From: Meredith Glueck at EDF on 09/09/98 04:47 PM
Subject: Re: Fast Track Authority
There's an article in the latest (i think) NACLA that has a whole long article about Chile. The author was there during Allende and then during the coup. He talks about the difference today. He talks about the extreme divide between rich and poor and how everyone is buying nearly everything on credit. Also, there's something about the privatization of pensions or social security-and how its kindof a scam. ( i'd have to read it again or maybe someone else read it) But i think it relates to the fast track situation. Chile has been a sort of darling for the US, maybe outshining Mexico (given the past few year's financial situation) in its embrace of privatization, neoliberalism, etc. Rather than concentrating on creating more things to export, it'd be better to have $ spent on people. Though its not so much the trade i am against but the terms of trade, and all it implies. And then there's Pinochet who sort of stepped down, but still the US gov't never really acknowledges its involvement in the coup, or all the human rights abuses. Instead, just applaud all the steps he took towards the market.