News, Info, and Opinion from the Spawn of Satan (DLC-PPI)

Bradford DeLong jbdelong at uclink.berkeley.edu
Sat Mar 2 10:57:11 PST 2002



>BDL, channeling DLC:
>
>> >. . . Given the overwhelming documentation available about the
>> >identities of the September 11 terrorists, this finding suggests
>> >something well beyond entrenched mistrust of the United States.
>> >It points squarely to the severely limited access of people in many
>> >Islamic countries to anything like objective news coverage by
>> >independent media.
>
>It's not obvious to me that the mistrust is founded on
>simple lack of information. Chances are that many
>would reject "objective news coverage" if it was
>offered to them. Look at how many people watch
>the Fox network, for instance, relative to PBS.

So what do we do with people who would rather watch the Al-Jazeera miniseries, "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion," than "We Are the World"?


>Strictly as a practical matter, not knowing anything about the
>economies of the relevant countries, I suspect that imposition
>of 'economic opportunity' in the shape of trade liberalization
>would stir up even more opposition, at least in the short run,
>since I imagine there are plenty of petit-bourgeoisie and
>peasants, and few proletarians.

Come on. Suspend the provisions of the Multi-Fiber Agreement that apply to Pakistan, Bangladesh, and the rest of the Middle East... and quadruple their textile-industry employment, exports, and output within a year. Add on lots of trade adjustment assistance for the Carolinas and LA, and it seems a win-win for everyone...

Brad DeLong


>
>The only operational component of the Lieberman formula is
>the use of force. All the rest stands to be illusory, eventually
>(perhaps quickly) resulting in dire consequences from the
>use of force.

This is the dilemma of Graham Greene's _Quiet American_, isn't it? All the hopes for development, prosperity, and "third ways" quickly prove illusory...

Brad DeLong



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