From: Witness For Peace Date: 02 Jul 92 13:46 PDT Subject: WFP Myth of the Month: July 1992 Message-ID: <1563600170@igc.org> Lines: 205 Status: RO Witness for Peace 1492-1992 Expose the Myths: Calling for a Just World Order Myth of the Month--July 1992/Linkages MYTH: Colonization of the Americas had little, if any, effect on most Europeans; likewise, U.S. policy in Central America has little effect upon life for the "typical American." RESPONSE: With the beginning of colonization, developments in Europe, the Americas and Africa became inter-dependent. The economic prosperity of Europe relied upon the development of slavery and the extraction of resources from the Americas. The oppression of Africans and indigenous peoples was directly linked to the economic and political struggles of Europe, and the prosperity of Europe was bank-rolled by the resources and slave labor of Africans and indigenous peoples. The linkages remain, with United States' foreign and economic policies continuing to oppress Latin Americans and ethnic minorities in the U.S. today. Europe in 1492 Between 1442 and 1500, Europe continued its transition from a feudal system to a system of capitalist nation-states, with colonial powers vying for top position on two continents: Europe and America. African slave trade, the production and appropriation of the colonies' resources, and, to a lesser extent, military development enabled some countries to rise above others in Europe. As historian Robert G. Athearn describes in American Heritage, a conservative, traditional analysis of the history of the U.S., trade had been increasingly central to the economic system of post-feudal Europe. As the authority of the feudal lords dwindled, many of those who had lived under them moved toward the cities. Europe, still predominantly agricultural, was now going in a direction that took men [sic] away from a mere subsistence economy, where they raised most of their necessities on a small plot of ground, to a money, or profit, economy.... The increased travel and trade meant that the methods of transportation, particularly by water, were soon to be expanded and improved.... If an all-water route to the East could be found, it would mean cheaper transportation, larger profits, and the pleasant prospect of dealing the Turks out of a new and highly profitable game. It was precisely such an improved, expanded water route to the Near East that Columbus set off to discover. Until his death, Columbus believed he had in fact found a "short cut" to the East. As colonists, missionaries, and others set out for the Americas, their encounters had enormous impact upon Europe. Some scholars argue that the "discovery" rejuvenated the Old World, offering hope of prosperity and adventure unavailable at home. Other historians point out that the Americas offered not economic hope to the "common person" but instead opportunity for nationalistic expansion to newly powerful monarchs. As Athearn writes: Now, with the Americas open and waiting for exploration, the energies of Europe could be directed across the Atlantic.... Now the westward rush was on. No respectable nation could be without its colony from which it could gain bullion and raw materials and in which it hoped to dispose of surplus manufactured materials. Athearn ignores the fact that the Americas were not "open" but were occupied by millions of inhabitants not eager for exploration. Likewise he ignores the enslavement of Africans. Nonetheless, Athearn's point is clear: to claim land and resources in America was to claim political and economic clout in Europe. What impact did this have upon common Europeans of the day? Aside from having wealth even more concentrated in the hands of the powerful, it increased the migration to the cities. Great wealth came to some people from the new and booming colonial trade; abject poverty came to others who, with the collapse of the feudal system, lost their lands and modus vivendi. Americas in 1992 Saul Alinsky wrote in Rules for Radicals that "the prime illusion we must rid ourselves of is the conventional view in which things are seen separate from their inevitable counterparts." The political and economic situations of Central America are intimately linked with those of North America. By 1992, the North American Free Trade Agreement (Canada-U.S.