic practices in the "North" and decide to ensure a certain level of "unemployment benefit" ??? Now take the example of trade relations, protectionism, effective monopolies, cartels through multinational corporations, etc, etc... En fin, issues to explore, and to know more about. But my overall feeling is that the NYT just reflects a pattern of Northen policy, *to a very large degree*. Salud, Alex > Alex Izurieta E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Institute of Social Studies P.O. Box 29776 2502 LT The Hague Tel. 31-70-4260480 Fax. 31-70-4260755