-Mexico, NAFTA) will be well on its way to full implementation. Bush is presenting the NAFTA as the solution to poverty in the Americas. However, many in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the rest of Latin America question this. Critics claim that free trade agreements will increase labor, environmental and product-safety deregulation. Already thousands of Canadian jobs have been lost. The elimination of tariffs on imported goods has left many Canadian enterprises unable to compete with larger U.S. corporations forcing them to close. In the U.S. job loss will also be significant. As corporations move south seeking cheaper labor, anti-union and lax environmental legislation, jobs in the U.S. will be in jeopardy. Another effect NAFTA will have on U.S. jobs is to drive down wages. Already workers in Texas are worried about their wages if they will have to compete with workers south of the border. Consumers will also be affected. As deregulation expands, product-safety standards will fall by the wayside. According to a recent article in The Nation (6/3/91): ...Canada employed its free trade agreement with the United States to challenge the U.S. asbestos control program. Tainted Canadian meat, including pork with pus-filled abscesses and potentially deadly bacteria, now enters the United States because Canadian exporters successfully claimed that U.S. meat inspection is a trade barrier. The United States, for its part, criticized Canadian acid rain pollution laws as an unfair trading practice. In the context of free-trade negotiations, Mexico asked the Bush Administration to lift the embargo that limits the importation of tuna caught with methods that kill dolphins. The business, environmental, and labor practices in one country under the Free Trade Agreement affect all countries involved--whether it concerns quality standards, acid rain, plant closings/re-locations, or relative prices of commodities. We are increasingly linked together. EXAMPLES: Pueblo to People--Making Linkages Pueblo to People offers one example of a North American business that intentionally makes linkages--politically and economically--with partners in Latin America. As a non-profit organization, Pueblo to People works with Latin American artisans and sells their crafts to markets in North America. Approximately 40 to 45 cents per dollar is then returned to the low-income producers in Latin America. In their summer 1991 catalogue, Pueblo to People writes: Most of the products in this catalog are made by Americans who know their ancestors had a special connection to this land long before Columbus was born, much less "discovered" it. Huichol, Quiche, Mam, Cakchequel, Kekchi, Tzutuhil, Quechua--through their crafts they share with us some of their vision of the universe. These are not just products. They are precious opportunity for us to hear voices we have forgotten and work together with people for common future with our common Mother. Factory Closings; Corporation Moving to Mexico The Watsonville, California-based Green Giant food processing plant recently moved the bulk of its operations to Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico. Lured by reduced tariffs and cheap labor--Mexican laborers make less than $4 a day--Green Giant laid off 382 workers in California. The Teamsters Union estimated that the move will save Green Giant about $6 million yearly in wages and benefits. Labor unions, including electricians, garment workers, the auto-workers and the A.F.L.-C.I.O. are increasingly worried about loss of U.S. jobs as free trade agreements are signed. The Economic Policy Institute says that free trade for the U.S. means fewer plants being opened in the U.S., which means fewer jobs being created for U.S. workers. Increased competition for jobs mean lower wages. The Institute estimates that those hit the hardest would be the 75 percent of the labor force that does not have a college degree. CALLING FOR A JUST WORLD ORDER: * Participate in or sponsor a Witness for Peace delegation to a local sight, or a WFP domestic-Central America delegation which helps make linkages between domestic and foreign policy (see enclosed delegation schedule). * Support businesses and groups that are working with Central Americans for a just economic system and local co-ops which do not rely on exported crops from exploited workers. * Research your bank's lending and investment policies. Do they invest in exploitation outside the United States? Do they invest in low-income housing and minority businesses? * Subscribe to the Central America Newsline from Witness for Peace (see enclosed flyer). DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 1. How are you affected by U.S. policy in Central America? Consider the price of groceries, salaries for factory workers, federal taxes payed, etc. 2. How are families in Central America affected by U.S. policy? 3. In what ways can you make the linkages that exist clearer? For example, how can you illustrate the impact for people in the U.S. of environmental damage done in Latin America? RESOURCES: Bad Samaraitans: First World Ethics and Third World Debt, Paul Vallely, Orbis Books: 1990. "Fast Track to Unemployment," The Nation, June 3, 1991, pp. 735-738. Pueblo to People, PO Box 2545, Houston, TX 77252-2545; 1-800-843-5257. Rules for Radicals, Saul Alinsky, Vintage Books: 1971.